Oven food recipes

Oven food is a weeknight favourite because once it is prepped, it cooks by itself in the oven with no need to watch it. Most bakes are done at 175–200 °C in 30–45 minutes, depending on the size of the dish and the filling.

Classics include minced meat bake, vegetable casserole and oven-roasted chicken with root vegetables. A bake is ready when the top has browned and a knife slides through without resistance – if the top browns too quickly, cover the dish with foil for the rest of the baking time.

Oven dishes can be prepped ahead and kept in the fridge for a day before baking, which makes planning the week's meals easier. Many bakes also freeze well once cooked.

In most oven dishes you can swap the meat for pulses or plant-based mince, and the baking time stays about the same. A cheese or cream topping usually goes on only for the last 10–15 minutes so it does not burn.

In Ruokaboksi oven recipes the ingredients arrive pre-measured in portion sizes, so a meal for the oven comes together without extra planning, even on a busy weekday.