You've Been Lining Your Baking Pan With Aluminum Foil All Wrong

Whether you're cooking up a pan of brownies or a lasagna, if you're trying to ensure your food doesn't end up stuck all over your pan, you only have a few options. You could spray a layer of your pan with cooking spray, but that's not always 100% reliable and you can end up with a baking pan covered in gross, baked-on nonstick spray. You could painstakingly cut out parchment paper sheets in the exact sizes and shapes you need. Or you could line your pan with aluminum foil, which while effective can be frustrating when you're attempting to force that foil into your pan's nooks and crannies.

Luckily, a viral TikTok video is showing you exactly how to go about lining your baking pan with aluminum foil, no frustrations required. All you need to do for this baking hack is to switch up the way you're looking at your baking pan.

Instead of attempting to shove your sheet of aluminum foil down into your pan's corners and against its edges, the TikTok video from @saucedupfoods shows that it's much easier to simply flip your pan over and then mold the aluminum foil around the outside edges and sides of the pan. Pat the foil down a few times, remove it after you're sure the foil will retain the pan's shape, and then turn the pan upright again. When you now place the foil into the pan, it'll be contoured precisely around your pan's curves and edges. No more wonky corners.

While the TikTok video demonstrates this hack using a loaf pan like what you'd use for baking banana bread or something similar, you can use it with most other pans as well. Oh, and if you're worried about using the correct side of your aluminum foil to get the most out of your baking projects, don't be. We refuted the myth that one side is better than the other.