Taco baking and serving pan

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a pan that will support the taco shells in a proper configuration while baking to prevent them from closing, and that will also hold the shells securely while filling them.
It is another object that the pan provide for easy lifting of the filled taco with less trauma to the brittle shell.
It is yet another object that the pan prevent loss or spilling of the taco or its contents when tilted.
The pan of the invention comprises a plurality of U-shaped troughs whose surface has the cross sectional shape of a properly shaped taco shell and a length greater than the length of taco shell so that a shell will be supported therein during filling.
The two sides of the trough extend upward and away from each other high enough to support most or all of the shell.
At each end of the trough, the bottom of the trough is provided with a stop means contiguous with the surface of the trough and sloping upward therefrom.
This stop prevents the shells from sliding out if the pan is tilted when being lifted from the oven.
This same stop also prevents any of the filling which may spill from the taco from falling out of the trough.
The sloping stop means also provides a means of lifting the taco from below.
By sliding the taco along the trough and onto the stop, the bottom of the taco is gradually lifted.
As it extends beyond the pan, the bottom of the taco is lifted enough that a hand can be slipped underneath it even when the pan is resting on a table.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when the detailed description is studied in conjunction with the drawings.