Wax paper and parchment paper are not the same thing. Not even a little bit. Not even slightly. They are used for completely different things, and if you somehow mix it up, the results could be catastrophic.
Wax paper has, as the name suggests, a thin coat of wax on it. This repels and locks in moisture to the food, and prevents food from sticking to it.
It makes a good wrapper for cheese and butter, and works well for lining a baking pan for no-bake recipes. If you want to pound meat into a thinner piece, wax paper works well for this too.
As for parchment paper, it also is moisture and stick resistant, just like the wax paper. Unlike wax paper, however, this stuff is made with silicone, meaning it can be used in the oven at up to 450 degrees F.
So the bottom line is, you can use parchment paper for everything wax paper can do, but wax paper cannot be used in the oven.
But what exactly happens when you use wax paper in the oven?
The wax melts, then the paper starts to burn, and if you aren’t around to take it out of the oven, the whole oven could catch fire. Yeah, I’ll stick to the parchment.
Be safe in the kitchen and pick the right paper for your dish!