Sheet pan dinners are my new favorite style of cooking. Baked on a single sheet or roasting pan, these all-in-one dinners are easy, convenient, nutrient-dense, and lend themselves to a variety of combinations.
General method for sheet pan cooking:
- Layer all vegetables on a shallow sheet or roasting pan lined with parchment paper.
- Drizzle vegetables with olive or avocado oil.
- Place protein on top of the vegetables and season with salt, pepper, herbs, and spices to your liking.
- Bake in a preheated oven (375ºF) for 45 to 60 minutes. Stir every 15-20 minutes to check for doneness.
- Clean-up is easy. After storing the leftovers, if there are any, toss the parchment paper. There should be minimal mess in the pan.
Here are a few of my favorite combinations.
Chicken, Fennel, and Lemon
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Fennel fronds, chopped
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
5-6 chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
8-10 cloves of garlic, whole and peeled
Season to taste
In the order listed, assemble the ingredients on a parchment-lined sheet or roasting pan. Bake in a preheated oven (375ºF) for 45-60 minutes. Stir every 15-20 minutes to check for doneness.
Turkey Sausage and Root Vegetables
1 onion, thinly sliced
A variety of diced root vegetables (turnip, parsnip, beet, carrot, rutabaga)
Any green vegetable (Brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus, zucchini, broccoli), cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
4-5 turkey sausage links, sliced in half or cut into rounds
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Season to taste
In the order listed, assemble the ingredients on a parchment-lined sheet or roasting pan. Bake in a preheated oven (375ºF) for 45-60 minutes. Stir every 15-20 minutes to check for doneness.
Salmon, Asparagus, and Fingerling Potatoes
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 pound of asparagus, ends trimmed
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, washed and sliced in half
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
4 salmon fillets
Fresh parsley, chopped
Season to taste
In the order listed, assemble the ingredients on a parchment-lined sheet or roasting pan. Bake in a preheated oven (375ºF) for 45-60 minutes. Stir every 15-20 minutes to check for doneness.
Consider one of these sheet pan dinners as you head into the weekend or prepare for next week’s meals. Or get creative with a combination of your own. Be sure to tell me what you put together. The sky’s the limit!
For more easy cooking ideas, visit Mary Collette Rogers’ The New Kitchen. Mary’s website is filled with tips to help you transform your kitchen, your cooking, and your thinking around meal-making.
Happy sheeting!
