Dinner is a breeze with sheet-pan meals

There are plenty of ways to make your meals. You can cook, bake or saute them. You can use a pressure cooker or a slow cooker. You can grill your food or fry it.

But one of the most recent fads is also one of the easiest — and you won’t necessarily end up with a sink filled with dishes afterward.

Sheet-pan cooking, where all the ingredients for your meal are cooked on a rimmed cookie sheet or two, is all the rage today.

You can make anything from breakfast to dinner to dessert on a sheet pan.

It’s an easy way to make your meal, but there are some tips that can help you.

Line your sheet pan with foil or parchment to make clean up simple.

While the vast majority of sheet-pan dinners require only one baking dish, there are times when you may find it helpful to use two — when the meat may release a lot of juice but you want your roasted vegetables to remain crisp, for example. Other times, when you want the flavors of the meats and vegetables to meld, one sheet will do nicely.

When making dinner, select a group of vegetables that cook at the same rate, such as sweet potatoes and beets or mushrooms and asparagus, to avoid overcooking one element or undercooking another.

For nicely browned veggies, place the cut side down on the baking sheet when you begin roasting.

If you want to mix a quick-cooking vegetable with a more sturdy variety, bake the sturdy veggie first and toss the more delicate one in for the last few minutes of baking.

If you want to crisp chicken skin, sausage casings and fish skin, turn on the broiler for the final few minutes of cooking.

When in doubt, add a sauce to the finished dish. Since most sheet pan meals are a basic mix of meat and vegetables, a simple sauce such as pesto, salsa or chutney, adds welcomed flavor and texture.

To add a fresh, raw crunch, sprinkle tender greens like baby arugula, spinach, pea shoots or sprouts over the top of baked sheet pan meals before serving. Toasted nuts like almonds, pine nuts and cashews also work.

While roasting can bring out the sweetness of most vegetables, there are other ways to bring out flavor in foods. Toss in herbs or sliced citrus, drizzle some vinegar over your ingredients or add a splash of dry white wine until you find a combination you enjoy.

Following are some sheet-pan meal recipes from www.thegirlonbloor.com.

 

Sriracha Ranch Sheet Pan Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 chicken breasts, diced

1 head broccoli, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 carrot, sliced

1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

1/2 cup baby potatoes, chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 packet dry ranch seasoning

1 teaspoon Sriracha

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Place on a large parchment-lined baking sheet, then roast in a 400-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for four or five days. To reheat, sprinkle some water over top of the chicken then microwave for one to two minutes.

 

 

Sheet Pan Teriyaki Salmon and Vegetables

For vegetables:

2 cups bite-size broccoli florets

10 mini-sweet rainbow peppers, seeded and halved

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For salmon:

2 4-ounce wild salmon filets

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 garlic clove, grated

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce or gluten-free soy sauce

1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

For garnish:

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

1 large scallion, chopped

Combine sesame oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar and brown sugar in a small bowl and mix. Pour into a large zipper-lock bag and add salmon. Marinate 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, toss broccoli and peppers with sesame oil, salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a large sheet pan that’s lined with parchment or foil and lightly coated with olive oil.

Roast in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes.

Toss vegetables and move them over slightly to make room for the salmon. Place salmon on the sheet pan, reserving the marinade, and roast an additional seven to eight minutes, until salmon is just cooked through.

Heat a small skillet over low heat. Pour remaining marinade in skillet and simmer  one to 1-1/2 minutes, stirring until the sauce has thickened slightly. Brush sauce over salmon and sprinkle fillets with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve with vegetables on the side.

 

 

One Pan Za’atar Pork Tenderloin, Sweet Potato and Cauliflower

1 pound pork tenderloin

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes or smaller

1 large cauliflower, cut into large florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons za’atar spice blend

Place pork, sweet potatoes and cauliflower on a large baking sheet or oven-proof dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar. Toss vegetables and rub tenderloin to coat with olive oil and seasoning.

Bake in a 450-degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Rotate tenderloin and flip vegetables. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until pork tenderloin is cooked through and vegetables are cooked and starting to brown.

Slice tenderloin and serve.

 

 

Sheet Pan Beef and Broccoli

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed

2 to 3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 to 3 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon kosher salt, optional

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, optional

1 to 1-1/4 pounds flank steak, sliced against the grain into bite-size pieces

4 to 6 cups broccoli florets

1 tablespoon cornstarch, optional

1 tablespoon cold water, optional

2 to 3 green onions, sliced in 1-inch segments on the bias, optional

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, optional

Place soy sauce, garlic, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, salt, pepper, cayenne or red pepper flakes in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Add steak, stir to combine, and let it marinate 10 to 60 minutes.

Using a tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer steak to a foil-lined sheet pan, making sure pieces don’t touch. Set aside.

Place broccoli in the marinade mixture to moisten it. Using a tongs or slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to the sheet pan, scattering it between the steak if possible. Reserve the marinade.

Bake in a 425-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the steak is cooked through and broccoli is fork-tender.

Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Place cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl, stir to combine, then add to the boiling marinade, whisking nearly constantly for 30 seconds or until dissolved. If desired, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water for consistency, whisking until incorporated and smooth.

After the beef and broccoli are done, evenly drizzle with the sauce.

Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and serve immediately.

 

 

Sheet Pan Rosemary Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

1 red pepper, chopped

1 cup Brussels sprouts, sliced

1 small red onion, chopped

Place olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix to combine.

Add chicken and vegetables to a parchment-lined sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil-lemon juice mixture over the top, rubbing it over chicken and tossing the vegetables.

Bake in a 450-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping chicken and stirring veggies halfway through, until chicken is fully cooked.

Serve.

 

 

Baked Pesto Chicken Dinner

4 chicken cutlets or 2 chicken breasts sliced in half down the middle

Salt

Pepper

2 plum tomatoes, sliced

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

For homemade pesto:

2 cups basil leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

2 cloves minced garlic

Salt

Pepper, to taste

For sides:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups baby potatoes, sliced

Salt

Pepper

1 package spring mix or arugula

Toss potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper together, then place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 425-degree oven for 20 minutes.

Make pesto by placing basil, olive oil, Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper to a mini blender and blending until combined.

Brush chicken cutlets with a little olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Add to baking sheet along with potatoes. Bake another 10 minutes.

Coat chicken cutlets with pesto, then top with two to three slices of tomatoes. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top, then bake another three to five minutes, until cheese is melted.

Serve chicken and potatoes alongside some spring mix or arugula.

Instead of making your own pesto, you may use 1.2 cup jarred pesto.

 

 

Sheet Pan Buddha Bowls With Turmeric Tahini Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium-sized sweet potato, cut into cubes

2 beets, skinned and cubed

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup kale, chopped

1/2 cup dry quinoa

1 cup water

1 avocado, sliced

For turmeric tahini dressing:

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon turmeric fresh or dried

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pinch salt

Place sweet potatoes, beets and chickpeas on a large sheetpan. Toss with olive oil and season with salt. Rub chickpeas with chili powder, then roast in a 450-degree oven for 20 minutes.

Place quinoa and water  in a rice cooker or a pot on the stove and cook.

Mix dressing ingredients in a food processor, Magic Bullet or blender.

Chop kale.

Place kale, avocado, sweet potatoes, beets and chickpeas in bowls, then top with tahini turmeric sauce. Serve.