April 30, 2020

How To: Easy Sheet Pan Dinner Extravaganza

What’s not to love about Sheet Pan Dinners? They’re fast, easy and delicious – plus they’re so versatile. You can make practically anything into a sheet pan meal. No recipe Required! Read on for the “How-To’s”.

What exactly IS a sheet pan dinner? It’s a one pan meal combining proteins, veggies and usually a starch. The ingredients are tossed with some oil or butter and some seasonings before they are spread out on a sheet pan and roasted. The cooking usually takes twenty to thirty minutes. Clean up is a breeze too!

Sheet Pan Dinner Rules

Just kidding – there aren’t any rules! Really, the only “must” about sheet pan dinners isn’t even that necessary. A sheet Pan (affiliate links follow – see disclaimer page for details) is ideal, but it’s not the only thing you can use. A casserole/lasagna pan can work in a pinch, although it needs to be big enough that you can spread out the ingredients so they can roast instead of steam. You can even use the bottom of a broiler pan if one came with your stove. And if you’re making a small batch, you can use a brownie pan. Grab a foil pan from the Dollar Store if all else fails.

Then the fun begins. Mix and match whatever floats your dinner boat! Remember – you can combine as many or as few ingredients as you want!

Roasted Sausage Pepper Potato — Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner

Proteins

Chicken
Pork (Chops or Tenderloin)
Beef
Sausage
Fish
Shrimp
Bacon
Meatballs

Starch Options

White Potatoes
Baby Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Pierogis
Gnocchi
Ravioli

4 Medium sweet potatoes on a baking dish

Veggies!

Onions
Bell Peppers – all colors
Corn on the Cob
Hot Peppers/Chiles
Mushrooms
Cauliflower
Artichoke
Broccoli
Carrots
Brussels Sprouts
Beets
Asparagus
Green Beans
Peas

Spice Path

Herbs
Garlic
Ranch (Dry Mix)
Parmesan
Pesto
Lemon/Lime/Orange
Honey Mustard
Barbecue
Mexican
Asian
Italian

Fun Add Ins

Nuts; Pecans, Walnuts, Pistachios…
Seeds
Cheese, like Parmesan or chunks of mozzarella
Chick Peas!

Size Matters~

Although we’re using only a single pan, when things get added does count. If everything will cook in about the same amount of time (like our Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner), you can add everything at once.

The Garlic Parmesan Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner (below) has a couple of different add points. We cut the potatoes smaller than the chicken because they’re denser and cook much slower. Then we season everything with garlic butter and cook for a bit before adding the Parmesan cheese so it won’t burn. The frozen peas get added in the last few minutes, because they just need to defrost.

Fish, seafood and cooked sausage take considerably less time to cook than most of the combos. Plan accordingly, and let the starch (and really hard veggies – like corn on the cob) cook a bit before adding these proteins.

Quantity is king~

When I’m trying to figure out how much of each to add, how many people I’m cooking for really matters. Two to three pounds of protein will feed 6 to 8 people. I add a medium potato per person. A healthy handful of veggies is a good amount. Add more of your favorites. One of the best parts about a sheet pan dinner is that the ingredients flavor each other.

Add enough oil or butter to coat everything. I add everything to my big bowl and toss with my hands. Then I really know everything is coated but not soaked. Add spices before cooking. Add cheeses and sauces (like Barbecue) in the last 5 minutes or so to prevent scorching.

Let’s walk through a sheet pan dinner~

Parmesan Garlic Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a sheet pan well with Cooking Spray. (If you are using sweet potatoes or something that will caramelize, place parchment paper or foil on the sheet pan before spraying.)

Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Add garlic and let cool while you are prepping the rest of the ingredients. This is about 6 tablespoons of butter – we are using 3 pounds of chicken and 3 pounds of potatoes. It should serve at least 8 people.

Cut the potatoes into small cubes. Leave the skin on unless it’s particularly tough (like with sweet potatoes). Cut the chicken into larger pieces, so it’ll be ready at the same time as the potatoes. Place the chicken and potatoes in a big bowl and cover with butter/garlic mixture.

Using your hands, mix the ingredients until everything is coated.

Pro-tip:

When you are washing your hands after handling garlic or onions, rub them on the metal faucet – it will remove the smell.

Spread the coated ingredients on the pan and spread them out. You want them to have enough space between them that they can roast. (I had to add in a second sheet pan to contain all of the chicken and potatoes!)

Put in the oven and roast for about 15 minutes. Remove and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese. I used about a cup. Then toss well, and put them back in the oven for 10 minutes or so.

Sprinkle the peas over the Garlic Chicken Parm and pop it back in the oven for 5 minutes or so to heat through. (We used 2 cups of frozen peas.)

Check for doneness on a large piece of chicken using an instant read meat thermometer. Chicken should be at 160 degrees when you take it out of the oven, and at 165 degrees when you eat it. Serve with crusty bread or a green salad~

OTHER FABULOUS COMBOS & RECIPES

The Chicken Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli are from Cooking Classy. The Teriyaki Salmon is via Delicious Little Bites. The Sheet Pan Gnocchi Dinner is from The Kitchn. We found the BBQ Meatball Sheet Pan Dinner at Countryside Cravings. And the Shrimp Boil recipe was found on Easy Peazy Meals.