Ally Mawhirter
I love anything that will help me get a healthy dinner on the table as quickly as possible, and sheet pan meals fit that bill perfectly. If I can simply throw something in the oven, forget about it for a few minutes, and have a healthy dinner ready to go, that’s a win-win for me.
Sheet pan meals have saved my appetite and my sanity many times, and I hope these tips will help make your weeknights a little easier too!
Best Practices: Tips For Sheet Pan Success
1. Prep your pans! Always line your sheet pans with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray before using.
2. Size is key! When roasting multiple things on the same pan, chop your vegetables to roughly the same size so they finish cooking at the same time, especially when mixing tough veggies like root veggies or potatoes, with quicker cooking veggies like peppers or tomatoes.
3. Spruce things up with a sauce! An easy sauce or dressing is the perfect thing for drizzling over roasted vegetables and proteins. They are great to keep around in the fridge and can be used multiple ways later in the week.
4. Make dinner on your schedule! Sheet pan meals are made for prepping ahead of time. Whip up sauces in advance, get any veggie chopping out of the way early in the week, or even assemble an entire sheet pan meal the night before and store in the fridge. At dinnertime, all you have to do is slide the sheet pan in the oven and dinner is done.
5. Need to double or triple a recipe? Just use two sheet pans. Roast the vegetables on one and the proteins on the other. Easy-peasy!
Happy cooking!
This delicious dish combines all of my favorite fall flavors onto one sheet pan! This Harvest Chicken is a beautiful mix of colors, textures, seasonal herbs, and hearty protein. Serve over your favorite steamed grains or salad greens for a perfectly balanced meal.
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless chicken, cut into strips
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
kosher salt/black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
1 red onion, cut into chunks
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into chunks
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper or nonstick spray.
In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, two tablespoons olive oil, rosemary, and garlic. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
Toss butternut squash, brussels sprouts, onion, and apple on the sheet pan with the remaining two tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with chicken pieces and spread chicken and vegetables into an even layer.
Roast for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and toss well. Roast for another 15-20 minutes until chicken and vegetables are golden brown and cooked through.
SHEET PAN LEMON ROSEMARY SALMON
Salmon is what I make when I don’t feel like cooking. It’s super quick, filling, and if I try hard enough I can get dinner on the table with only one or two dishes in the sink #lazycook.
The lemon rosemary vinaigrette is a great way to make roasted vegetables more interesting! You could also substitute rosemary for any other herbs you like.
Ingredients:
2 lemons
1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
olive oil
kosher salt/black pepper
1 pound baby potatoes, washed and halved
1 pound salmon
2 cups green beans, trimmed
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper or nonstick spray.
In a small mixing bowl, zest and juice the first lemon. Whisk in rosemary, garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Slice the second lemon and set aside.
Add potatoes to the baking sheet, toss with olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and any other spices you like. Arrange in a single even layer and roast for 25 minutes.
Flip potatoes, add green beans to the baking sheet and toss well. Add the salmon to the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place reserved lemon slices on top of the salmon.
Roast for another 25 minutes until salmon is cooked through. Pour lemon rosemary dressing over salmon and veggies. Serve alone or over salad greens.
There’s something about Chinese takeout that always hits the spot, and if you can make it just as good at home that’s even better!
Tofu is one of those ingredients that’s perfect for a quick healthy meal. People tend to shy away from it, but if you know how to prepare and season it well it can be a great addition to your weeknight routine. Roasting it on a sheet pan makes crispy, flavorful tofu that soaks up the yummy sauce.
*Note: Tofu is best when it’s been pressed before cooking to remove any extra liquid. I press the tofu overnight on a sheet pan with a layer of paper towels and a few cans of food on top to act as weights.
Ingredients:
2 packages extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
kosher salt
olive oil
3 cups broccoli florets
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons chili sauce or sriracha
3 tablespoons honey
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon cornstarch
5 scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper or nonstick spray.
Cube the tofu and place in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with soy sauce, add cornstarch and a large pinch of kosher salt and toss well until tofu pieces are evenly coated.
Toss broccoli florets with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and spread with the tofu cubes in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, toss everything and roast for another 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
During the last five minutes of roasting, combine soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, chili sauce, honey, garlic, sesame seeds and cornstarch in a small saucepan and simmer on medium heat until slightly thickened. Pour over tofu and broccoli and toss until evenly coated. Top with sliced scallions and serve over steamed rice.
SHEET PAN SPICY HARISSA MEATBALLS
Crispy roasted meatballs and tender vegetables are paired with warm spices that always hit the spot for me. This sheet pan meal would be delicious served in a pita, over rice or salad greens, or just by itself, it’s that yummy! The Green Tahini sauce is addicting and brightens up the flavors beautifully. You’ll want to put this sauce on everything, trust me.
Ingredients:
1 small cauliflower, chopped into florets
4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, sliced into wedges
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chili powder
olive oil, for drizzling
kosher salt/black pepper to taste
2 pounds ground beef/lamb/chicken
2 tablespoons harissa paste
2 large eggs
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Green Tahini Sauce:
1/2 cup tahini
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup warm water
kosher salt/black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Spicy Harissa Meatballs:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper or nonstick spray.
In a large mixing bowl, toss cauliflower, carrots, and onion with cumin, turmeric, chili powder, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Toss well and arrange on two-thirds of the sheet pan.
In the same bowl, combine ground beef, harissa paste, eggs, herbs, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roll into meatballs and place on the other side of the sheet pan. Drizzle meatballs with a little olive oil.
Roast for 20 minutes. Toss vegetables and meatballs and roast for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with Green Tahini sauce.
Green Tahini Sauce:
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth.
A quick honey mustard vinaigrette is a delicious addition to this crispy walnut-crusted chicken, and acts as both a sauce and a marinade to flavor the chicken from the inside out. Don’t like walnuts? Almonds or pecans would also be delicious here.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons honey mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
olive oil, for drizzling
kosher salt/black pepper, to taste
3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup flour, divided
2 large eggs
1 and 1/2 cups walnuts, very finely chopped
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pound baby potatoes, halved if large
3 cups broccoli florets
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper or nonstick spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, honey, olive oil and vinegar and set aside. Set up three plates or pans for dredging the chicken:
First Pan- Add 3/4 cup flour with salt and pepper to taste and any additional spices you like. Mix well and set aside.
Second Pan- Beat the eggs with one tablespoon of the honey mustard dressing you just made.
Third Pan- Mix remaining 1/4 cup flour, chopped walnuts, salt and pepper to taste and any additional spices you like. Mix until well combined.
Dredge one piece of chicken through the flour mixture, then egg mixture, then walnut mixture, pressing firmly to make sure the chicken is coated evenly. Line up on one side of the sheet pan and repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle chicken with a little olive oil.
Toss potatoes and broccoli florets with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and any additional spices you like. Spread in an even layer on the sheet pan next to the chicken.
Roast for 20 minutes. Flip chicken and vegetables and roast for another 20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Drizzle chicken with honey mustard sauce and enjoy.
