Categories: Food & Drink

10 Easy Sheet Pan Dinners

The thought of making dinner after a long day can seem like a lot of work. Prepping ingredients, boiling water, heating up a pan, and everything in between! Dinner can quickly become a huge production. Luckily, with just a few ingredients and a sheet pan, it doesn’t have to be! Baking your protein, veggies, and side all on one sheet pan not only makes for a super easy supper but still allows you to enjoy a home-cooked meal, just without the fuss! If you want to know how to whip up some quick, healthy, and delicious dinner recipes, check out this list of 10 easy sheet pan dinners!

1. Salmon And Asparagus

This sheet pan dinner is a classic! Salmon is great option if you’re tired of chicken and want to switch up your protein. Pairing it with asparagus makes for a light meal that’s still satisfying and filling! To make, start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange washed and trimmed asparagus on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the asparagus and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, along side the asparagus. Then, drizzle melted butter and a squeeze of lemon juice over the top of each fillet. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Last, place lemon slices around and in between the asparagus and salmon. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until salmon and asparagus are tender, and enjoy! Who knew you could have a dinner as good as this one prepped and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes?

2. Steak Fajitas

Fajitas are always a great dinner choice since you can have a little fun with what you fill them with. For this sheet pan dinner, steak is the protein! However, feel free to change it up and use chicken or fish instead. For these steak fajitas you’ll need flank steak, red and yellow peppers, onions, a lime, olive oil, tortillas, and various spices. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the flank steak in the middle of a sheet pan and the peppers and onion around it. Drizzle everything with olive oil then season the veggies with salt, pepper, chili and garlic powder. Then, season both sides of the steak with the same seasonings. Squeeze a lime over the top of everything and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Place the tortillas on the middle oven rack a few minutes before the steak and veggies are done for warmed up tortillas. When the steak is done, let cool for 10 minutes before slicing it into strips and filling the tortillas. These hot and spicy sheet pan fajitas will be perfect for a cold night!

3. Eggplant Parmesan

While this sheet pan dinner has a few extra steps, they’re totally worth it when you see and taste the outcome! The first step is to drain any excess water out of the eggplant. Do this by first slicing one eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds and sprinkling each side with salt. Lay flat on a wire rack lined with paper towels and let sit for 30 minutes. Next, set your oven’s broiler to high. Then, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on the stove. Add one cup of bread crumbs and cook until browned. Next, add minced garlic, lemon juice, and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes then remove from heat and set aside. Place the eggplants rounds in a single layer onto a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and broil on high for 4 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Place tomato and mozzarella slices on top of the eggplant rounds, top with marinara sauce and parmesan, and finish off with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, garnish with basil, serve, and enjoy!

4. Chicken, Potatoes, And Asparagus

Talk about a well-rounded meal! Chicken breasts, baby red potatoes, and asparagus all drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with fresh thyme. Begin by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Place the potatoes, halved, on the baking sheet. Lightly coat with olive, oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes in the oven for 40 minutes. While the potatoes are roasting, prepare the chicken breasts with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and scatter fresh thyme sprigs across the top. Add the chicken to the sheet pan with the potatoes and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Last, arrange the asparagus with the ends cut off around the chicken and potatoes. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake everything together for another 10 to 15 minutes and serve!

5. Italian Sausage And Veggies

Spaghetti isn’t the only super simple Italian dish! This sheet pan Italian sausage and veggies dinner is the perfect meal that will not only satisfy that craving for Italian, it will look as though you spent hours preparing it actually took you less than one! To make, begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Next, drizzle halved baby red potatoes with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on an aluminum-lined sheet pan along with Italian-style chicken sausages cut into 1-inch pieces. Roast the potatoes and sausage for 15 minutes. While they’re roasting, toss a sliced red bell pepper and bite-size broccoli pieces with olive oil, salt, and pepper. After the first 15 minutes, push the sausage and potatoes to one side and add the peppers and broccoli to the sheet pan. Bake everything together for 15 more minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

6. Fish And Chips

This fish and chips sheet pan dinner hits all the right notes! From the crunchy corn-flake breading on the fish to the perfectly crispy potato wedges, this meal will make you feel as though you’re dining at an authentic English restaurant! Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Next, place one pound of cod fillets, cut into 4 ounce pieces, into a bag filled with 1/4 cup buttermilk. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. In the meantime, cut 2 white russet potatoes into wedges and toss with olive oil and salt. Bake the potato wedges for 25 minutes, turning over once halfway through. Then, take cod fillets, coat in a layer of flour, then dip in a mixture containing one beaten egg and one teaspoon water, and finish off by pressing each fillet into corn-flake crumbs. Place the breaded cod fillets onto the sheet pan with the potato wedges and bake for 15 minutes. Serve with a lemon wedge and tartar sauce!

7. Kielbasa And Cabbage

Want to make something different from the usual but not up for a big production or complicated recipe? Well look no further! This kielbasa and cabbage sheet pan dinner is both hearty and super easy to make! And true to polish tradition, it’s served with homemade mustard sauce! Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Slice one link of kielbasa into 1-inch rounds. Then, slice 1 onion and one cabbage into strips. Place all of the ingredients onto a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard, 2/3 cup red wine vinegar, and 1/3 cup olive oil. When the kielbasa, cabbage, and onion are done baking, coat with the mustard sauce and enjoy!

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8. Lemon-Butter Garlic Shrimp And Broccolini

This sheet pan dish is the perfect go-to for those nights where you want something both fast and healthy! Lemon and garlic complement the shrimp as well as the broccolini, making this sheet pan dinner easy to season. Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons avocado oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss 12 ounces of shrimp, shells removed, in the lemon and oil mix. Place in a single layer on a sheet pan. Then, toss 1 bunch of broccolini, cut into bite-size florets, in the remaining lemon and oil mixture. Add the broccolini to the sheet pan with the shrimp and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. When done, serve with a wedge of lemon and fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!

9. Pork Chops And Winter Veggies

Not only is this sheet pan dinner super easy, it’s packed with flavor! The pork chops are coated in a lemon, garlic, and sage marinade, and the vegetables are tossed in olive oil with Fuji apples giving them a tough of sweetness. The entire dish is also really colorful making it totally Instagram-worthy! To make, begin by preheating your oven to 459 degrees. Then, in a large bowl combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice from 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons chopped sage, a pinch of salt, and 4 minced garlic cloves. Toss 4 bone-in pork chops in the mixture until well-coated. Next, toss 1 Fuji apple, cut into 8 wedges, 1 pound of halved Brussels sprouts, and 1/2 of a sliced red onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a dash of salt. Place all of the ingredients on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 12 minutes. Finish the pork chops and veggies off in the oven by increasing the oven’s heat to broil and letting cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately!

10. Gnocchi, Butternut Squash, And Broccoli

A meal doesn’t have to have meat to make it hearty and delicious, and this vegan sheet pan dinner proves it! Gnocchi, butternut squash, and broccoli are the perfect combination for a filling and flavorful sheet pan dinner! Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. On a large sheet pan, toss together 1 package of gnocchi with 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed, 1/2 a sliced purple onion, and 4 cups of broccoli florets. Coat the ingredients with 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast everything in the oven for 50 minutes. Meanwhile, cook 1 tablespoon butter, 1 clove minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon chopped sage in a saucepan on the stove until the butter is melted and all of the ingredients are warmed through. Once the gnocchi and vegetables are done roasting, drizzle them with the butter sauce and serve! Top with chopped walnuts if desired.

Dinner doesn’t have to be a big production! With just a sheet pan and a few simple yet healthy ingredients, you can cook up a homemade meal that looks and tastes as though you spent all evening preparing it! Which sheet pan dinner will you make next? Let us know in the comments below!

Featured Image Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-pouring-seasonings-on-raw-meats-1253589/
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Dana Murphy

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