3 Simple Steps to a Sheet Pan Dinner

Amanda Ceglarz, Rejuvenan Nutrition Team

Sheet pan dinners can help even the most inexperienced cooks re-imagine the uses of common kitchen tools that produce quick meals that are short on effort and mess, but big on flavor and nutrients. When planned well, one 18” x 13” rimmed baking sheet can roast a main course and sides all at the same time, resulting in quick, healthy, and delicious dinners.

Another added bonus of sheet pan dinners is that they are very versatile and quick to make. Prepare all the ingredients ahead of time to bake later in the day, prep/cook all at once and serve immediately, or prep/cook entirely and save to reheat on another day.

Vegetables, protein foods, and oils/seasonings are all that is needed to create successful one-pan meals. The key is choosing foods with similar roasting times and cutting them to roughly the same size, so that everything cooks evenly and together at the same time. Follow Rejuvenan’s guide to mix and match sheet pan dinner ingredients — there are countless nutritious combinations to try!

Step 1: Choose your vegetables

Quick-cooking vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, carrots, green beans, onions, peppers, and zucchini make for fast sheet pan meals that can be placed in the oven along with a protein food . The variety of vegetables you can add prevents food waste by using up older vegetables you may already have in your refrigerator. Additionally, incorporating root vegetables and squash can help round out your meal by adding a starch; just make sure to place starchy vegetables that require a longer cooking time in the oven 20–25 minutes earlier than the rest of the ingredients.

The amount of vegetables can flex with your preferences. Place as many vegetables as you can fit in a single layer on your sheet pan, leaving room for a protein food. For reference, a full sheet pan with protein will make about 3 cups of vegetables.

Step 2: Decide on a protein

Salmon, sliced chicken breast, shrimp, chickpeas, and diced tofu’s flavors meld with many vegetables. Again, choose proteins and vegetables with similar cooking times so that everything cooks evenly. A combination that bakes well between 400–425 degrees fahrenheit is sliced chicken breast and bell peppers. The oven temperature may need to decrease to 375 degrees F for meals that include quicker-cooking ingredients, such as asparagus and fish.

Around 1 to 1 ½ pounds of protein will yield four servings. For reference, 1 block of tofu weighs 1 pound. When adding the protein food to the sheet pan, ensure that the vegetables and protein foods are cut into similar sizes to allow for even baking throughout the sheet pan.

Step 3: Add oils and seasonings

Sheet pan dinners offer a creative way to mix and match ingredients. The same vegetable and protein combinations can be prepared in completely different ways just by changing up the seasonings.

Be sure to coat all of the sheet pan ingredients evenly with oil and your chosen blend of seasonings by tossing the protein, vegetables, oil and seasonings together in a large bowl before placing on the sheet pan.

Uplevel your dinner with different spices, fresh herbs, and condiments. Try a lemon pepper dried-herb blend, balsamic vinaigrette glaze, or check out the chili-lime seasoning mix recipe below to get you started!

The ratios in the recipe below will season up to 1.5 pounds of protein and vegetables. Going forward, you can use this method to come up with your own combinations.

Sheet Pan Chili-Lime Shrimp Fajitas

Servings: 4 (2 tortillas)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10–15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound raw peeled and deveined shrimp (21–25 count)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Lime juice from 2 fresh limes
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Red pepper flakes (optional; to taste)
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• 2 medium bell peppers, sliced ¼ inches
• 1 medium poblano pepper, sliced ¼ inches
• 1 medium red onion, sliced ¼ inches
• 4 (8-inch) corn/flour tortillas, warmed
• Assorted, optional toppings: pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, cotija cheese, avocado, lime wedges, cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the rimmed baking sheet
2. Deseed and slice the peppers and onion, placing them in a large bowl along with the shrimp.
3. Add the oil, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic and seasonings and toss until shrimp and vegetables are completely coated.
4. Toss and arrange the shrimp, peppers, and onion in a single layer on the sheet pan.
5. Bake for 11–15 minutes total.
6. Serve immediately over warmed corn or flour tortillas with assorted toppings.