I love when a meal comes together easily and I especially love it when there’s very little clean-up afterward. That’s why sheet pan meals have come to be one of my go-tos in the kitchen.
I derive immense satisfaction when I put together a good meal that involves little to no planning. And I derive even greater satisfaction when I’m able to use various ingredients that are getting close to their shelf life, thus avoiding waste.
Not long ago it was time to start thinking about supper and I didn’t have a clue, but knew I didn’t feel like heading to the grocery store. I knew I had three boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the fridge that I needed to do something with and looking in the crisper, there was one yellow squash, one head of broccoli, half a red onion, two ears of corn and five or six mini bell peppers in assorted colors. I decided to put it all on a sheet pan for sort of a deconstructed stir fry.
Sheet pan meals really do offer a variety of options. You’re only limited by your own imagination. If you haven’t already discovered them, try your hand at a sheet pan meal and see what you think. To get you started, I’m giving you three sheet pan plans – two with chicken and one with salmon. I think you’ll like how easy they are.
Deconstructed Stir Fry Sheet Pan Plan
- 1 yellow squash, chopped in 1-inch pieces
- 1 head of broccoli florets, chopped bite-size
- ½ red onion, chopped in 1-inch pieces
- 5-6 mini bell peppers, assorted colors, chopped in 1-inch pieces
- 2 ears of corn, cut into three pieces each
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped in 1-inch pieces
For the marinade/sauce:
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
Mix well.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place all of the above in a large mixing bowl and pour the contents of the marinade/sauce into the bowl. Stir to make sure everything gets coated. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Put the contents of the bowl (chicken, veggies and marinade/sauce) on a foil-lined sheet pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sheet Pan Honey Apricot Chicken and Asparagus
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs. total)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup apricot preserves (See note below)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.
Place chicken breasts in the center of the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, apricot preserves, honey, garlic, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Pour about ½ cup of the apricot dressing over the chicken, reserving ¼ cup for later.
Bake chicken for about 20 minutes, or until almost cooked through.
Remove pan from the oven and switch oven setting to broil.
Place asparagus on the tray around the chicken. Baste chicken and asparagus with remaining apricot dressing.
Place tray under the broiler and cook for an additional 6 minutes, or until asparagus is tender and chicken is crispy.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley just before serving.
Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Salmon with Rainbow Veggies
- 1 medium yellow squash, sliced into ½ -inch thick rounds
- 2 ½ cups bite size broccoli florets
- ½ medium red onion, diced into 1-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 (5-6 ounce) skinless salmon fillets
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 4 lemon wedges, for serving
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil. Place squash on baking sheet on upper third portion of baking sheet then place broccoli in the middle portion and red onion on bottom portion. Drizzle veggies with 4 teaspoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss while keeping veggies separated in each section.
Roast in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl stir together mustard, honey, 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, 1 minced clove of garlic and lemon juice and set aside.
Remove baking sheet from oven. Move veggies down a little ways to fit tomato layer and salmon. Place salmon on baking sheet next to squash layer, bottom side facing up. Brush salmon fillets with half of the mustard mixture and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper, then flip each portion and brush tops with remaining mustard mixture and season with salt and pepper. Place tomatoes on baking sheet in the top portion of the baking sheet, drizzle with last 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining 2 cloves garlic evenly over the vegetables and tomatoes. Return to oven and roast until salmon has cooked through and vegetables have softened, about 12-15 minutes longer. Serve immediately with lemon wedges for spritzing over salmon and vegetables.
