Sheet Pan Dinner Tips + Techniques
May 1, 2018
Let’s chat about the hero of weeknight meals – Sheet Pan Suppers! Here are a few of my best tips for one of my favorite techniques for getting dinner on the table in the middle of the week.
Make ahead!
Eliminate the dinner rush by partially or fully assembling your sheet pan suppers before mealtime. If I’m really on top of my game, I’ll prep vegetables over the weekend to use throughout the week. But prepping ahead usually looks like pulling together my sheet pan supper the night before, covering it with foil, and sticking it in the refrigerator. Feel free to add a marinade or a rub to your proteins to maximize flavor.Sometimes I also like to make a sauce to accompany the finished dish. Regardless of how much you’re able to prep in advance, nothing is better that getting home and simply sliding a prepped sheet pan in a hot oven.
Line the pan
If you’re making an effort to make dinner “easy” my guess is that you’re probably after an easy clean up as well. I almost ALWAYS line my sheet pans with either pre-cut parchment liners or foil. I like to keep these awesome liners on hand and reach for them multiple times a week.
Add a sauce
Most sheet pan dinners are a mix of protein and vegetables – a simple way to add flavor and texture to your finished dish is to add a sauce. Pestos, yogurt-based sauces, salsas, chutneys, and mustard spreads can all be made ahead of time or in a matter of minutes just before serving. Check out a few of my stand-by sauces here: Basil Vinaigrette, Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing, Sweet & Tangy BBQ Sauce, Walnut Pesto, Spiced Yogurt Sauce, or Cilantro Chutney.
Preheat your oven (and pan)!
If it’s super crispy vegetables that you’re after, let your pan heat up along with your oven. This will ensure that your ingredients get a good sear right off the bat, By the time you’re ready to add the ingredients, the pan will be sizzling-hot, as if you were adding them to a hot skillet. This will jump-start the cooking process and decrease the total roasting time but it also means you’ll get caramelized crispy edges. YUM!
Finish with the broiler
Consider finishing with the broiler. If you end up with a fully cooked but not-so-visually appealing sheet pan full of ingredients, slide the pan under the broiler—in just a few minutes or so, everything will look beautifully golden and crispy. I do this ALL the time!