The Best Formula for Making Easy Veggie-Packed Sheet-Pan Dinners
Sheet-pan success is all about three things: uniformity, staggered timing and layering. Cutting foods into evenly sized pieces means even cooking. To make things easy we've divided our veg into slow- and fast-cooking groups. Hard vegetables like potatoes, beets and carrots need more time in the oven, so they go in first. Softer vegetables, such as leafy greens, tomatoes and onions, cook more quickly, so they get stirred in later, and the protein goes on top. And voilà—everything's done at once.
This formula is a great way to use up garden veggies or whatever's in your produce drawer. To start, pick at least one item from each category and choose your flavor adventure.
The Formula
Hard Vegetables
1 lb. total, cut into ½-inch pieces
- Beets
- Carrots
- Celeriac
- Parsnips
- Potatoes
- Rutabaga
- Sweet potatoes
- Squash
- Turnips
Soft Vegetables
4 cups total (6 cups dark leafy greens)
- Asparagus
- Bell pepper, sliced
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved or quartered, if large
- Cherry tomatoes
- Dark leafy greens (kale, collards, bok choy), chopped
- Mushrooms, halved or quartered, if large
- Onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
Proteins
1 1/4 lbs., trimmed if necessary
- Chicken: Cutlets or boneless, skinless thighs
- Dry sea scallops
- Fish: Cod or salmon fillets
- Pork: Tenderloin, cut into 1-inch-thick slices, or boneless chops
- Sausage or smoked sausage (1 12-ounce package)
- Shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined
- Steak: Skirt or flat-iron
- Tofu (1 16-ounce package, drained, pressed and cubed into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces)
Spices
1 tsp. total
- Dried herbs: Dill, rosemary, sage, tarragon or thyme
- Ground coriander, cumin, fennel or dry mustard; garlic powder
- Spice blends like Cajun seasoning, chili or curry powder, garam masala, Italian seasoning
Flavor Boosters
3 Tbsp.
- Chopped bacon
- Fresh herbs
- Shredded or crumbled cheese
- Toasted nuts or seeds
- Vinegar or citrus juice
Instructions
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 35 to 40 minutes
Serves 4
Serving size: 4 oz. protein & about 1 cup vegetables
Steps 1 & 2
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Toss HARD VEGETABLES with 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and ¼ tsp. each salt and ground pepper. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes.
Step 3
Toss SOFT VEGETABLES with 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and ¼ tsp. each salt and ground pepper. Stir into the hard vegetables.