The Best Formula for Making Easy Veggie-Packed Sheet-Pan Dinners

We hate doing dishes, too, so we want to show you the smartest way to make dinner on one sheet pan. Some savvy juggling will guarantee your ingredients end up perfectly cooked at the same time.

Sheet-Pan Lemon-Garlic Salmon with Delicata & Kale
Photo: Photographer: Will Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

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

The Best No-Recipe Formula for Making Easy Veggie-Packed Sheet-Pan Dinners

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

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Steps 1 & 2

Sheet-Pan Lemon-Garlic Salmon with Delicata & Kale
Photographer: Will Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

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.

02 of 12

Step 3

Sheet Pan Chicken Cutlets With Brussels Sprouts And Sweet Potatoes
Photographer: Will Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

Toss SOFT VEGETABLES with 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and ¼ tsp. each salt and ground pepper. Stir into the hard vegetables.

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Step 4

Sheet-Pan Lemon-Garlic Salmon with Delicata & Kale
Photographer: Will Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

Sprinkle PROTEIN with SPICES and ¼ tsp. each salt and ground pepper. Place on top of the vegetables. Roast until the protein is cooked and vegetables tender, 15 to 20 minutes more.

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Step 5

Sheet-Pan Lemon-Garlic Salmon with Delicata & Kale
Photographer: Will Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

Transfer the protein to a serving platter. Stir FLAVOR BOOSTER into the vegetables and serve alongside the protein.

Flavor Combinations to Try

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Sheet-Pan Chicken Cutlets with Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes

Sheet-Pan Chicken Cutlets with Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes
Photographer: Will Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
06 of 12

Sheet-Pan Pork & Cherry Tomatoes

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Sheet-Pan Lemon-Garlic Salmon with Delicata & Kale

Sheet-Pan Lemon-Garlic Salmon with Delicata & Kale
Photographer: Will Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
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Sheet-Pan Steak & Potatoes

Sheet-Pan Steak & Potatoes
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Sheet-Pan Teriyaki Tofu with Carrots & Broccoli

Sheet-Pan Teriyaki Tofu with Carrots & Broccoli
Photographer: Will Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
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Sheet-Pan Shrimp & Beets

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Sheet-Pan Chicken Sausage with Potatoes & Bell Peppers

Sheet-Pan Chicken Sausage with Potatoes & Bell Peppers
Photographer: Will Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
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Sheet-Pan Chicken & Brussels Sprouts

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