The Best No-Recipe 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. Roots 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.

Related: 16 Easy Sheet-Pan Dinner Ideas

This is a great way to use up garden veggies or whatever's in your produce drawer. Pick at least one item from each category and choose your flavor adventure.

1 lb. total, peeled, if desired, and cut into ½-inch pieces

• Beets
• Carrots
• Celeriac
• Parsnips
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Turnips

Pictured Recipe: Sheet-Pan Chicken & Brussels Sprouts

4 cups total (6 cups dark leafy greens)

• Asparagus, cherry tomatoes
• or snap peas, halved
• Brussels sprouts or mushrooms, halved or quartered, if large
• Onion, 1-inch wedges
• Dark leafy greens (kale, collards, bok choy), chopped

1 1/4 lbs., trimmed if necessary

• Chicken: Cutlets or boneless, skinless thighs
• Pork: Tenderloin, cut into 1-inch-thick slices, or boneless chops
• Steak: Skirt or flat-iron
• Sausage or smoked sausage
• Fish: Cod or salmon fillets
• Dry sea scallops
• Shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined

Pictured Recipe: Sheet-Pan Shrimp & Beets

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

3 Tbsp.

• Chopped bacon or fresh herbs
• Shredded or crumbled cheese
• Toasted nuts or seeds
• Vinegar or citrus juice

Pictured Recipe: Sheet-Pan Steak & Potatoes

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Serves 4: 4 oz. protein & 1 cup vegetables each

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Step 2

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

Step 4

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, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Step 5

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

Pictured Recipe: Sheet-Pan Pork & Cherry Tomatoes

Steak Lovers

Potatoes + asparagus + skirt steak + rosemary + garlic powder + blue cheese

Cherry Bomb

Rutabaga + cherry tomatoes + pork tenderloin + sage + coriander + balsamic vinegar

Thigh Master

Sweet potatoes + Brussels sprouts + chicken thighs + thyme + cumin + sherry vinegar

Beet It

Beets + kale + shrimp + tarragon + dry mustard + sunflower seeds

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