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.

Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Updated on August 25, 2022

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

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.

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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

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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