Cooking during the week shouldn't be complicated or messy. We need quick, easy, and healthy meals with minimal cleanup, because we're pretty much always strapped for time. After our one-pot recipes were a hit, we wanted to figure out a way to stretch that concept even further. Which is exactly how we landed on sheet pan meals.If you've never made one before, don't worry! These are even easier than our one-pot recipes — you'll just need one cookie or baking sheet. It's truly as simple as throwing a bunch of ingredients onto a sheet pan, then baking them until dinner is ready. And we won't judge if you want to eat your dinner straight off the pan — that means even less dishes to wash!
Mediterranean Chicken
This chicken dish has quickly become one of our new favorite go-to dishes. It's super-simple to put together, but it tastes like a million bucks.
Mediterranean Chicken
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
1 small onion
1/2 lb (roughly 8-10) small or micro potatoes (any kind of potato is fine)
2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
10 oz grape or cherry tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/4 tsp dried thyme)
1 tbsp olive oil
Nonstick spray
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (roughly 3/4 lb)
1 handful of pitted mixed or Kalamata olives
2-3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
2. Slice the onion and quarter or half the potatoes, depending on their size. The potato pieces should be roughly the same size.
3. Combine the sliced onion, crushed garlic, tomatoes, and potatoes in a large bowl, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and any dried herbs you’d like (we used red pepper flakes, oregano, and thyme). Toss together with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
4. Spray the sheet pan with nonstick spray and spread out the potatoes and onion in an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry and season it on both sides with salt and pepper. Chop the chicken breasts into 4 to 6 equal pieces to help them cook quicker.
6. When the 15 minutes have passed, take the sheet pan out of the oven and give it a shake to help flip the potatoes so they brown on all sides. Layer chicken and olives, then crumble on the feta cheese.
7. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
Dauville Dinner Plate in Gold from Canvas Home, $35.
Meal-Worthy Nachos
We wouldn't normally consider nachos to be a full-on dinner, but we added protein and veggies to this recipe, so that counts, right?!
Meal-Worthy Nachos
Serves 2-3
Instructions
1 1/2-2 cups black beans (you can also use kidney or a mix of both)
1 jar salsa
1/2 tsp chili powder, optional
Hot sauce, optional
1 bell pepper or 5 mini sweet peppers
1 ear of corn
1 bag tortilla chips
4-6 oz shredded cheese
Guacamole, for topping, optional
Cojita cheese, for topping, optional
Jalapeños, for topping, optional
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a small bowl, mix the beans and 2-3 tablespoons of salsa. If you are using canned beans, make sure to drain and rinse them before using. For extra heat, add chili powder and a few dashes of hot sauce.
3. Chop the pepper and cut the kernels off the corn.
4. Create a thin and even layer of tortilla chips on the sheet pan. Top with half of the bean mixture, half of the mixed vegetables, and half of the cheese. Layer on another row of tortilla chips; pile on the remaining ingredients, finishing with the cheese.
5. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is warmed through.
6. Top with your favorite garnishes, like salsa, guacamole, cojita cheese, and jalapeños.
Fish Tacos
These fish tacos seem fancy (in fact, you could serve them to company and everyone would be impressed), but you can pull the whole thing off in 20 to 30 minutes flat.
Dauville Charcoal Pebble Dish in Gold from Canvas Home, $15.
Fish Tacos
Serves 2
Ingredients
1/2 small red onion
4 oz pineapple
1/2 lb boneless fish fillet (firm white fish like cod, halibut, or hake)
Salt
Pepper
Nonstick spray
1 package small flour tortillas
1 small handful of chopped cilantro leaves, for serving, optional
Salsa, for serving, optional
Hot sauce, for serving, optional
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Slice the onion and chop the pineapple into large cubes. Pat the fish dry and season it with salt and pepper on both sides. Spray the sheet pan with nonstick spray and spread out the onion, pineapple, and fish; bake for 15 minutes.
3. The onions and pineapple should be caramelized, and the fish should be flaky but not dry. Flake off some fish and spoon some onion, pineapple, and fish into a tortilla. Top with your favorite garnishes, like cilantro, salsa, and hot sauce.
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