How to make a complete meal on a sheet pan

What accessory can be found in most kitchens? A sheet pan! Cooking with a sheet pan minimizes kitchen tools, limits cooking areas and reduces the amount of dishes. In short, it makes dinnertime simple! Here are some tips for choosing the most suitable ingredients for this type of cooking and the best techniques for making a complete sheet pan dinner.

Food size

The smaller your food pieces, the faster they cook! Turnips cut into cubes or thin sticks will bake faster than large quarters, for example. It’s the same idea with proteins. Don’t hesitate to cut the meat into smaller pieces or strips.

All about caramelization

To get good colour on meat or vegetables, the oven temperature must be high, at least 425°F (220°C). Cooking oil also helps foods caramelize. Coat vegetables well with oil so they don’t dry out and, above all, leave space between the pieces. Since a sheet pan is shallow, warm air can easily pass between the food items as long as they are not piled on top of each other. If not, the ingredients can release water and boil rather than roast. If you want to cook in large quantities without overloading, use two sheet pans at the same time.

Protein choice

For quick, midweek sheet pan dinners, opt for pieces of meat that are not too large. Here are some suggestions for proteins you can use:

Chicken: Bake thighs without the bones. Since they are juicy and have no skin, they cook quickly. To bake breasts, slice them into cutlets or chop them, as the whole breast will take too long.

Pork: Pork tenderloin cooks in just 20 minutes. If you want it to be caramelized, it’s best to brown it in a pan first, but you can skip this step by grilling it at 450°F (230°C). It will be less colourful, but will be delicious served in salads or sandwiches.

Fish: Trout and salmon are sheet pan champs. Choose a fish with a nice thickness. Fillets that are too thin may dry out or come apart during cooking.

Tofu: This is a good candidate for the sheet pan because it doesn’t require thorough cooking—just take it out of the oven when it reaches your desired colour. You can also coat it with cornstarch to make it crispier.

Top veggie choices

Almost all vegetables can be baked on a sheet pan, but their cooking time varies. For quick cooking, choose vegetables that contain a lot of water, such as cherry tomatoes, broccoli or cauliflower florets, zucchini or sweet potatoes. Root vegetables such as carrots or squash can be diced to speed up their cooking. You can also cook them on the sheet pan separately and add the protein a few minutes later so that everything is ready at once.