Preparing a meal for more than two people can be a task. Good thing there are such things as healthy sheet pan dinners, casseroles, skillets, and other dishes you can make in bulk in less time. But let’s talk about oven baked dishes.
The thought of cooking things in the oven might give you the impression that it would take some time, but it isn’t that hard. As long as you prepare the ingredients while pre-heating the oven, cooking some cheap sheet pan dinners could be a breeze. Here are four delicious and healthy sheet pan dinners you can make at home.
15 Minute Sheet Pan Teriyaki Chicken And Pineapple
This teriyaki chicken and pineapple sheet pan is an easy and fun meal to make. It’s easy to make.
We recommend that you marinate the chicken overnight in the sauce, but if you forget to do that, you can marinate it for just thirty minutes, and it will still taste great.
This sheet pan chicken is a perfect meal alone, but you can pair it with rice if that’s your thing. Here’s how you make it:
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for drizzling over the pineapple, red bell peppers, and sugar snap peas
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Asian chili garlic sauce, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- sesame seeds for garnish
- about 2 green onions, sliced into rounds for garnish
Directions:
1. Use a large ziplock bag and add the chicken, teriyaki, honey, chili garlic sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Seal the bag, squish the contents around to distribute them evenly, and place the bag in the fridge to marinate. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, but overnight is best.
2. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil.
3. Once the baking sheet is lined, add the sugar snap peas, bell pepper, and pineapple, evenly drizzle olive oil across the pan, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Remove chicken from the bag, place it on the baking sheet, and toss to combine evenly with other ingredients.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through; stir and flip once halfway through to ensure even cooking. Keep a close eye after 15 minutes as things can go from underdone to overdone quickly.
6. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds before serving.
Roasted Chicken And Sweet Potatoes
This roasted chicken and sweet potato with salsa is the perfect midweek meal, especially if you’re up for some fall sheet pan dinners.
The roasted chicken pairs well with the sweet potatoes and salsa. You can make your own salsa using the ingredients listed, but you can also buy a fresh store-bought pico to go with the meal as well.
This sheet meal makes just about three servings, so you can save some of it if you’re eating alone or double it if you’re making food for more than three people. Here’s how you make it:
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning mix
- 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- Italian seasoning
- A few tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Chopped fresh cilantro for salsa
- Lemon juice and olive for serving
- Bell pepper, tomato, red onion, jalapeño, and celery finely diced to make the salsa
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, toss chicken pieces with cajun seasoning mix, Italian seasoning, salt, and freshly cracked pepper and olive. Store in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
2. Dice sweet potatoes. Arrange sweet potatoes on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken pieces on a single layer on the same pan beside the sweet potato.
3. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked throughout. Remove chicken and set aside. Roast sweet potatoes for another 5 minutes or so until it is cooked through.
4. Chop bell pepper, tomato, bell onion, celery, and jalapeno, finely diced for salsa.
5. Combine the salsa, chicken, and vegetables together and serve hot. Sprinkle with lemon and olive oil for flavor.
Sheet Pan Fish Dinners: Sheet Pan Shrimp Scampi
Do you love shrimp scampi but don’t have time to make an elaborate pasta and sauce after you finish a long day at work? Well, then, this sheet pan shrimp scampi is perfect for you.
Using only three dishes, this scampi brings together the tastiness of a classic shrimp scampi with the easiness of a sheet pan meal.
For this meal, all you have to do is roast the vegetables, make a butter sauce, and cook the shrimp and bread. Easy and delicious. Here’s how you make it:
Ingredients:
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced into diagonal 1-inch slices
- 1 medium summer squash, sliced into 1inch slices
- kosher salt and pepper
- zest of one lemon
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed
- 2 cloves grated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 loaf French bread
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place the zucchini and squash on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast until golden, which is about 15 minutes.
2. While you are roasting, combine the garlic, red pepper flakes, butter, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper in a large microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave until butter is melted, which should take about 1 minute. Drizzle the bread with two tablespoons of mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Set aside and toss the shrimp with the remaining butter mixture.
3. After the zucchini and squash have finished roasting, remove the baking sheet and flip the vegetables, moving them to the center third of the baking sheet. Put the bread on one side and the shrimp on the other. Make sure that the shrimp is in one even layer.
4. Return to oven and cook for 10-12 more minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through and the bread is warm and toasty.
Healthy Sheet Pan Dinners: Crispy Tofu and Delicata Squash
If you’re looking for vegetarian sheet pan dinners, this Asian-inspired breaded tofu, squash, and spinach dish is perfect because it is delicious and easy.
Though it does require you to bread the tofu, and it may sound hard, this could be done easily if you follow the steps below. Once you’ve done that, you’ll throw everything in the oven and wait for your delicious sesame-flavored meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/4 ounce block of firm tofu, drained
- salt
- 1 small delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise with the seeds removed, then cut into 1/2-inch thick moons
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ground pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove moisture
- dipping sauce like soy sauce or sauce of choice
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then grab a piece of aluminum foil and turn up four edges to make a rectangular baking tray that’s about 12 by 3 inches for spinach. Set this aside.
2. Halve the block of tofu crosswise and then half each piece crosswise and then have that again, for a total of 8 pieces 3 1/2 inches long and 1 3/4 inches wide. Lay the tofu on paper towels and blot dry with two more, squeezing as much moisture as possible. Sprinkle tofu evenly with salt and pepper.
3. Spread squash slices in an even layer on one side of the baking sheet. Then grab a small mixing bowl and whisk together one tablespoon of olive oil and the honey. Drizzle over the squash, sprinkle with salt and chili powder and toss to coat.
4. Put the cornstarch on a plate, then crack your egg in a different mixing bowl and add 1 teaspoon salt and a little bit of pepper. Then whisk until combined.
5. In another bowl, put the panko, 1 teaspoon salt, and some pepper in another bowl. Then line up the tofu, cornstarch, eggs, panko, and baking sheet in order.
6. Individually coat each piece of tofu in cornstarch, dip in the egg, coat and dredge in panko, then spread on the baking sheet. Leave space in the center of the baking sheet.
7. Roast until the squash begins to soften, which should take about 10 minutes. Then turn the squash pieces over and continue roasting until the panko is crisp and lightly browned on the edge. This should take about half an hour in total.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and lay the prepared foil tray in the center. Spread the spinach in the tray and toss with salt, pepper, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.
9. Place the baking sheet back in the oven and cook until the spinach has warmed, the squash is tender, and the tofu is brown and crunchy. Serve immediately.
Takeaway
Finally, some easy, convenient, and healthy sheet pan dinners you can prepare at home. These oven-baked dishes will help you cut your prep time yet give you an assurance that there’s enough for everyone. The fact that these are healthy and cheap sheet pan dinners is a bonus to all that. Enjoy!
Sources: Averie Cooks, Eat Well 101, The Girl On Bloor, Life Made Sweetener, Averie Cooks, Food Network, Food Network, Damn Delicious, Damn Delicious, Eating Bird Food