Easy Sheet Pan Dinners

I am in the throws of putting my house on the market and moving. For those of you who have gone through this monumental project, you will identify when I say I have NO TIME to cook! But even in the midst of the crazy schedule I am in right now, there is always a way to eat healthy food. Enter the “sheet pan dinner”! Where have these been all my life?! It’s still fairly cold here (is it really May?) so I don’t mind using the oven. And talk about easy!! Here are 4 dinners you can prep in no time and everything cooks on the same pan so cleanup is a breeze. Win-win. Once you get the hang of these you’ll be making up your own! (If you don’t eat meat, just leave it off and add some more veggies to your pan like I just did…(see the picture).
 

Four Sheet Pan Dinner Recipes
 

Roasted Chicken and Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 organic (important) medium-sized unpeeled russet potato, cleaned and cut in 1-inch pieces
1 cup cauliflower florets
1-2 tablespoons butter, melted (or use avocado oil)
⅛ tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 cup large broccoli florets
(bigger than the cauliflower because they cook faster)
2 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
2 tsp seasoning of your choice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Instructions:
Heat oven to 425°F.
Put a layer of parchment paper on a sheet pan (make sure it is the kind with little sides so the oil doesn’t drip all over your oven during cooking...I know this because!).
In medium bowl, mix potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, red pepper and melted butter or oil. Pour into pan. Roast for 15-20 minutes.
While they are cooking, prep your chicken by rubbing with seasoning.
At the end of the 15 minutes, add your chicken, skin side up, to the pan. Return to the oven and roast 25 to 30 minutes more,  or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender. Top with parsley.

Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs with Parsnips and Crispy Kale
4 servings
Ingredients:
1.5 pounds potatoes (try fingerlings for a change), halved lengthwise
2 Tablespoons raw honey
2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
4 parsnips, cut into 2-inch logs
4 chicken thighs
Sea salt (pink Himalayan is best)
black pepper
2 cups organic baby kale (can buy in a bag)
Instructions:
Heat the oven to 400ºF.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and dijon mustard.
Put the chicken, potatoes, and parsnips in a large mixing bowl. Pour in half the honey mustard and mix until everything is coated. Pour everything onto a sheet pan. Spread into a single layer, flipping the potatoes over so the cut side is down and the chicken so the skin side is up.
Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss the kale with a splash of avocado oil (in the large bowl you already used) and season with salt and pepper.
Add to the pan and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the kale is crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
Serve with remaining honey mustard.
(Tip: You can purchase a healthy honey mustard dressing to make this even easier)
   
Sausage & Cabbage Sheet Pan Dinner
2-4 servings
Tip: If you want to make this even easier, buy pre-shredded cabbage.
Ingredients:
1/2 med cabbage (about 500g / 1lb), sliced
1 large red onion, sliced or cut into small chunks
4 thick sausages of your choosing
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Sea salt (pink Himalayan is best)
Mustard and avocado oil mayo, to serve
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 480 F.
Line sheet pan with parchment paper.
Slice onion or cut into chunks and place in your pan with the sausages. Drizzle with oil.
Roast for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the cabbage as finely as you want.
Remove the pan from the oven and turn the sausages (tongs work well here). Add cabbage, sea salt and another drizzle of oil. Roast for another 10-15 minutes or until cabbage is soft and sausages are well browned and cooked through.
Sprinkle vinegar over all (totally optional). Toss, taste and correct seasonings as needed. Serve with mustard / mayo on the side.

Some other options (or use your imagination!):
Vegetarian – skip the sausages and serve cabbage and onion with poached eggs.
For some crunch - toss in a handful of nuts.
Choose a different meat - chorizo, chicken thighs, pork chops, burgers.
Choose different vegetables - diced eggplant, diced zucchini, bell peppers.
Herbs - toss in some fresh chopped herbs after the dinner has come out of the oven.

Sheet Pan Rosemary Chicken, Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts
4-5 Servings
This recipe of bone-in chicken pieces nestled in potatoes and Brussels sprouts, seasoned with garlicky fresh herbs and roasted together on a sheet pan makes a delicious dinner.
Ingredients:
4 small shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 2 teaspoons dried chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 to 10 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
½ pound brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved (or quartered if large)
4 small golden potatoes, peeled and cut into thin wedges
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Mix the shallots, garlic, rosemary, basil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil; set aside.
Put the chicken on the foil-lined pan, leaving about two inches between each piece. Brush the chicken with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Spoon and spread about ½ teaspoon shallot mixture on each piece of chicken.
Add brussel sprouts and potato wedges to the remaining shallot mixture. Toss to coat vegetables. Put vegetables around the chicken pieces on the prepared baking pan.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until meat is cooked and vegetables are tender.