What’s one-and-done, with minimal fuss and cleanup? Sheet pan dinners. All your supper ingredients are roasted together on one rimmed baking sheet. Yay, fewer dishes or pots to wash. Think of turning out recipes like lemon garlic chicken, talapia and vegetables, steak fajitas or curry pork chops and sweet potatoes on a single pan.

Of course, sheet pan meals don’t appear on our tables magically, much as we may wish. As convenient as they can be, some forethought ups the odds of a flavorful, evenly-cooked supper the whole crowd will enjoy. Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind, from bonappetit.com. Visit bonappetit.com/story/tips-for-better-sheet-pan-dinners for additional tips.

• Buy a commercial-grade half sheet pan. The standard size for a half sheet pan is 13-by-18-inches. The best sheet pans are made of heavy-duty uncoated aluminized steel or natural aluminum which will develop a nice coating of seasoning the more you use them.
• Pair proteins and vegetables that have similar cook times. Green beans cook at the same rate as fish fillets, for example. Or try pairing them with halibut. With chicken thighs, try whole carrots; they’ll be cooked at the same time. Or …
• Combine ingredients with different cook times and add them to your sheet pan in stages. It’s not a sin to open and close the oven door and add or take things out during cooking. For instance, for a fish dinner with potatoes or other root vegetables, roast the veggies until they’re almost done, them slide the fish on top and continue roasting until the fish is just cooked through.
• You can use an ovenproof wire cooling rack that fits inside your rimmed baking sheet to build layers. Maybe layer a mixture of broccolini and white beans under a steak that sits on top of a cooling rack and drips balsamic drippings as it broils. Or perhaps you’re roasting something air needs to circulate around to make sure it gets crisp — like breaded cutlets or fish tacos.
• Add raw elements at the end. Maybe fresh herbs on top of everything or thinly-sliceed radishes or baby arugula.At tasteofhome.com, Lindsay D. Mattision also cautions that older, thin or inexpensive sheet pans tend to warp in the cooking process. Go for the heavy-gauge aluminum. She notes, too, that overcrowded sheet pans can result in steamed food with watered-down flavors. Keep some space between ingredients.

  The Mississippi State Extension Service recommends lining your pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper to make cleanup easier and to keep foods from sticking. (If you’re planning to use the broiler, go with foil so you don’t catch the parchment paper on fire.)

  Experiment with ingredients and figure out what works and what doesn’t. Start with some simple recipes and branch out from there in your “oneness.”

  SHEET PAN CHIPOTLE-LIME SHRIMP BAKE

  Prep time: 10 minutes

  Bake time: 40 minutes

  Makes 4 servings

  1-1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

  1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  3/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided

  3 medium limes

  1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

  1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

  1/2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed

  1/2 pound broccolini or broccoli, cut into small florets

  1 pound uncooked shrimp (16-20 per pound), peeled and deveined

  2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

• Preheat oven to 400 F. Place potatoes in a greased 15-by-10-1-inch baking pan; drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt; stir to combine. Bake 30 minutes. Meanwhile, squeeze 1/3 cup juice from limes, reserving fruit. Combine lime juice, melted butter, chipotle and remaining sea salt.
• Remove sheet pan from oven; stir potatoes. Arrange asparagus, broccolini, shrimp and reserved limes on top of potatoes. Pour lime juice mixture over vegetables and shrimp.
• Bake until shrimp turn pink and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.Note: Don’t throw out the squeezed limes. You’ll be surprised by how much juice comes out of them after they’re roasted. Can’t find baby red potatoes? Try baby Yukon Gold potatoes.

  Nutrition Facts: 1 serving: 394 calories, 17g fat (8g saturated fat), 168mg cholesterol, 535mg sodium, 41g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 6g fiber), 25g protein.

  (Source: tasteofhome.com, Colleen Delawder)

  SHEET PAN GREEK CHICKEN

  Cooking spray

  8 bone-in chicken thighs (skin on)

  16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved

  16 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  Salt and pepper

  2 tablespoons fresh parsley (optional)

  Marinade:

  1/4 cup olive oil

  3 cloves garlic, minced

  Juice of one lemon

  1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

  Salt and pepper (to taste)

• Combine marinade ingredients and chicken in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Marinate for 20-60 minutes, turning the bag occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 400 F. Cover sheet pan with foil and coat with a light layer of nonstick cooking spray.
• Wash potatoes and cut in half. Place in a large bowl.
• Wash and trim green beans. Add to bowl with potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper, stir to coat.
• Spread potatoes and green beans in a single layer on sheet pan.
• Use tongs to remove chicken from marinade and place on top of vegetables. Discard marinade.
• Cook at 400 F. until chicken is cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately.

  (Source: extension.msstate.edu/blog/sheet-pan-greek-chicken)

  EASY ROASTED VEGGIES

  5 cups assorted vegetables cut into chunks (potatoes, winter squash, turnips, carrots, onions, or mushrooms)

  1 tablespoon oil (canola or vegetable)

  2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

  1/8 ground black pepper

  1/8 teaspoon salt

• Heat oven to 425 F.
• Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Spread vegetables in sheet pan, sprinkle oil over the vegetables, and stir.
• Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, pepper, and salt. Stir again until vegetables are evenly coated.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Turn vegetables every 15 minutes. Serve while hot. Nutrition Facts: Calories: 90, Fat: 6g, Carbohydrates: 16g, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Protein: 2g, Sodium: 95mg. Serves 5 (1 cup) servings.

  (Source: South Dakota State University Extension Service)

Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.

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