Good Eats on Sheets

The rage of sheet-pan cooking has come and gone, but it was a practical way to get delicious dinner on the table for decades before the recent flurry of books and articles and it’s just as practical today.

Not just for busy cooks who want minimal cleanup, sheet pan meals are particularly helpful for people who receive weekly vegetable deliveries, for those who shop seasonally at the farmers’ market and for gardeners. Whatever is in season can be cooked into a sheet-pan dinner, including kale (it shrinks! You can use more of it!). Here we feature summer squash, cherry tomatoes and green beans because they’re available in early summer, but as the summer progresses feel free to substitute: cabbage, eggplant, onions, peppers, tomatoes, corn, beets, potatoes and more.

The best recipes for sheet-pan meals are those that have a flavorful protein (meat, fowl or fish) sitting atop well-seasoned vegetables, some of which may exude juices during their cooking. The chicken recipe here is a great example. The combination of chicken juices mingling with the vegetable juices and evaporating creates a delicious sauce automatically. You could get the same results with pork chops or tenderloin.

Though seemingly straightforward, there’s a learning curve to sheet-pan cooking. You’ll need to learn how to balance the size, thickness and amount of chopped vegetables with the time it takes for your protein to cook. In the chicken recipe here, high-moisture vegetables start 10 minutes before the meat. Decrease the vegetables by half and they’d take the same time as the chicken (because they are less crowded and will cook faster). Any more vegetables and you’d probably need two pans for the best efficiency and flavor.

It can be hard to brown meat in 30 minutes in the oven, which is why coating them with oil is necessary (it will absorb and spread heat evenly). Paprika in the seasoning also helps.

In the green bean dish, you might want to start the tofu earlier than the beans to get a richer brown coating. But if you substitute Roma beans for snap beans, they can be cooked the same amount of time.

About sheet pans:

Perhaps the most versatile pan for an all-in one dinner for four people is 13 by 18 inches with a 1-inch rim, called a “half-sheet” in the restaurant world. There are ¼-sheet pans, which are 9 by 11 inches and also have a 1-inch rim. There are other sizes. I own two 11- by 16-inch pans and a 13-inch round pizza pan. I’ve used them all for sheet-pan cooking.

A low rim is the important characteristic. It allows air flow, evaporation and browning—the characteristics needed for a sheet-pan meal.