It’s all about efficiency in 2019 and what is a more efficient way to cook than sheet pan dinners?! I’ll wait.
Sheet pan dinners are quick and easy and typically very healthy so they should fit in beautifully with your 2019 health goals. Not to mention, hardly any dishes to wash! WIN! The Girl On Bloor food blog recently posted their top 25 sheet pan recipes and we have narrowed it down to our top 2. Get ready for delicious, easy go-tos that will find their way into your weekly repertoire.
First things first. If you don’t have a great sheet pan, click here.
1. Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken
Our top spot goes to a super versatile and fool proof dish. This is another great low carb meal idea but you could always cook some pasta, rice or quinoa up and add them to the meal if you’re looking to add grains. The veggies can be substituted for whatever you prefer- bell peppers, squash, leeks, cauliflower…the options are ENDLESS. This recipe also saves well. Just put extras in a tupperware to bring to work and heat up in the microwave! Maybe bring a tortilla and spoon it all inside for a quick, easy burrito. To save even MORE time, used jarred pesto. Is there a quicker, more delicious recipe?
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cups basil, packed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 chicken breasts, diced
1 package Cherry tomatoes
1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 small zucchini, cut thickly
1 package mushrooms cut in half
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Pesto: In a Magic Bullet, blender or food processor, blend 2 tbsp olive oil, basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper together until smooth (you may need to add 1-2 tsp of water to get it to blend). You will only use about half of the pesto; either cut the recipe in half for this serving or save the rest for another meal.
Add chicken and mushrooms to large
sheet pan and toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsp of pesto. Bake in oven
for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and drain excess liquid.
Add remaining vegetables and another 1-2 tbsp of pesto. Toss to combine then
bake another 10 minutes until chicken is fully cooked. Remove from oven and
divide among 4 meal prep bowls. Keeps in fridge up to 5 days.
2. Honey Citrus Sheet Pan Salmon
Do you have a preferred place to purchase fish locally? If not, find one! Nothing is more healthy and nutritious than local, fresh caught fish and finding your favorite distributor is life-changing! For us in Louisiana, we prefer fresh caught gulf fish like red snapper and trout. If you are in Louisiana, your local Rouse’s is a good choice to find great quality fish. The salmon in the recipe can be substituted with your fish of choice. The recipe calls for lemon but any citrus you have at home will do while adding an extra layer of complexity. We prefer it with lemon, lime AND orange!
Garlicky Potatoes.
1 lb small potatoes, halved
2 TBSP olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBSP freshly chopped parsley
A sprinkle of kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Asparagus.
1-2 bunches of asparagus, woody ends broken off
1-2 tsp olive oil
A sprinkle of kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Honey Citrus Glaze.
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Juice of 1/2 an orange
Juice of 1/2 a grapefruit
2 TBSP tamari or low sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2-1 TBSP sambal
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 TBSP butter
1/4 cup cold water
2 TBSP corn starch
DIRECTIONS
Garlicky potatoes.
Preheat oven to 400° F. Place the halved potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat. Add the garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Toss again to coat. Evenly distribute the potatoes over a baking sheet and set bowl aside for asparagus. With a spoon, scoop up any garlic that has landed on the pan and spoon over potatoes. Any garlic set on the pan will burn and bring on a bitter flavor. Bake the potatoes for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown, tossing halfway through.
Honey Citrus Glaze.
Squeeze the lime, lemon, orange, and grapefruit juice into a medium-sized saucepan. Discard any seeds. Add the ingredients from the through to the ginger and whisk until well-combined. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the butter and stir to melt. If you’d like a thicker consistency (I always do), mix the cold water and corn starch into a small bowl, whisking with a fork until the corn starch has dissolved. Slowly add it to the simmering glaze mixture, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
Asparagus.
Break off the woody ends of the asparagus (see notes). Place spears into the bowl your potatoes were in. Drizzle with olive oil and toss. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the spears, and toss again to coat. Set aside.
Salmon.
Bring the salmon out and set it on the counter 15 minutes before it’s set to go into the oven. Bringing the salmon to room temperature will ensure an even cook. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
When the potatoes have crisped, bring the pan out of the oven and set it somewhere safe. Move the oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler and set broiler to high.
With a spatula move the potatoes to the sides of the pan to make room. Set the salmon down in the middle of the pan. Distribute the asparagus around the sides.
Carefully pour half of the glaze mixture over the salmon, brushing it with a basting brush to evenly coat. Set the rest of the glaze aside.
Cut a few thin slices of the remaining citrus fruits and place over the salmon. (Optional.)
Place the pan under the broiler and broil for about 13-15 minutes. Because every broiler is different, keep a close eye on it. It doesn’t hurt to check the internal temp of the salmon at 8-10 minutes
When done, remove the pan from the oven. Carefully discard the fruit slices. Brush the remaining glaze over the salmon, cut the fillets into 4-6 oz portions, and serve
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