Anonymous
12/07/2025 12:11
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:They never cook evenly and most recipes I've tried are passable but nothing anyone in my family enjoyed.
Are there any truly great sheet pan recipes? Or do people just like these out of convenience?
Does your oven work, OP? My family LOVES baked salmon, etc.
But your salmon doesn’t bake in the same amount of time as the potatoes and veggies.
Anonymous
12/07/2025 12:10
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
The trick is to cover the sheet well with foil so the potato cooks through, and then open it to brown / broil. It doesn’t work with everything, but works with things like chicken thighs and potatoes, kofta and potatoes and meats that can take this well.
Anonymous
12/07/2025 12:00
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
Anonymous wrote:Ohh do you use oil? Mine are bleh unless I use olive oil, a decent amount—not drenched, but more than a tablespoon, ya know?
Makes a big difference on those veggies and starches
People are dry toasting vegetables?!
Anonymous
12/07/2025 11:59
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
Anonymous wrote:I find it a better use of my time to just have sheet pan roasting sessions. I get all my veggies roasted and caramelized at their various schedules with olive oil and no pan crowding. Everything freezes well and then I use it in cooking better meals than a 'sheet pan' meal in less time.
You freeze and recook vegetables? Do you start from canned or frozen? May as well.
Anonymous
12/07/2025 11:58
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
Sheet pan is a bad cooking method. A lasagna or similar is fine. Roasted veggies side dish is fine.
Anonymous
12/07/2025 11:18
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
I used sheet meal pans all the time. What did you mean by it, though?
I will start roasting a chicken, then add potatoes and other veggies later. I do the same with ribs and other roasts. They are to die for.
I will start roasting a chicken, then add potatoes and other veggies later. I do the same with ribs and other roasts. They are to die for.
Anonymous
12/07/2025 06:09
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
I find it a better use of my time to just have sheet pan roasting sessions. I get all my veggies roasted and caramelized at their various schedules with olive oil and no pan crowding. Everything freezes well and then I use it in cooking better meals than a 'sheet pan' meal in less time.
Anonymous
12/06/2025 20:47
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Microwave your potatoes first.
I don't really do recipes but do plenty of things on sheet pans. Right now I have fajita chicken, onions and peppers, some leftover (frozen) roasted cauliflower with mexican spices in its own small pyrex right on the tray, and black beans in another small pyrex.
If the beans get too toasty, you add liquid and cover.
If the veggies get crispy, you take them off the try and put them in a bowl to wait.
Chicken takes longest.
Sometimes I add frozen or fresh corn about 5 minutes before it comes out, like, dump part of a bag to the veggies.
You just have to be flexible and intervene if something is getting too done and pay attention.
...so not the hands off dinner they are supposed to be. So you can't go read in the other room as a PP insists.
I’m the pp who posted that and I am not “insisting” - I am being honest that I put the sheet pan in and go read. My favorites are a gnocchi/sauage/bell pepper one, and variations. I don’t live the chicken thigh ones though I make those occasionally. I toss the sausage/gnocchi with a little Trader Joe’s chimichurri sauce on the sheet pan at the end and it gives it a lot of flavor.
Anonymous
12/06/2025 18:23
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
if you overcrowd your pan, it doesn't work at all
Anonymous
12/06/2025 18:20
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
Anonymous wrote:Microwave your potatoes first.
I don't really do recipes but do plenty of things on sheet pans. Right now I have fajita chicken, onions and peppers, some leftover (frozen) roasted cauliflower with mexican spices in its own small pyrex right on the tray, and black beans in another small pyrex.
If the beans get too toasty, you add liquid and cover.
If the veggies get crispy, you take them off the try and put them in a bowl to wait.
Chicken takes longest.
Sometimes I add frozen or fresh corn about 5 minutes before it comes out, like, dump part of a bag to the veggies.
You just have to be flexible and intervene if something is getting too done and pay attention.
...so not the hands off dinner they are supposed to be. So you can't go read in the other room as a PP insists.
Anonymous
12/06/2025 18:00
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
Microwave your potatoes first.
I don't really do recipes but do plenty of things on sheet pans. Right now I have fajita chicken, onions and peppers, some leftover (frozen) roasted cauliflower with mexican spices in its own small pyrex right on the tray, and black beans in another small pyrex.
If the beans get too toasty, you add liquid and cover.
If the veggies get crispy, you take them off the try and put them in a bowl to wait.
Chicken takes longest.
Sometimes I add frozen or fresh corn about 5 minutes before it comes out, like, dump part of a bag to the veggies.
You just have to be flexible and intervene if something is getting too done and pay attention.
I don't really do recipes but do plenty of things on sheet pans. Right now I have fajita chicken, onions and peppers, some leftover (frozen) roasted cauliflower with mexican spices in its own small pyrex right on the tray, and black beans in another small pyrex.
If the beans get too toasty, you add liquid and cover.
If the veggies get crispy, you take them off the try and put them in a bowl to wait.
Chicken takes longest.
Sometimes I add frozen or fresh corn about 5 minutes before it comes out, like, dump part of a bag to the veggies.
You just have to be flexible and intervene if something is getting too done and pay attention.
Anonymous
12/06/2025 17:55
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
We like-
https://www.maryswholelife.com/whole30-harvest-sheet-pan-dinner/
And NY Times Sheet Pan Chicken with Potatoes, arugula, and garlic yogurt.
https://www.maryswholelife.com/whole30-harvest-sheet-pan-dinner/
And NY Times Sheet Pan Chicken with Potatoes, arugula, and garlic yogurt.
Anonymous
12/06/2025 17:36
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
This one is one of our absolute favorite recipes: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020829-sheet-pan-gochujang-chicken-and-roasted-vegetables?unlocked_article_code=1.6k8.QZ47.R3rRYMO2wEHS&smid=share-url
Here are my notes:
1) Make with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, delicata squash (3 small, unpeeled) and rutabaga (one -- instead of turnips).
2) Double sauce amounts.
3) Cut vegetables into 1-inch pieces. Use cubes of frozen ginger. Pickled radishes didn't seem to add much.
3) PAT CHICKEN DRY VERY WELL before marinating in 1/2 the doubled sauce for one-two hours.
4) Use two cookie sheets: place chicken on one cookie sheet and veg on the other. Consider using three cookie sheets, as with even two it's crowded. Pour rest of sauce (not used for meat marinade) over veg. Cook for ten minutes more than recommended time.
Here are my notes:
1) Make with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, delicata squash (3 small, unpeeled) and rutabaga (one -- instead of turnips).
2) Double sauce amounts.
3) Cut vegetables into 1-inch pieces. Use cubes of frozen ginger. Pickled radishes didn't seem to add much.
3) PAT CHICKEN DRY VERY WELL before marinating in 1/2 the doubled sauce for one-two hours.
4) Use two cookie sheets: place chicken on one cookie sheet and veg on the other. Consider using three cookie sheets, as with even two it's crowded. Pour rest of sauce (not used for meat marinade) over veg. Cook for ten minutes more than recommended time.
Anonymous
12/06/2025 16:57
Subject: Re:Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
I think they’re fine but most of them are kind of one note and everything tastes so similar.
Anonymous
12/06/2025 16:42
Subject: Do Sheet Pan Meals Ever NOT Suck?
Anonymous wrote:Ohh do you use oil? Mine are bleh unless I use olive oil, a decent amount—not drenched, but more than a tablespoon, ya know?
Makes a big difference on those veggies and starches
I don’t think I have seen many sheet pan recipes without oil.