Sheet-pan Cooking
This time-saving technique results in fewer dishes and plenty of flavor.
What to cook for supper?
That’s the daily question we all ask, and most of us want to get something on the table without a lot of hassle and time. Get out your sheet pans—if you don’t have one, you just may want to get a few.
A sheet pan is rectangular and shallow, and it measures 18 inches by 13 inches with a 1-inch rim. Sheet pans are sometimes called “half-sheet pans” as they are half the size of commercial kitchen ones. Sheet pans are made from aluminum or stainless steel, and while either material is fine, do pay close attention to the gauge (the thickness) of the metal. You want pans with a high gauge—anywhere from a 13 gauge to 18 gauge will work well.
Sheet-pan cooking is all the rage right now, judging from the slew of cookbooks devoted to this method that upends having to use fancy appliances like slow cookers. The technique is to cook your protein, vegetables and even starches together on a sheet pan without too much prep time. This is a boon to cooks. Even though this approach is clever, there are some things to keep in mind so all the ingredients cook properly. Depending on what your choices are for dinner, you may need more than one pan.
Sheet-pan salmon recipe, page 36
Foods need different times to cook, so start with the denser ingredients if everything is going on one pan (or use two pans). My fat of choice is olive oil brushed evenly on the pan, but other choices are butter, grapeseed oil or vegetable oil. Choose your protein—something like salmon steak, boneless chicken thighs or pork chops—and season them well. Space them out on the pan to ensure even cooking. Cut vegetables—like Brussels sprouts, potatoes or carrots—into small pieces or chunks, and add them to the pan in a single layer. Less-dense ingredients—like tomatoes and mushrooms—should be added next. Then add thin slices of onion and garlic. Finally, add herbs, thin lemon or orange slices, thinly sliced ginger, or a splash of wine or soy sauce for added flavor as the meal cooks.
Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas SERVES 4
Make Friday night sheet-pan fajita night with this easy-to-put-together taste of Mexico.
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for oiling the pan
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch-thick strips
1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch-thick strips
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch-thick strips
1 onion, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick rings
1½ teaspoons ancho chili powder
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1½ pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch-thick strips Zest and juice of 2 limes
8 warm flour tortillas
1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease a sheet pan, and spread the pepper strips and onion rings on the pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Add the chicken strips and coat them in the seasonings. Spread the chicken strips on the pan in a single layer.
3. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of the oil over the vegetables and chicken, and cook until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165ºF. Toss the ingredients halfway through the cooking.
4. Drizzle the lime juice and zest over the chicken and peppers, and toss to coat. Fill tortillas, and serve with guacamole, diced tomatoes, cheese or a combination of toppings.
Sheet-Pan Pizza SERVES 6
Any night is Italian night when you start with store-bought pizza dough to make this scrumptious Italian American pizza.
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound package pizza dough, at room temperature
1 cup tomato sauce, divided
8 precooked meatballs, finely chopped
½ cup thinly sliced pepperoni
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Brush a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. With your hands, press the dough evenly on the pan out to the edges. Spread ½ cup of the tomato sauce in a thin layer over the dough.
2. Top the sauce evenly with the meatballs. Scatter the pepperoni over the meatballs.
Sprinkle the mozzarella and provolone cheeses over the pepperoni. Dab the remaining ½ cup of the tomato sauce over the top. Sprinkle the oregano evenly over the top.
3. Bake until the crust is golden brown and puffy, about 25-30 minutes.
4. Serve hot, cut into squares.
Sheet-Pan Brownie Thins MAKES 5 DOZEN
Sometimes less is more. Use a sheet pan to make these delectable, thin brownies!
1 stick butter, plus extra to butter the pan
½ cup mini chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
1¼ cups sugar
¾ cup baking cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup flour
1 cup walnut halves, toasted and finely chopped Powdered sugar (optional)
1. Generously butter a sheet pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
2. In a medium-sized microwavable bowl, melt the stick of butter. Stir in the chocolate chips, vanilla and eggs, and set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine the sugar, baking cocoa, salt and flour. Add to the butter mixture, and stir in. Add the walnuts, and combine the ingredients well.
4. With a rubber spatula, spread the mixture thinly and evenly in the pan. Bake until firm to the touch, about 12–15 minutes.
5. Cool the brownies slightly, then cut them while still warm into 2-inch squares.
6. Sprinkle the brownies with powdered sugar if desired.
Sheet-Pan Salmon SERVES 4
Here is an elegant salmon supper accompanied by almond aioli. Microwaving the potatoes before adding them to the pan ensures that everything will be cooked at the same time.
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for pan
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
4 tablespoons minced chives
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced into rounds, plus
4 tablespoons minced fennel fronds
8 baby potatoes microwaved, cooled and cut in half
2 medium zucchinis, trimmed and each cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
4 6-ounce salmon fillets
1 lemon
Almond aioli
1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Brush a sheet pan with olive oil.
2. In a large bowl, combine the salt, celery salt, fennel seeds, chives, scallions and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the sliced fennel, potatoes and zucchini, and toss to combine. Transfer the vegetables to the sheet pan and spread them out, leaving room to add the salmon.
3. Add the salmon to the same bowl, and season with salt, pepper and fennel. fronds. Place the salmon on the sheet pan in a single layer.
4. In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil with the juice and zest of the lemon. Brush over the salmon fillets.
5. Bake until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 145ºF, registered in the thickest part of the salmon.
6. Serve, and pass the almond aioli on the side.
Almond Aioli MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
1 cup slivered almonds
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¾ cup water
Extra-virgin olive oil as needed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1. Place the almonds in a food processor or blender along with the garlic and salt, and pulse for a few seconds to grind the almonds.
2. With the motor running, add through the feed tube the water and enough olive oil to create a smooth sauce; if it is too thick, thin it with a little water.
3. Transfer the aioli to a small bowl, and stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
4. Serve on the side with the salmon.
BY MARY ANN ESPOSITO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN W. HESSION
