Sheet pan meals are popular for a reason – with minimal prep they can be tossed together at a moment’s notice, and since everything cooks together in one pan cleanup is quick and easy. But the key to creating the best sheet pan meals is understanding how to build them.
So we asked our friend and partner Dan Pelosi of GrossyPelosi to walk us through the steps. He is a huge fan of sheet pan meals as an easy way to get a meal on the table in a hurry, and they easily serve a few or a crowd. Dan likens sheet pan meals to a good romantic comedy, complete with a great cast, lots of drama and an amazing ending. With his easy formula he says “you can take literally anything you have in your fridge and pantry and make a bingeable, easy to consume and totally delicious sheet pan meal in no time.”
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“Sheet pan meals are totally delicious, totally bingeable!”
Dan Pelosi
GrossyPelosi
Pick a Main Character
Like every good movie, the star of a sheet pan meal anchors the meal (and the movie) and provides a solid foundation to build the recipe. In this case, the main character is going to be your meat or fish, think everything from pork chops to chicken thighs to salmon filets. Or make it a veggie meal by choosing larger vegetables like thick slices of eggplant or portabella mushrooms, or even pasta shapes like gnocchi or farfalle bowties that get a touch of golden-brown crunch when roasted.
Pro Tip: In Dan’s impressive recipe for sheet pan pork chops, he roasts the meat on our Non-stick Cooling Rack set inside a sheet pan. This ensures that the pork chops get browned all over (and don’t steam), while the juices drip down to add extra flavor to the vegetables and fruit in the pan.
Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Pork Chops with Roasted Peaches and Balsamic Ranch
Add Supporting Characters
The next step is to add the supporting cast of characters to your sheet pan recipe. These are the ingredients that will perfectly complement and support your main character throughout the meal, and includes things like vegetables and fruit as well as greens and grains. Try to choose hearty ingredients that can stand up to the heat of roasting in the oven – think root vegetables like fennel and potatoes, oranges and peaches, kale and chard, and grains like bulgur or farro.
Pro Tip: Be sure to cut everything the same size and don't overcrowd the pan so things cook evenly and browns at the same rate is Dan’s advice. Give it a try with his recipe for sheet pan salmon where perfect slices of fresh fennel and orange roast alongside the filets.
Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Salmon with Roasted Fennel and Oranges
Mix in a Little Drama
Once you have your cast of characters, every good plot needs a little drama to keep it interesting. Tossing or brushing the ingredients with oils, butter, herbs and spices will not only ensure that everything roasts to golden brown perfection, but also adds delicious flavor to the final dish. Pre-made spice blends are minimum fuss on busy days, or make batches of your own favorite spice blends at home to ensure the spices are the freshest possible.
Pro Tip: Try making your own spice infused olive oils to really dial up the drama in your recipe, like Dan’s spicy chili oil. He uses it “everywhere I can on whatever I can, both in recipes and on its own as a condiment.”
Get the Recipe: Spicy Italian Chili Oil
Finish with an Amazing Ending
Just like your favorite movie, a sheet pan meal needs an amazing ending that brings the recipe to a happy conclusion. Sauces, dips, dressings and vinaigrettes are perfect for drizzling or serve them alongside the meal for dipping. In a pinch, you can always opt for store-bought, but Dan points out that it’s easy to make your own while your sheet pan meal is roasting in the oven.
Pro Tip: Go all in with a dramatic table-side presentation as your amazing ending – Dan likes to break open a ball of burrata cheese over the top of his sheet pan gnocchi recipe right before serving (or as he likes to say “explode it all over!”). It’s sure to bring smiles, and maybe a happy tear or two, to conclude your epic sheet pan meal production. Cue the swelling music…
Get the Recipe: Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Arugula and Burrata
