7 Sheet Pan Dinners For Easy-Breezy Weeknight Meals

A Saucy Kitchen

It can be tempting to rely on take-out after a long day’s work, especially if you’re not someone who turns to cooking as a means to de-stress. But eating out all the time isn’t great for your body or your wallet. Consistently lacking control over what goes into your food can spell trouble for both your health and overall wellbeing. But you don’t really have to spend hours in the kitchen or use a bunch of pots and pans to make a delicious meal. And you don’t have to be a culinary expert to do it either. There are plenty of yummy and easy dishes that you can make using just a single pan.

Today we’re bringing you recipes for the yummiest and easiest ones out there. These seven one-pan dinners are perfect for busy weeknights and for those days when you just can’t be bothered with cleaning multiple dishes. Enjoy!

1. Chicken Fajitas

Sami Allen

This one-pan chicken fajita recipe is a favorite of Swirled’s editors. It’ll rival the fajitas at your go-to Mexican food takeout place while still being considerably healthier. You’ll need just one sheet pan and 10 ingredients to make this delicious dinner. You’ll need 11/2 pounds of thinly-sliced chicken breasts, 3 bell peppers, 1 yellow onion, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 2 teaspoons of Adobo seasoning, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, 1 lime and tortillas for serving.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, prep the dish and stick it in. It’ll be ready in just 20 to 25 minutes, just about the same amount of time that it would take you to watch an episode of Friends — what a happy coincidence.

2. Chicken Spaghetti Bake

Bev Weidner / Bev Cooks

What if you could make a delicious meal that will last you all week long with just one pan and 45 minutes of cook time? Well, you can. Enter this one-pan chicken spaghetti bake recipe from Bev Cooks. This dish is filled with yummy veggies like mushrooms and spinach, protein-rich chicken, marinara and a boatload of oh-so-cheesy mozzarella — we’re sold. You won’t have to waste time cooking the pasta and chicken separately, because this recipe allows you to bake everything together. The pasta will still be al dente and the chicken will turn out perfectly tender.

3. Spicy Green Beans And Tofu

Food Heaven Made Easy

This vegetarian one-pan dinner recipe from Food Heaven Made Easy is simple yet super flavorful, not to mention super healthy. Green beans are packed with filling fiber and vitamins C and K. And tofu adds much-needed (meatless) protein to the mix. The best part is that it’ll take you less than half an hour to prep and cook it and you’ll only have cutlery and a one sheet pan to clean up after the meal. Serve it alongside a bowl of brown rice for a balanced dinner that includes an appropriate ratio of plant-based protein, healthy carbs and healthy unsaturated fat.

4. Broccoli Pizza

What’s Gaby Cooking

Why order pizza when you can create something equally as delicious yet more nutritious at home? You only need 20 minutes and one sheet pan to make this spicy broccoli pizza recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking. This healthy pizza is topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, roasted broccoli, onion, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Who said easy weeknight dinners need to be boring?

5. Chicken With Lemon Garlic Potatoes And Brussel Sprouts

A Saucy Kitchen

Dinner made up of potatoes, Brussel sprouts and chicken might sound blah, but it’s the absolute opposite if you season the dish with flavorful spices as is the case for this one-pan chicken with veggies recipe from A Spicy Perspective. The chicken is seasoned with oregano, paprika salt and pepper. The Brussel sprouts and potatoes are lightly coated with olive oil, garlic lemon juice and seasoned with lemon zest, oregano and paprika. The result is chicken with crispy skin and juicy meat and tender veggies and potatoes, ready in 45 minutes tops.

6. Lemon-Roasted Salmon, Potatoes And Parmesan Asparagus

Tieghan Gerard / Half Baked Harvest

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends consuming at least two servings of fish, particularly oily fish like salmon, every week. Oily fish is a great source of lean protein and heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. Luckily, consuming more fish as part of a healthy diet doesn’t have to mean extra hours spent in the kitchen. You can prep this one-pan lemon salmon, roasted potatoes and parmesan asparagus recipe from Half Baked Harvest in just 10 minutes and cook it in 30, only using a single pan. Pro tip: If you like your potatoes extra crispy and your salmon medium-rare, put the potatoes in the oven first before adding the salmon and asparagus.

7. Mac And Cheese With Pumpkin And Brown Butter

Ella Quittner / Food52

This macaroni and cheese recipe from Food52 is perfect for those weeknights when you just. can’t. even. It’s super comforting and requires only 5 minutes of prep time and 35 minutes of cook time. The addition of pumpkin puree makes the dish seasonal and ideal for this cold winter weather. For the cheese, the recipe’s author opted to use Pecorino Romano and sharp cheddar, but you can choose whatever cheese you desire in your cheesiest fantasies.

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