Enter the sheet pan.
This one piece of bakeware comes in clutch for easy-breezy dinners. We like to toss a protein like chicken or pork chops onto a pan with some veggies and let ‘em cook. The result is a delicious, balanced meal… and only one pan to clean up.
The key to making a sheet pan meal is to carefully consider different items’ cook times. For example, if you’re cooking chicken and vegetables, you’ll want to get the chicken started while you prepare the veggies. You can cook almost anything on a sheet pan, but if you need some inspiration, this chicken recipe is perfect for getting dinner on the table quickly.
Lemon Chicken with Squash and Onions
Ingredients
- 4 medium chicken breasts
- 1 large onion
- 1 large zucchini
- 2 medium summer squash
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (you don’t have to do this, but it makes for easier cleanup, and that’s what we’re going for here!), then coat in 1 tbsp of olive oil to prevent sticking.
2. Mix 1/3 cup of lemon juice with 3 tbsp of olive oil – we like to use this Small Citrus Juicer for the lemons since it has convenient measurement markings on the side – and then do the mixing in a small glass bowl.
3. Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on the sheet pan and drizzle lemon mixture over the meat, then top with capers and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
4. While chicken cooks, peel and slice onion and thinly slice squash and zucchini. A mandoline(Opens in a new window) will make short work of this if you have it on hand.
5. After 15 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven and move chicken to one half of the pan. Place squash, zucchini and onions on the other side, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt to taste.
6. Return pan to oven, and cook until poultry is 165° F and veggies are soft, about 15-20 more minutes. To make sure your poultry isn’t undercooked (or overcooked!) we suggest using a thermometer – this one(Opens in a new window) provides an accurate read in 2-3 seconds so you can ensure perfection in your meat.
7. Plate and serve!
What’s your go-to weeknight meal? Tell us in the comments below.