Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner
One of the hottest trends in home cooking right now is sheet pan cooking…and no wonder! All the ingredients are arranged in a single layer on a large, rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then baked or roasted in the oven all at the same time. The parchment paper keeps foods from sticking and makes cleanup a snap – and who doesn’t need a little help with clean up!
Now that kids are back in school, either in-person or virtually, and many of us have traded summer’s somewhat relaxed work schedules for a more structured work atmosphere, meals that require a minimum of prep make good sense when there’s still homework to be done at the end of a busy day. That’s why I think you’ll like today’s recipe for Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner.
This ready-in-a-flash, super-flavorful dinner combines chicken legs and thighs with carrot and red or gold potato wedges, broccoli florets, red onions, garlic, fresh herbs, and a seasoning mixture made from items found in most spice racks. What’s especially helpful about this recipe is its versatility when it comes to substitutions. Feel free to use your favorite root vegetables such as cauliflower, Brussel’s sprouts, sweet potatoes, turnips, or whatever you have on hand.
In my Celebrating Home cooking segment, you’ll note I prepared two sheet pans of seasoned chicken and roasted vegetables. It’s enough to feed a family of six, but the recipe can easily be scaled back to serve one or two. As an added bonus, leftovers freeze well. I froze leftover chicken and veggies in a plastic container for several weeks, then packed it in an ice chest and took it to Santa Fe for a late-night meal after a day of travel and sightseeing. It tasted every bit as yummy as when I first served it.
For busy school nights or whenever you need to get dinner on the table with a minimum of fuss and stress, Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner is an aromatic, incredibly tasty meal-in-a-pan. Add your favorite root vegetables, and you’ll be gathered around the dinner table in no time!
-Christy
Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner
- 4 ½-5 pounds (total) chicken legs and thighs, skin removed if desired
- 6 medium-size red potatoes, rinsed and quartered lengthwise
- 4 large carrots, rinsed, peeled, cut in 2-inch lengths, and quartered
- 4 cups broccoli florets and stems, rinsed and drained
- 1 red onion, peeled and chopped into 2-inch wedges
- 5 large cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 5 stems fresh thyme
- 1 stem fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¾ teaspoon creole seasoning
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper, folding up the edges of the paper. Place the chicken on the pans and arrange potato wedges, carrots, broccoli, onion, and garlic around the meat. Season meat and vegetables with fresh thyme and rosemary leaves.
In a small bowl, stir together garlic powder, seasoned salt, creole seasoning, kosher salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Generously season the meat and vegetables with the mixture. Drizzle with olive oil.
Roast 45 to 60 minutes, tossing the root vegetables once after 30 minutes so they roast evenly. When the chicken is done and the vegetables are knife tender, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a large platter. Serve immediately.
Yield: 5 to 6 servings