Sheet Pan Shenanigans

I like getting inducted into the latest culinary trend, and I rely on my Number One Fan to keep me educated on what those are.  Apparently when she's not reading mine, she follows a bunch of other food bloggers.  There are some very creative chefs turned bloggers out there, or perhaps it's the other way around.  In any event, the current craze, if it hasn't already become passé like kale and quinoa have, is something called a sheet pan dinner.  The concept is relatively simple.  Pick three or more ingredients that are of roughly the same density or a density that is proximate so that it can be influenced by size.  The more dense something is relative to other ingredients in the mix, the smaller it must be cut. I'm sure there is some physics ratio involved here that is way above my head for mathematics.

The basic idea of a sheet pan dinner is that everything goes onto one pan in the oven, and comes out at the same time.  In some cases, where size and density cannot be brought into balance, the third element, time, becomes a factor and in such cases, one ingredient might have to be put onto the sheet pan after the other ingredients have already been in the oven for a bit.

Couple of thoughts to consider here, which is what influenced the "shenanigans" part of the title of this post:

1. This method of preparing dinner may or may not save you a lot of time.  While it generally will save you time on the clean-up side of things, since you have only one cooking vessel to wash, some recipes may not save you a lot of time if you're spending an hour chopping things up to account for the right density-to-size ratio. Of course, a way around this is to buy the pre-cut veggies generally available in grocery stores these days.
2.  Make sure you invest in the right kind of sheet pan.  If you don't, you'll have a pan that warps suddenly while cooking, and wind up with half of your dinner all over the walls of your oven. There is a difference between a commercial grade sheet pan and a common baking sheet.  You want a sheet pan manufactured from cast aluminum alloy, heat treated, then machined to a thickness of 13-gauge. Baking pans are just stamped out of rolled aluminum.  The latter are frequently available at the grocery store.  The former is less frequently available and may have to be purchased at a restaurant supply store or online.

All that said, this is still a pretty good methodology for fixing a relatively easy, delicious and healthful dinner.

Recently, My Number One Fan took it upon herself to test drive six recipes from the damndelicious, chelseysmessyapron, blondcook, shockinglydelicious and aspicyperspective websites.  As usual in our kitchen, she modified all of the recipes to better suit our tastes and in some cases, what we had or didn't have on hand at the time.  In fact, I think most of the authors of these recipes tend to over-complicate their manner of preparation just to make their recipes look more complex, which is mystifying to me since the idea of a one-dish dinner is simplicity. 

I can testify that all of these recipes were high quality and with thanks to the original creators and My Number One Fan, worthy of posting in Kitchen Tapestry.

Sheet Pan Tilapia Italiano with Asparagus & Cherry Tomatoes

I renamed this dish and called it "Italiano" not just because it has Italian seasonings, but because the white, green and red of the fish, asparagus and tomatoes respectively, are the colors of the Italian flag.

Ingredients
1/2 stick melted butter
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
1-2 tbsp fresh or dried parsley
1 lb asparagus, trimmed of the woody part of the stem
4 tilapia fillets (4-5 oz each)
1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
salt & pepper to taste

The Recipe
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. 

Mix the butter, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasonings and the parsley together. Put a little non-stick cooking spray on the sheet pan. If you don't have the store-bought Italian seasonings, just use equal parts dried oregano, thyme and basil.

Fresh tilapia is fine, but frozen is okay too.  Today's methodology of preparing fish and flash freezing it is remarkable.  I see it generally as individually wrapped tilapia that come 6 or more fillets to a package, which makes them very easy to thaw.  Just float them in cold water in your sink for about 20 minutes.

Lay out the fish and veggies in a single layer, keeping them more or less separate on the pan, and pour the seasoned butter mixture over everything.  Dust with salt and pepper.

Bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the tomatoes are staring to pop open.  The original recipe said thirty minutes.  It was done in 22 minutes in our oven.

A little tartar sauce goes good with the fish, which can be made with 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, a splash of lemon juice, a dash of onion powder and 1 tablespoon of any sweet or dill pickle relish.

Incidentally, a great variation on this recipe is to substitute zucchini for the asparagus.  Simply peel (or not, as you prefer) a couple of zucchini squash, and cut into round slices about 1/8" thick.  For an added treat, liberally cover with 3/4 to 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese after you've poured over the seasoned butter.

Sheet Pan Asian Style Chicken Thighs

The original recipe called this "Sheet Pan Asian Stir Fry" which not only is an oxymoron, it also made absolutely no sense since the dish is neither stirred nor fried.  

The original recipe also called for boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  We used boneless, skinless chicken thighs which we think are more flavorful.  Either part of the chicken would work, but if you use breasts, reduce the cooking time a couple of minutes.

You can omit the oyster sauce if you don't have it on hand or won't use it again for other recipes, but I do think it adds a hint of authenticity to the dish and seems readily available in the Asian section of most major grocery chains.

And finally, two more edits:  the original recipe called for 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.  Ugh.  Why?  Leave out the added sugar unless you're trying to get your kiddies to eat their veggies. The recipe called for 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger and I ask: why go to all that trouble for a mere tablespoon?  We generally have on hand the jarred variety and it worked just fine. I'd say in a pinch, dried ginger would be fine, too.

Ingredients
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp fresh or jarred ginger
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp Sriracha sauce (more or less depending on your tolerance)
1 tsp corn starch
2 tbsp Teriyaki Sauce (like, Kikkoman)
4 boneless chicken thighs (4-5 oz each)
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1-2 cups broccoli florets (optional - defrost first, if frozen)
1 cup snow peas
sesame seeds and chopped green onion for garnish
non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
salt & pepper to taste

The Recipe
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and Sriracha sauce in a mixing bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the corn starch and whisk again to fully incorporate it into the liquid.  Put a little non-stick cooking spray on the sheet pan.

Cut your chicken into 1-inch strips.  Place the chicken in the mixing bowl with the soy sauce mixture and stir to coat all the pieces.  Lay the bell peppers and carrots in a single layer on the sheet pan and pour the sauce and chicken over, then toss all the ingredients to combine. It is doubtful because of the soy and Sriracha sauces you will need added salt and pepper, so wait until after cooking to add them if needed.

Cook 17-20 minutes in the oven until the chicken no longer shows any pink and the bell peppers are beginning to wilt.

Add the broccoli and snow peas, then sprinkle the Teriyaki sauce over everything and lightly toss, then cook another 10-15 minutes.

Garnish with the sesame seeds and green onion, and serve over rice.

Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken Tenders

The author of this original recipe made it, oh so complicated.  She wrote about using 1/3 of the balsamic mixture for a marinade, then using 1/3 of it as a basting sauce and I swear, I read her recipe three times trying to understand what she had done with the remaining 1/3 of the sauce.  I finally figured out she intended it to be served on the side after the dish was cooked.  Her instructions were verbose and she had 11 steps, with the final step being "Great served over rice or quinoa!"

Balderdash.  This isn't complicated.  We used asparagus instead of broccoli as in her original recipe which I thinks goes better with balsamic flavor anyway, and instead of combining balsamic vinegar with "zesty" Italian fat-free dressing (just, ugh!), we used Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette, a far tastier (and healthier) alternative to her original ingredients.

Ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette (like, Newman's)
1 to 1-1/2 lb chicken tenders
1 lb thin asparagus, trimmed of the woody parts of the stems
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp seasoned salt (like Morton's Nature's Seasoning)
non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)

The Recipe
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray the sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cut the chicken tenders into bite-size pieces, then combine with half the balsamic vinegar and vinaigrette in a bowl or plastic bag and marinate for at least a half an hour, but longer if you have the time.

Put the veggies on the sheet pan with the remaining half of the balsamic vinegar and vinaigrette, and roast for 13-15 minutes.

Then, after discarding the marinade add the chicken tenders to the sheet pan, sprinkle with the seasoned salt and Italian seasoning, and cook an additional 15 minutes.

I hear its great served over rice or (gag) quinoa!

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

They're not true fajitas, which are traditionally cooked in a cast iron skillet over very high heat, and served still sizzling to the table after a squeeze of lime juice. But this recipe will give you a very close approximation with a lot less trouble.  I cannot, however, over-emphasize that fresh cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice really make a difference, so go to the extra trouble here.

And on that note, my Number One Fan had just a brilliant idea for easily getting the leaves off of the stems of fresh cilantro - use a pair of scissors!

Incidentally, fajitas did not originate in Mexico and despite their appearance as standard Tex-Mex fare seen alongside enchiladas and tamales at Mexican restaurants coast-to-coast, they were created by the executive chef at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Austin, Texas as a dinner promotion sometime in the 1980's called, "Fajita Fridays."  It was one of those culinary ah-ha moments that became a huge success, with lines of patrons waiting to get in the door once the fad caught on.  Each table got the sizzling, steaming cast iron skillet (with a wooden under-liner) brought to their table with all the condiments you could add to your hot fajita mixture of meat or seafood on warm, flour tortillas.  Of course, in time, they became ubiquitous.

I strongly recommend a Mexican style sour cream for this dish.  It has a tarter, yet sweeter taste and a looser texture than American style sour cream, and really makes a difference.

Ingredients
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp smoked salt (like, San Francisco Salt Company Cherry Wood)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire black pepper (like, McCormick)
1/2 medium sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced (like, Texas 1015)
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small of either or red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 16-oz bag frozen medium uncooked peeled/de-veined shrimp, thawed
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 fresh lime
1 handful fresh cilantro, rough chopped
4-6 soft fajita sized (about 8" diameter) flour tortillas (like, Mission Carb Balance)
Mexican style sour cream (like, Cacique Crema Mexicana Agria)

The Recipe
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix the chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, salt and pepper together.

Toss the onions and bell peppers in a mixing bowl, drizzle with half the olive oil and about half of the spice mix and stir to coat everything well.  Lay the veggies out on the sheet pan and roast for 13 - 17 minutes until the veggies are wilted and beginning to caramelize.

While the veggies are cooking, do the same thing with the shrimp and the remaining olive oil and spice mix, and all the garlic, ensuring all is evenly coated.

Add the shrimp to the sheet pan and cook an additional 7-8 minutes until the shrimp are no longer pink.  While the shrimp are cooking, warm the flour tortillas either in the oven wrapped in aluminum foil, or zapped in a paper towel the microwave.

When you bring the shrimp and veggies with out of the oven, hit them with the fresh squeezed lime juice and the fresh cilantro.

Slather a warm flour tortillas with the Mexican style sour cream, then scoop up some onions and peppers, and 3-4 shrimp. Fold over and serve immediately.

Sheet Pan Sausage & Peppers

The original concept of this recipe from the ShockinglyDelicious website was to throw together a store-bought vegetable tray and some turkey sausage links together for a convenient, healthy meal.

We didn't follow her recipe at all.  Not even close, actually, so I'm not sure why we give her credit for anything more than inspiration.  This really was a great way to make the traditional, classic Italian Sausage & Peppers, which would have been great on a hot, grilled Hoagie roll, but we instead had this with some leftover risotto and it was great.

Ingredients
1 lb (4 links) fresh (not pre-cooked) mild Italian sausage links (like, Johnsonville)
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 zucchini squash, sliced and peeled or unpeeled as you prefer
1/2 cup baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into rings
1 green bell pepper, cut into rings
1 sweet onion cut into thin rings (like, Vidalia, Walla-Walla or Texas 1015)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash garlic herb blend
1 tbsp Morton's Nature's Seasoning
1 tbsp Italian seasonings
non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)

The Recipe
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees and coat a sheet pan with non-stick spray.

Toss the veggies together with the olive oil and all seasonings, combining to coat well, then lay out in a single layer on the sheet pan.  Nestle the sausages in among the veggies.

Check at 45 minutes by cutting one of the sausages in half. If you still see pink, cook another ten minutes.  If your oven cooks slow, cutting the sausages in half will hasten their cooking.

Sheet Pan Chicken Cacciatore

The original recipe came from aspicyperspective website and I have to question whether or not the author actually made the recipe firsthand.  It required an overhaul in our kitchen from methodology of cooking to the cooking time itself, although the ingredients are fundamentally the same, we didn't use stewed tomatoes or any white wine, which were in the original list of ingredients.

Although nothing can compete with a true, pot made Chicken Cacciatore, like my Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore recipe, this would be a close second, using a quality store-bought marinara sauce.  We used Delallo Pomodoro Tomato Basil sauce, our favorite, but probably any good store-bought sauce would do.

Ingredients
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced (like Vidalia, Walla-Walla or Texas 1015)
1 bell pepper, your choice of color, thinly sliced (we used yellow)
1-2 medium to large zucchini, sliced and peeled or unpeeled as you prefer
8 ounces fresh button mushrooms, cut in half
2 tsp garlic, minced
4/5 25 ounce jar of quality Italian marinara sauce (like, Delallo)
1-2 tbsp Italian seasonings
salt & pepper to taste
shredded or grated Italian cheeses, such as Parmesan, Romano and Asiago

The Recipe
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Slather some of the olive oil on the sheet pan.

Place the chicken thighs on the sheet pan, and then add the sliced onions, zucchini, bell peppers and mushrooms all around but not covering the chicken thighs.

Sprinkle the Italian seasonings, salt and pepper over all of the chicken and vegetables.

Spoon the Italian marinara sauce over the chicken thighs.

Roast the sheet pan 40 minutes.  The chicken should be cooked through, and the vegetables should be browned and slightly caramelized.

When removed from the oven, finish with shredded or grated Italian cheeses and serve with or without pasta.

As a variation, you could top each chicken thigh with some shredded mozzarella cheese about 5 minutes before bringing the sheet pan out of the oven.