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Sheetpan Meals


Anna N

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I don’t think we have a topic devoted to sheetpan meals. I know that. @weinooseems to make them quite successfully. Recently in the dinner thread. @MaryIsobelmade one which looks very successful.
Here

These look like the perfect answer for someone who does not want to (or cannot) spend much time in the kitchen nor have a sink full of dishes to clean afterwards. I have made the odd one, but rarely have they turned out very successfully.  I would love for you to share your combinations and methods for overcoming the issue of overcooked and undercooked ingredients. Cookbooks devoted to the subject do not seem to have tested the recipes very well if my results mean anything. They seem to choose some inappropriate combination of ingredients in order to accumulate enough recipes to justify a book.  I would be quite happy with 3 to 5 dishes to choose from. 

 

One hint I have received from @blue_dolphinis to keep like ingredients together, so if one of them does cook more quickly, it can easily be removed.

 

Any other hints to a successful sheetpan dinner? Thanks.
 

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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22 minutes ago, Anna N said:

the issue of overcooked and undercooked ingredients.

Admittedly, I am only cooking for two but I have had better luck cooking things in a glass casserole dish. It's a lot easier to clean than a sheet pan. The only way that I have done it successfully is to parboil some ingredients that I know will take longer to cook and I guess that defeats the whole idea of one pan cooking.

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Not exactly a sheet pan meal, but I like to take tiny potatoes (new potatoes if they’re in season), roast in my CSO for about 15 minutes, then put pork chops or chicken thighs on top and roast. Toss potatoes in olive oil and spices of choice first. And line the pan with foil.

 

Have also done this with sausages and potatoes, and with summer squash, cubed up. Can do it with eggplant, or with cubed butternut squash, or whatever. It’s good to coat chicken tenderloins in a Chile powder/brown sugar combo and put those on top of cubed sweet potatoes.

 

Just put whatever needs to cook longer in first, for however long it needs, add what doesn’t need to cook as long, then back into the oven.

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Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

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I sent this to my sister when she expressed interest in sheet pan meals, but was stymied by what to cook with what and for how long. The one I made last night was everything in at once for the same amount of time, and for that combination, the method worked well. Obvisously you couldn't cook thin fish and potatoes at the same temp for the same time, but it's easy enough to add different things at different times. Here's the chart which will give you an idea. http://jessicaiveyrdn.com/2019/08/sheet-pan-dinner-infographic/

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I firs became aware of this sort of cooking

 

was from Jamie Oliver 

 

very early on in his career 

 

with videos , that reflected his early books .

 

there was a party of guests 

 

and he did a sheet pan , or pad w a larger lip

 

and added the various ingredients 

 

at different times , so it all came out perfect 

 

and restaurant quality 

 

as I did a few just as he did.

 

than's for the reminder

 

Ill think about using the CSO

 

and it would be ,dinner  for One ?

 

some leftovers for breakfast ?

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31 minutes ago, rotuts said:

I firs became aware of this sort of cooking

 

was from Jamie Oliver 

 

very early on in his career 

 

with videos , that reflected his early books .

 

there was a party of guests 

 

and he did a sheet pan , or pad w a larger lip

 

and added the various ingredients 

 

at different times , so it all came out perfect 

 

and restaurant quality 

 

as I did a few just as he did.

 

than's for the reminder

 

Ill think about using the CSO

 

and it would be ,dinner  for One ?

 

some leftovers for breakfast ?


He did a great one when cooking a meal for then prime minister, Tony Blair. Seem to remember it was something like sea bass fillets, sliced potatoes, mushrooms and was dressed with salsa verde afterwards. Like you I’ve made it a couple of times but not in years… must fix that

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the one I remember was for

 

a party for his wife , and her friends 

 

possibly before she was his wife ...

 

I have int somewhere 

 

green beans ( fresh ) , potatoes 

 

chicken , mushrooms 

 

in rows , based on when the stuff was put in.

 

Im going to have to dig those videos out.

 

 

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I cook this way sometimes, but find that you have to add things in stages or stuff turns out over or underdone.  One favorite in this house is sheet pan fish with peppers.  I roast the peppers for a while and add the fish and capers toward the end.  I usually serve it with crispy potatoes.  

 

sheet pan fish with sweet peppers

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14 minutes ago, liamsaunt said:

I cook this way sometimes, but find that you have to add things in stages or stuff turns out over or underdone

This seems to be the secret. I guess too many people have tried to suggest that everything can be put on the sheetpan  at the same time.  (This was in fact, the way I discovered one pan cooking. I believe it was a Nigella Lawson recipe. Here). I realize from reading through that recipe now that it was not so much a sheetpan meal as a roasting pan meal, but it was very simple. Then sheet pan/traybake meals took off and cookbooks were written, and testing was neglected, methinks.  Ever the optimist I was hoping for some magic formula, which would pair proteins and vegetables in such a way that each would cook in the same amount of time. I have given my head a shake, and realize how unlikely that is.

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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3 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I was hoping for some magic formula, which would pair proteins and vegetables in such a way that each would cook in the same amount of time. I have given my head a shake, and realize how unlikely that is.

I suspect that with much experience and a good dose of luck, one can achieve the result you desire.  I also think that a small change to even one variable:  exact size of cuts, moisture content of ingredients, ratio of one ingredient to another, # of servings, size of pan, oven size and type, etc, and it's all out the window.  

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46 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

I suspect that with much experience and a good dose of luck, one can achieve the result you desire.  I also think that a small change to even one variable:  exact size of cuts, moisture content of ingredients, ratio of one ingredient to another, # of servings, size of pan, oven size and type, etc, and it's all out the window.  

 

Yup.  I've never seen the point of one pan meals. So you wash another pan...big deal.

 

Food editors do love the concept though.

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Not exactly a sheet pan meal but one of my favorite things to do is a meatloaf meal. When I make a small meatloaf just big enough for the two of us, I put it in a large glass loaf pan. I put the meatloaf in one half and put parboiled potatoes and carrots shaken with oil and some type of seasoning mix in the other half. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes and you have a whole meal.

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39 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Yup.  I've never seen the point of one pan meals. So you wash another pan...big deal.

 

Food editors do love the concept though.

 

Oh yes. Back when Ninja's Digital Air Fry Oven came out, the company asked me to write a cookbook for it. Although it's called an air fry oven, it turned out that Ninja wanted all my recipes to be for the sheet pan that came with the oven, and they were mostly supposed to be one-pan meals (with some appetizer and dessert recipes as well). It was challenging, to say the least. 

 

I found that it was not difficult to get two main ingredients that cooked at about the same time -- salmon and asparagus, chicken thighs and potatoes, snow peas and shrimp -- it was much more difficult to get a protein, vegetable and starch that could all cook together. Fortunately for me, my editor considered two out of three to be a "complete meal" and also accepted things like sheet pan pizza and stuffed peppers.  And I was allowed to cook meals in stages as well, which helped. I think, considering the constraints, I did pretty well, but I really felt like I was jumping through hoops. 

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@JAZ 

 

thank your for your response .

 

thats very interesting 

 

Id like to update  my ref to Jamie Oliver :

 

it was the Naked Chef , series ! , which complemented his first cook book.

 

a number of his sisters friends , were coming over for dinner 

 

12 ?

 

Salmon and green beans , small tomatoes , leafy green stuff 

 

and anchovy filets over the tomato :

 

for review purposes :

 

JO1.thumb.jpg.2066315918e0c0071b3f1e260bcb4e6c.jpg

 

 

 

JO2.thumb.jpg.274e5348d954e08134cc8d1c60cc8589.jpg

 

the GB's were blanched , and the tomatoes , and ++ were added and mixed

 

then on the Baking Tray  ( very nice , I like that try  ! )

 

and plated :

 

JO3.thumb.jpg.9ee1890d32b85f5836043dc9cb2431b2.jpg

 

there was the sauce you see, and Foccatia like bread for starters .

 

so , this ep did not add items , from time to time .

 

but ie was , dans the pan , a dinner , that came out w little fuss.

 

 

Edited by rotuts (log)
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I do appreciate the ref to Pan Meals

 

I remembers J.O , as results above ,

 

this was , 1990's and before JO there was The River Cafe .

 

Ill go back and see more of these , as I have them on HardDrive :

 

the production histrionics are tolerable 

 

what I noticed ia a a few insights ,

 

I might have not known in 90's late :

 

the anchovies  from a can , placed over the GB/Tomato unit

 

' just let the anchovies melt , it just brings out the flavor in all the other things '

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Speaking of Jamie Oliver and one pan meals, his most recent book, One: Simple One Pan Wonders (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)was published in the UK in Sept and will be released in the US next month. 
He also came out with a 2-episode Christmas special, Jamie's One-Pan Christmas or Jamie's Easy Christmas, depending where you are. From what I can tell, it’s available to watch on CTV in Canada and via BritBox in the US. A friend of mine watched and made a clementine roast duck and noodle dish and a filo veggie pie and said they were quite good. The recipes are available here on his website

It seems some in the UK were less enthusiastic: 'He hasn't read the room!' Viewers slam Jamie's Easy Christmas as chef uses 'expensive' ingredients to cook festive dishes which take 'hours in the oven' amidst cost-of-living crisis

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27 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Speaking of Jamie Oliver and one pan meals, his most recent book, One: Simple One Pan Wonders (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)was published in the UK in Sept and will be released in the US next month. 
He also came out with a 2-episode Christmas special, Jamie's One-Pan Christmas or Jamie's Easy Christmas, depending where you are. From what I can tell, it’s available to watch on CTV in Canada and via BritBox in the US. A friend of mine watched and made a clementine roast duck and noodle dish and a filo veggie pie and said they were quite good. The recipes are available here on his website

It seems some in the UK were less enthusiastic: 'He hasn't read the room!' Viewers slam Jamie's Easy Christmas as chef uses 'expensive' ingredients to cook festive dishes which take 'hours in the oven' amidst cost-of-living crisis

 

Complaining about a cookbook. Sheesh

Anything to generate clicks.

Edited by gfweb (log)
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Im a JO fan

 

back to River Cafe.

 

Ive seen hisrecen work

 

through the pndmic

 

at his own home., w an iPhone.

 

he does certainly  things now

 

and the theater is different.

 

but what ive seen

 

would work very well

 

if you hd the ingredients 

 

 

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Personally find it an artifact of creating a new buzz trend in media. Like all the "x" number of ingredients, "easy quick". Irks me. Use 2 different pans and "solved". I like some things roasted and sheet pans provide a nice open space (avoids steam effect). I have had 3 sturdy full size for years. Line with foil, then parchment. Minimal clean up - as in bin the paper and or foil, naybe a quick wipe - done. They have "patina" but when using oven - often in use.

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D3F6A294-9780-4C71-91F2-19CF1B5FD675.thumb.jpeg.1fac032f834346138b4d1d2af9fdba93.jpeg

 

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My first attempt this time around. Potatoes, brussels sprouts, and a pork chop. Not perfect to me. Everything was just a little over cooked but I did it. I had a meal that was something beyond reheated pizza. There is leftover pork and a small sheet pan that will need just a rinse after I remove the foil. I will continue to pursue this method of cooking to see if I can introduce a bit more variety into my meals.

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Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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3 hours ago, Anna N said:


 

 

D3F6A294-9780-4C71-91F2-19CF1B5FD675.thumb.jpeg.1fac032f834346138b4d1d2af9fdba93.jpeg

 

E45009FF-0FF0-4DD4-8C79-BE17E20642FB.thumb.jpeg.8afa01c4ee804c3284c6b3c06567a4d6.jpeg

 

My first attempt this time around. Potatoes, brussels sprouts, and a pork chop. Not perfect to me. Everything was just a little over cooked but I did it. I had a meal that was something beyond reheated pizza. There is leftover pork and a small sheet pan that will need just a rinse after I remove the foil. I will continue to pursue this method of cooking to see if I can introduce a bit more variety into my meals.

 

How does this compare with the A4 Box?

 

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Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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