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When we have to cook dinner for several people, it can be a challenging finding enough pots and pans for all the food. That is why putting the whole dinner on one big sheet pan is a great solution. However, making a sheet pan dinner turn out right can be difficult if you aren't sure exactly how to do it. These tips and tricks for making any sheet pan dinner will make all the difference!

Tips And Tricks To Making Any Sheet Pan Dinner Include:

The Ingredients 

• When considering vegetables, think about all of your favorite in-season vegetables you’d typically roast. Depending where you live, this could mean parsnips, carrots, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, potatoes.

• Cut vegetables roughly the same size to ensure they cook evenly

• Consider including fruit. Apples, pears, figs, strawberries, peaches, plums all take well to roasting, too.

• Avoid cuts of meat that require braising such as pork shoulders, beef short ribs, or lamb shanks. Instead, consider bone-in, skin-on chicken legs or breasts , pork chops, loins or tenderloins,  flank steak, tenderloin, and sirloin tips, whole fish or filets. For vegetarian sources, consider tofu, tempeh, eggs, chickpeas, beans.

• At a minimum, toss everything with olive or other oil  salt, pepper.

Timing/Strategy:

Various ingredients cook at various rates. To avoid overcooked meats and undercooked vegetables, you may have to cook components separately at various points of the process.

Getting the timing right may take some trial and error.  Your first sheet pan supper creation may not be perfect but it will more than likely be edible. Next time, make adjustments.

Consider finishing with the broiler. If  you find yourself with a sheet pan of fully cooked but not-so-visually appealing elements, pop  pan under the broiler—in just three minutes or so, everything will look beautifully golden.

 Final Thoughts:

If you  consider a complete meal to be one that includes a protein, vegetable, and starch, strive to hit two of the three categories with your sheet pan concoction.
A sheet pan supper can be made under the broiler, too. Fish filets or thin cuts of steak such as skirt may cook as quickly as 5 – 7 minutes under the broiler. Consider broiling quick-cooking vegetables like asparagus, peppers, and cherry tomatoes.

For sheet pan pizza, it works best if you place  sheet pan on a preheated baking steel or pizza stone. The blast of heat from below helps create a crisper crust.

Consider preheating your sheet pan. A hot sheet pan will give the cooking process a jumpstart and encourage desirable browning.
Consider making a sauce. A fresh salsa, a sharp, herby vinaigrette, a gremolata, a balsamic reduction—each of these can be thrown together quickly, and  will enliven the dish.
Observe your oven, make adjustments accordingly.

These tips and tricks for making a perfect sheet pan dinner work make it turn out so well, you might want to make one all the time! Have you used these tips and tricks yet?

Let Us Know How They Worked Out!

Article & Photo Source: Food52