By Patrice Powers-Barker, OSU Extension, Lucas County
The Truth Contributor
Build your own sheet pan meal for taste and ease. These can be made in an oven or large toaster oven (if it’s large enough for a small sheet pan). Once the ingredients are chosen and prepped by cutting into similar size pieces, it only takes a few minutes to pull together and then it takes approximately 35 – 60 minutes to bake depending on the ingredients.
Eat Smart, Move More suggests these basic steps for a Build Your Own Sheet Pan Meal. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pick a protein like chicken, sausage, beef, etc. Depending on the type of meat, you will need to use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. Looking for non-meat options? Sheet pan meals can also be made with protein like beans or tofu cut into cubes.
- Choose your vegetables. Different vegetables have different textures and firmness so you will want to cut solid vegetables like carrots or potatoes into smaller cubes. Other vegetables like broccoli or onions can be cut in larger pieces as they aren’t as hard and don’t take as long to roast.
- Drizzle all of the ingredients with olive oil
- Pick seasonings to add like garlic, herbs, pepper, and a small amount of salt.
Bake in the oven for approximately 35 – 55 minutes. The timing depends on what ingredients you are cooking. Check meat with a meat thermometer to make sure it’s cooked to a safe level but not overcooked. With this type of cooking, the vegetables might almost look as if they’re starting to burn with dark brown edges. This is different than burning – this is the vegetable caramelizing in the oven and it will make it taste delicious!
An alternative to using one large sheet pan is to use two or three smaller ones and split up the ingredients of similar type and size to cook them at different lengths of time. For example, use one sheet pan for the protein and seasonings and another for all the vegetables. This way, if one is done cooking before the other, pull that sheet pan out and continue to cook the other ingredients. This recipe for root vegetables (all grow underground!) is adapted from the community gardener’s cookbook, From Asparagus to Zucchini
Roasted Root Vegetables, Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds of different root vegetables (like carrots, beets, turnips, potatoes, parsnips, onions, etc)
- 3 Tablespoons oil
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (like rosemary, oregano and sage) or use dried herbs but less
- 5 garlic cloves, minced (or sprinkle with garlic powder)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Scrub vegetables under running water, cut off tops and root ends. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Toss vegetables with oil and spread on a baking sheet.
- Roast for 15 minutes.
- Stir vegetables, turn heat down to 375 degrees and continue to roast another 10 minutes.
- Add fresh herbs and garlic, stir again and cook until vegetables are soft when pierced with a knife. (about 15 – 30 minutes)
The best thing about these make your own options is that you can choose what you already have on hand, what you prefer to eat, and how you prefer to purchase the items. You can make choices that help you with saving money or time or planning a specific meal such as a low-sodium option.
In order to save money, it is usually the best price to buy the basic ingredients like carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, as fresh and in their own bag. You will need to peel some of the vegetables and wash all of them. This preparation takes a little more time compared to “packets” of vegetables that are already peeled and chopped like you might find in the freezer section or even in the fresh food section as “ready to cook” ingredients.
If you are short on time, check out the options of prepared ingredients. Often, these will cost more for the amount but it might be the right amount and price to help you save time in order to enjoy the final meal. Also, this does not necessarily save on cost but to help you save time with clean up, some people line the sheet pan with foil before adding the ingredients. Then clean up includes throwing away the foil and a quicker washing of the sheet pan.
If you are following a specific diet such as low-sodium, be sure to check the prepared items to see if they have added salt. The advantage of making your own recipe with individual ingredients is that you can choose to add herbs, garlic and onions for flavor and not add extra hidden salt. It is not uncommon for frozen bags of ingredients to have added sauces and flavors. Check to make sure it fits your nutrition goals.
Wishing you comfort, enjoyment, and good foods this new year!