Apr 27

Apr 27 Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Healthy sheet pan dinners

In my opinion, the only thing as easy as a crock pot and forget it recipe is a sheet pan dinner! I know we are all running out of great meal ideas that may are healthy, easy, and require few ingredients. Most sheet pan dinners, will include a protein, and one or two fresh vegetables, so you can take advantage of some fresh local produce and the recent abundance of fresh chicken. Often you can do the prep in the time it takes to pre heat the oven.

Remember local Farmers Markets and produce markets are exempt from the Governor’s order and are open and very happy to sell you some fresh produce. What a great way to get some fresh air!

Hope you will enjoy these recipes!!

Sheet Pan Chicken Fried Rice

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

1 15-ounce can peas and carrots, drained or 1 cup frozen/thawed peas and carrots

½ onion, diced

2 eggs, whisked

2 cups steamed white rice, or two packages of ready rice

3 tablespoons sesame oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

Finely chopped green onions

Grease a large baking sheet and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange chicken pieces on pan in a single layer so they aren’t overlapping and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 minutes.

Remove pan from oven; pour whisked eggs around the chicken pieces directly onto the pan. Return to oven for 3-5 minutes until egg is fully cooked. Use a fork or spatula to “scramble” the egg so that it breaks up into small pieces.

Add rice, peas and carrots and white onions to pan and toss all ingredients so they are evenly distributed.

Drizzle sesame oil and soy sauce over everything and toss again. Sprinkle green onions over the top.

Bake for five minutes longer. Chicken should be cooked through and rice should begin to brown on bottom of the pan.

Toss all ingredients one more time and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

3 bell peppers, seeded and sliced

1 yellow onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

5–6 tortillas

Salsa, avocado and cilantro, for serving

Preheat oven to 425°. Toss bell peppers and onion with garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Add to sheet pan and cook for 10-12 minutes.

While onions and peppers are cooking, toss shrimp with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, onion powder and salt.

Remove onions and peppers from oven, toss and push to one side of the baking sheet. Add shrimp to the other side of the sheet and return to the oven. Cook for another 10 minutes or until shrimp are no longer translucent and cooked through.

Serve shrimp and veggies in warm tortillas with salsa, avocado and cilantro on top.

I use a similar recipe, mixing the vegetables and lemon and a sprinkle of dried Italian dressing and olive oil. I cook the peppers for about 20 minutes and then add the shrimp, which I also mix with the sprinkle of dressing and olive oil.

Sheet Pan Turkey Kielbasa and Roasted Veggies

1 package turkey kielbasa, cut into slices

2 crowns broccoli, chopped into bite-size florets

2 sweet potatoes, chopped into bite-size chunks

1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil

Sriracha, for topping (optional)

Rice, quinoa or whole grain, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Chop everything and then toss your kielbasa, broccoli, sweet potato chunks, onion and garlic on the baking sheet.

Drizzle oil over sausage and veggie mixture, sprinkle on salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Place the baking sheet in the pre-heated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Toss the mixture using a spatula and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste and serve over cooked rice or quinoa with sriracha sauce, if using. Serves 4.

Sheet Pan Meatloaf Dinner

Cooking Spray

1 ½ lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3-1/2 inch cubes

¼ cup water

1/3 cup whole-wheat panko

1/3 cup grated yellow onion

1/3 cup ketchup, divided

¾ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

¾ teaspoon salt, divided

1 large garlic clove, finely grated

1 lb. 93% lean ground beef

1 large egg

2 ounces Colby Jack cheese diced

12 ounces green beans, trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

2/3 cup 1% low fat milk

1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a large piece of heavy-duty foil with cooking spray; place potatoes on foil. Drizzle potatoes with water; wrap foil around potatoes, sealing tightly. Place foil packet in one corner of a 13 x 18–inch half sheet pan. Coat rest of sheet pan with cooking spray.

Place panko, onion, 2½ tablespoons ketchup, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, garlic, beef, and egg in a large bowl; mix well to combine. Add cheese; mix to combine. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4 x 2½ –inch freeform loaf on sheet pan. Spread remaining 3 tablespoons ketchup evenly over meatloaves. Bake meatloaves and potatoes at 425°F for 15 minutes.

Combine green beans and oil, tossing to coat. Remove pan from oven. Arrange green beans on pan around meat loaves and potatoes. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes or until meatloaves register 165° on a thermometer. Remove pan from oven.

Carefully open foil packet. Place potatoes in a bowl. Add milk, butter, ⅜ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mash with a potato masher to desired consistency. Sprinkle remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper on green beans.