All Hail the Sheet Pan!
By Triple P, August 22, 2015

You work full time. You have a busy social life. The laundry doesn’t get folded and the litter box doesn’t get scooped unless you do it. Plus, you have to stay caught up on House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. There are only so many hours in the day; when are we supposed to have time to cook, let alone make something healthy?

My friends, it is time to get more money out of those sheet pans living in darkness in the bottom drawer of your stove. Did you realize you can make an entire yummy, healthy dinner in less than an hour with one little ole sheet pan (or two if sharing or looking for leftovers)? Remember, you will need to allow extra time for marinating. Overall this is really easy, you get big flavor and will wonder why no one ever told you about this before now.

Basic Ingredients (amounts are approximate; use your judgment):

Chicken: 2-3 lbs chicken thighs (boneless or bone-in), drumsticks or split breasts

Potatoes: 2-3 lbs red or gold potatoes, cut into 1-2 inch chunks

Greens: Bunches of arugula, cilantro or any other green you like, to be thrown on top or used as a bed for the chicken and potatoes.

Aromatics: Leeks or green onions are a nice addition, but wait and add them in the middle of the roasting process so they don’t burn.

The first thing is to decide on a marinade. You can use a yogurt-based marinade with lots of spices for a South Asian or North African-inspired dish, or a marinade with a Sriracha or Dijon-mustard base. You could also use something as simple as olive oil, lemon and herbes de Provence. The marinating time can vary quite a bit, from an hour covered at room temperature to overnight in the fridge. So plan accordingly and just do it when you have time.

You can certainly use smaller amounts and fit your chicken and potatoes all on one sheet pan, provided it doesn’t crowd too much. (In some cases, you can even coat the potatoes in the same marinade as the chicken.) But my thinking is I’ve got two racks in the oven and two sheets pans, so I might as well maximize the bang for my time-buck and fill both pans.

Cooking Steps:

1. Marinate the chicken in advance.

2. Position the racks in your oven so they are both in the middle, one right on top of the other. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Yes, I said 425. It’s hot, but it works.

3. Get out two sheet pans, one for the chicken and one for the potatoes. Line the one for the chicken with foil for easier clean up. (You can line the one for the potatoes also, if you like, but it’s not really necessary.)

4. Sheet Pan No. 1 (Chicken): Spread your pieces of marinated chicken out on the pan, giving each piece as much room as possible.

5. Sheet Pan No. 2 (Potatoes): Cut up your potatoes into 1-2” chunks and spread them out in one layer. Season generously with salt and pepper, drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, and toss with your hands to coat. You can also add paprika, cumin, rosemary, or Italian seasoning, or whatever else you like.

6. Put the pan with the chicken on the top rack and the pan with the potatoes on the bottom rack and roast for 40-45 minutes. Adjust the time as needed to make sure your chicken is fully cooked.

7. If you are using aromatics (leeks, green onions, etc.), sprinkle them on one or both pans about 20 minutes into the cooking process.

8. When done, pull both pans out of the oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes. (I dare you not to sneak a potato!) Depending which marinade I’ve chosen, I like to serve the chicken and potatoes on beds of arugula, or sprinkle the whole thing with fresh cilantro or parsley, depending which flavors go best with the given dish.

9. You can also make a simple yogurt sauce to go with the greens, with maybe some garlic and lemon juice or even a touch of Sriracha.

Happy eating!!!!

Sources and recipe links:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/dining/springtime-sheet-pan-chicken.html

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017359-roasted-chicken-with-potatoes-arugula-and-garlic-yogurt

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/grilled-tandoori-chicken-sandwiches