30-Minute Sheet Pan Dinners for Busy Weeknights

Whoever came up with the idea of sheet pan dinners, I owe you one! After a hard day’s work, you just want to unwind and relax. However, when you hear your stomach grumble and groaning, begging for you to feed it, you know that your reunion with your bed is going to be delayed. In the end, you are going to throw up your hands in the air, give up and open a packet of instant noodles (again!).

As much as we thank God for the creation of frozen food and instant noodles, you know deep down in your slowly (deteriorating) heart, that is not good for your body in the long run. That is when the idea of sheet pan dinners is born! Now, you no longer need to feel making dinner for yourself is a chore with these five sheet pan ideas to cook.

Sheet Pan Magic in 30 Minutes

1. Un-Stir-Fry 

Asians and stir-fry food cannot be separated but you know eating too much stir-fry food is not good and healthy. So, if you want to live long enough to see cars flying in the sky, this un-stir-fry sheet pan idea is the way for you to enjoy the dish without the extra oil and fats.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (vegetable, canola, or peanut)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup soy sauce, divided
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of lingam sauce
• 1 teaspoon of minced fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 450g of chicken breast (cut to bite-sized chunks)
• 1 cup of 1 red bell pepper, cut in 1/4″ wide strips
• 2 cups of cremini mushrooms, cut in 1/4″ thick slices
• 2 cups of snow peas, stems & strings removed
• 3-4 green onions, cut in 1/2″ pieces
• 2-3 carrots, cut diagonally in 1/8″ thick pieces
•  chopped green onions

Method

i. Brush oil evenly over surface of 13×18″ baking sheet; set aside. Preheat oven to 218 celcius.
ii. To prepare the sauce, stir together 1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce with cornstarch until dissolved and uniformly mixed. Add remaining soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, rice vinegar, Lingam’s sauce, ginger, and garlic; stir to combine. Set aside.
iii. Add in chicken breast into the sauce mixture; stir to combine. Set aside for 15 minutes.
iv. Scatter cut carrots, mushrooms, red pepper, snow peas, and onions in even layer on oiled sheet pan. If crispier snow peas are desired, wait and add them to the pan half way through baking time.
v. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring half way through. Remove from oven and toss again so that thickened sauce evenly coats the meat and veggies.

2. Chicken Lasagna

For those Italian lovers (when I say Italian lovers, I mean, love for Italian food) out there, you will sure love to know that you can actually enjoy a not so authentic Italian dinner in just 30 minutes. So, if you ever feel like binging on a plate of hearty lasagna while watching Lady and the Tramp’s spaghetti scene, this is the sheet pan dinner idea for you.

 

Ingredients

• instant pastry sheets
• 2 cups of grated mozarella
• 2 cups of grated parmesan
• 300g of ground chicken meat
• 379g @ 1 jar of Prego traditional sauce
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgins olive oil
• 1 Holland onion, sliced thinly
• 4 garlic, sliced thinly
• 1 green capsicum, diced
• 6 button mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 1 cup of diced carrots
• 1/2 tablespoon of blackpepper
• salt and sugar to season

3. Spicy Orange Shrimp & Vegetables

Sometimes, when you are too busy working, you do not have the time to actually buy groceries. So, whenever you forget to buy your dinner and you just realized you are hungry when you arrive home, that is when your creative juice flows and you learn to make do with whatever you have in the fridge. So, if you find yourself with a lot of leftover oranges and shrimp,why not try making this for dinner?

Ingredients

• 12 ounces large frozen shrimp, thawed and patted dry with paper towel
• 5 tablespoons orange juice
• 1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1-1/2 tablespoon chilli garlic sauce, divided
• 1-1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into rounds, seeds and membranes removed
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• Cooked rice to serve

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of the orange juice, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the chilli garlic sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar.
2. Whisk to combine, until the brown sugar dissolves. Add the shrimp to the bowl, and toss to coat with the mixture. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl add the red pepper and asparagus. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with the salt and black pepper. Toss to combine.
4. Add the shrimp and the vegetables, divided, to 2 baking sheets, in a single layer.
5. Place the baking sheets in the oven on broil for 4-5 minutes. Remove, and toss the vegetables and turn the shrimp.
6. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of orange juice and the remaining brown sugar to a small bowl and mix to combine. Brush the mixture over the tops of the shrimp.
7. Place under the broiler for another 4-5 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven. Mix the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of chili garlic sauce. Brush over the tops of the warm shrimp.
9. Serve the shrimp and vegetables with your favorite cooked rice.

4. Salty-Sweet-Spicy Tofu

To all vegetarians, this is one recipe that you must try! It is not just simple to do, it is also healthy and delicious to eat, like seriously delicious and not something you say to psyche yourself. Besides, you can now add another method of cooking tofu under your belt,

5. Baked Salmon With Lemon and Fresh Herbs

The final recipe listed in our sheet pan dinners list is the baked Salmon. This classic dish is the easiest go-to recipe for you to make if you happen to have guests over and you want to impress them with your above-than-average cooking skills.

Ingredients

• 2  salmon fillets
•  3 teaspoons of olive oil
• ground blackpepper
•  Salt, for seasoning
• Parsley
•  ¼ cup of lemon juice
•  Lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 pieces of garlic, chopped finely
• 2 tablespoon of lemon juice
• ¼ cup of whipped cream
• Blackpepper and white pepper for seasoning
• Chopped leek

Method

• Salmon Fillet

i. Clean the salmon fillet.
ii. Marinate the fillet with some salt, blackpepper and lemon zest.
iii. Heat the grilled pan. Add olive oil.
iv. Sear the skin of the fillet until crispy and turn it around.
v. Add in some lemon juice and parsley before setting it aside.

• Sauce

i. Heat pan and add in butter.
ii. Make sure the butter is not burn. Add in garlic and cook til fragrant.
iii. Later, add in lemon juice and whipped cream.
iv. Stir for awhile and add in chopped leek.
v. Add in salt & pepper to season.

No more sad weeknights eating instant noodles and takeouts! With these five sheet pan dinners, making dinner will not be a chore anymore. Try them, eat them and tell us what do you feel about these recipes in the comment section below.