Meal Prep Monday, Sheet Pan Edition 

There’s a reason sheet pan meals are so popular—just one pan to cook and clean up. Here are a few I’ve been loving and making lately.

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Meal Prep Monday – Sheet Pan Edition

You can make breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, pancakes, and pretty much anything on a sheet pan. It’s a great way to cook and serve.

A few tips for perfect sheet pan cooking

  • Position foods wisely, give them space, and allow room for the contents to spread out—overcrowding won’t let contents brown appropriately, so it’s better to use 2 pans
  • Prep foods with similar sizes—they will look and cook better when they’re uniform
  • Make sure everything is dry before cooking—wet foods will create steam, but we want it to brown or crisp
  • Line with parchment paper for an even easier clean up

Sheet Pan Salmon Delish over Rainbow Veggies

Inspired by the rainbow of veggies I had in my fridge, I decided to put all on a sheet pan and add some fresh salmon fillets (appx. 6 ounces each). You can use whatever veggies you have—the key is to keep the sizes consistent so it cooks evenly and all finishes at the same time. If you’re not a salmon lover, you can replace with a different fish or poultry of your choice.

Ingredients (Arrange in Color Order in One Direction):

  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers (orange and yellow)
  • Butternut squash (diced small)
  • Yellow squash
  • Green squash
  • Asparagus
  • Purple romesco
  • Purple shredded cabbage

Meal Prep—Directions

  • Slice a lemon in rounds and place 4 slices down the center
  • Place Salmon Fillets on top of each lemon running in the opposite direction of the veggies
  • Add a lemon slice on top of each fillet
  • Sprinkle sea salt and pepper over the entire tray generously
  • Add a few shakes of garlic powder
  • Spray with olive oil or avocado oil
  • Roast at 400 F for appx. 20 minutes till salmon is done and veggies are soft

(Note: This meal is also a great side dish with veggies alone)

Enjoy the rainbow!

Bountiful Sheet Pan Branzino

Meal Prep—Directions

  • Have 4 branzino fillets at a ready (with or without skin… ask your fishmonger to prepare to your preference)
  • Take whatever veggies you have on hand (I used leftover tomatoes and asparagus and romesco from the night before when I made the rainbow salmon) and place THEM ALL around a sheet pan lined in parchment paper
  • Leave room for fish in center area
  • Slice a lemon thinly and place one slice each above and below each filet
  • Grind fresh pepper on all of it and sprinkle salt and pepper all around the fish and vegetables
  • Spray or drizzle olive oil on top
  • Roast at 375 F for appx. 20 min

Winner, Winner Sheet Pan Teriyaki Chicken Dinner

Ingredients

  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 2 cups broccoli, chopped into florets
  • 2 carrots, sliced on the diagonal
  • 1 C snap peas (you can use any veggies you like, e.g. mushrooms, peppers, or green beans)
  • 3 T teriyaki sauce
  • 2 T tamari (or coconut aminos)
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 1 T sesame seeds (I use mix of white and black)

Meal PrepDirections

  • Place the chicken breast on the sheet pan surrounded by broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers
  • Mix together the coconut aminos and teriyaki sauce in a small bowl, then pour it evenly over the chicken and veggies
  • Bake at 375 F for appx. 30 min (until chicken is fully cooked, time varies depending on thickness; check on it; white meat will cook faster than dark; I prefer to leave the cutlets thicker to keep juicy)
  • Remove the pan from the oven and then sprinkle sesame seeds and scallions to serve

Tasty Sheet Pan Tofu with Tahini

Ingredients

  • 1 package extra firm tofu, drained, and pressed to get out as much water and possible
  • 2 Tbsp. Tamari (or soy or coconut aminos)
  • 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 3/4 Tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 box of pre-cut butternut squash (or appx. 4 C peeled seeded and cubed)
  • 1 bag of baby cauliflower
  • 1 can of chickpeas (be sure to rinse)
  • 1 small red onion sliced thin
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • A few grinds of black pepper

Meal Prep - Directions

  • Mix the tamari, syrup, and garlic in a large bowl
  • Add tofu to marinate
  • Preheat oven to 375
  • Add cauliflower squash chickpeas and onion to a sheet pan
  • Drizzle oil
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat
  • Add tofu to the pan and toss again
  • Cook for 30 minutes, shake the tray
  • Cook for another 20 min appx., till the tofu has browned, squash is soft, and chickpeas are crispy
  • Garnish with a Tbsp. of chopped parsley

Optional but I love: drizzle tahini sauce before serving (my favorite is from Tahini Goddess).

Shown here without but I added to my own plate before eating.

Sheet Pan Gnocchi

Ingredients

  • 1 bag of frozen gnocchi (I used cauliflower gnocchi and it worked great)
  • 1 container of cherry tomatoes (I like the ones in multicolor)
  • 1 red onion sliced thin
  • Zucchini sliced thin and in half (you can sub any veggie of choice here; would be great with asparagus, peppers)
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/2 Tsp. kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Meal Prep - Directions

  • Preheat oven to 450 F
  • Place gnocchi, veggies, and seasonings in a large bowl
  • Drizzle oil and toss to coat
  • Spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment
  • Roast in the oven till the veggies start to caramelize and the gnocchi crisp on the outside but are pillowy
  • Shook the pan once in the middle (not mandatory, but I prefer it)
  • Keep an eye on your oven (for me it took appx. 25 minutes)

Sheet Pan Cauliflower Rice

Inspired by The Balaboosta Chef

This might be my favorite way to prepare cauliflower rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 bag cauliflower rice
  • 1/2 c hemp seeds
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 3.4 T kosher salt
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced

Meal Prep - Directions

  • Preheat oven to 435 F convection
  • Mix it all up on a large sheet pan
  • Roast for 15 minutes, toss well and roast another 5 minutes before eating it right off the tray
  • I love to sometimes add egg to this at the end so it becomes a fried rice like dish just push the cauliflower rice aside making room for 1-2 whisked eggs
  • Let it cook through to done
  • Scramble and mix on the sheet pan once it’s finished

Something Sweet Off the Sheet

Ingredients

  • 3-4 (total) apples and pears; any variety

Meal Prep - Directions

  • Slice apples and pears thin
  • Lay out on parchment on a sheet pan
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon
  • Spray a little olive or avocado oil spray
  • Bake till soft / crispy… these can either come out like the inside of an apple dessert (thicker slices) or apple chips (thinner)

Here is my favorite parchment paper – the brand is – “If You Care” baking parchment paper, and Kitchen Caboodles sells great sheet pans that are white ceramic and oven to table.
Check out more interesting meal prep ideas here.

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