5 Healthy Sheet Pan Dinners You Can Make Any Night of the Week

by Autumn Jones

Whether you're pressed for time or looking to feed a crowd (or both!), healthy sheet pan dinners are the easiest route to a home-cooked meal that doesn't sacrifice nutrition. Besides leaving only one dish to clean, preparing sheet pan dinners can also lighten the cooking load throughout the week.

Meal prepping with healthy sheet pan dinners can do wonders for both your health and your wallet. As Harvard Health points out, the potential benefits of meal prepping include portion control, a more balanced diet, and saving money, time, and stress.

Get a jump start on this week's menu with these five healthy sheet pan dinners you can make any night.

Salmon, Brussels Sprouts, and Sweet Potatoes

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts, cut in half

• 3-4 sweet potatoes, cut into half-inch cubes

• 2 lbs salmon fillet

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Juice of half a lemon

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

• Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Toss the Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes in olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and then spread them evenly on the sheet pan. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, pour lemon juice over the salmon fillet and top it with the chopped dill.

After the time is up for the vegetables, remove the pan from your oven and place the salmon on top of the Brussels sprouts and potatoes. Return the pan to the oven and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes.

Mexican Medley

• 1 lb chicken tenderloin strips

• 1 lb steak strips

• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil

• Juice of one lime

• Mexican spice blend or taco seasoning to taste

Heat oven to 425 degrees and spray sheet with cooking spray.

In a bowl, toss the meat and vegetables with oil, lime juice, and seasoning and then spread out all the ingredients evenly across the sheet pan. Bake the sheet contents in an oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through completely.

Once you have these basics prepared, you can use them as the filling for burritos or tacos with any other fixings you prefer. This combo also works well on a scoop of rice or on top of a bed of lettuce.

Roast Pork With Veggies

• 1 lb pork tenderloin

• 2 bags of pre-cut broccoli and cauliflower mixture

• 1/8 cup low sodium soy sauce

• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup

• 2 tbsp yellow mustard

• Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Heat your oven to 425 degrees and spray a sheet pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add pork to the mixture, coat well, and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, season the broccoli and cauliflower with salt and pepper and spread them evenly across the pan. Be sure to leave enough room for the pork.

After your meat has marinated, remove it from the bowl and place it on the sheet pan with veggies. Bake the pan contents in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the tenderloin reads 155 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Veggie Lover

• 1 head of broccoli, chopped and separated

• 2 large zucchini, cut into half-inch wedges

• 1 jar (6.5 oz) of marinated artichoke hearts

• 1 small red onion

• 1 bundle of asparagus with ends cut off

• 1 can (14.5 oz) of chickpeas

Heat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare a sheet pan with cooking spray.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix them until they are coated with the liquid marinade from the jar of artichoke hearts. Spread the veggies out on your pan and roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Toss this savory mixture in with pasta, quinoa, rice, or farro for a simple vegetable-forward meal. You could also stuff the mixture into a pita and sprinkle with feta cheese for an easy lunch on the go.

Basic Chicken

• 6 bone-in chicken thighs

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp dried rosemary

• 3/4 tsp pepper

• 1/2 tsp paprika

Heat your oven to 425 degrees and prepare a sheet pan with cooking spray.

Combine the seasonings. Arrange the chicken on the pan and then sprinkle it with the seasoning mixture. Cook in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the chicken reads between 170 and 175 degrees.

Roast chicken goes a long way! Use this as a stand-alone entree or for salads, sandwiches, bowls, quesadillas, soups, or pasta dishes throughout the week.

With these simple recipes, you'll have less prep and clean up, and more time for what matters most: family. According to The Washington Post, sitting down as a family for dinner can boost brain power, improve mood, lower stress, and build trust between adults and kids — just another reason to pull out the sheet pan and get cooking!