It’s quick to put together, extremely customizable, and so simple that I was a little hesitant to write a recipe for it. Still, I’m sure many people don’t already have this meal in their pocket for dinner and would like to add it to their repertoire.
Get the recipe: Chicken and vegetables on a plate for one person
And, taking inspiration from what readers want, this recipe is designed to serve just one person. (Of course, it can easily be expanded to feed more people – it’s perfect for a low-height dinner party – or so you have leftovers for future meals.)
Here’s how to prepare chicken and vegetables on a sheet pan.
It all starts, of course, with a baking sheet. The quart size is perfect for this one-person recipe, but any size pan with a rim will do as long as the chicken and vegetables can fit in a single layer. I prefer to cover it with parchment paper for easy cleanup later, but you can leave it out if you don’t have any or are trying to reduce waste.
For chicken, dark meat (drumsticks, thighs and leg quarters) is always my favorite because it is more flavorful than white meat and is less likely to dry out. However, you can use skin-on, bone-in chicken wings or breasts if you prefer, but you will need to monitor them more closely to check for doneness. You can even use a mixture of chicken pieces or a whole bird cooked with a spatula.
As for vegetables, to make things easier, choose those that can withstand the cooking time needed for the chicken so that everything can go in at the same time. That means sticking to cruciferous and root vegetables — like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, parsnips and sweet potatoes — and bite-sized winter squash.
The spices you choose to season everything with are the ones you can really have fun with. For this recipe, I opted for salt, pepper, garlic powder, ground cumin and oregano. (I’m including measurements here so you can easily replicate it, but when I make it myself, I sprinkle and shake the jars of spices until my instincts say, “That’s enough.”) D Other fun options include a Cajun or Creole seasoning blend, garam masala, and ras el hanout. Open your spice cabinet or drawer and let your imagination run wild!
Toss everything together directly on the baking sheet – with a little oil – to avoid dirtying another dish, before roasting it in a 400 degree oven until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender and may have picked up a little. carbonize. Finally, place it under the grill if the chicken is not browned to your liking, then finish it with a squeeze of lemon to make everything sing.
What’s your favorite dinner when you don’t want to have to think about what to cook? Let me know in the comments.
Get the recipe: Chicken and vegetables on a plate for one person
