This sheet pan meal is from the Skinnytaste One & Done cookbook.
Gina has so many solid recipes in that book which have turned into family faves. I am a big fan of all in one recipes. Sure, in a perfect world, I would have the time to make a few different things, but 2020 is so far off from the perfect world that it is laughable. So, in the real world that we are currently operating in, sheet pan meals are clutch.
I used thighs which I over-ordered on WF/amazon because I had a brain malfunction and couldn’t estimate weight properly. No worries, because that’s what freezers are for.
The marinade for this is really what makes the dish. And if you think your kids won’t go for Indian spiced things, think again because they were all up in this garam masala sauce.
The cooling yogurt is the perfect accompaniment.
Of course, my family’s portion sizes are not the “average” portion size so I had to roast an entire extra sheet pan of veggies, but that’s par for the course. If there’s a sauce or dressing in a recipe, I always double it. And if a recipe says it will serve four, it means it will serve two of us. Double it all!
I served the chicken and veggies with rice, even though the recipe doesn’t offer a carb idea for the meal. I suppose that makes it a bit more involved than just a sheet pan, but the rice cooker is so hands-off, I barely consider it cooking. It’s easily the most used appliance in the whole house considering I use it daily. I bet I’ve used the rice cooker over 3000 times in the 10 years we have had it. Probably more, because some days I use it more than once.
Lentils, beans, grains – it does it all!
But back to this meal. Buy the cookbook, it’s great. Each chapter takes on a different cooking method – slow cooker, pressure cooker, sheet pan, skillet, dutch oven, etc. It even has a chapter for the air fryer (which is where I get most of my inspiration because that’s the one appliance I’m still trying to figure out!). I tend to forget about it, but then every time I use it I think how easy it is and how I should use it more.
Just last week, I made breaded chicken in the air fryer and it came out PERFECTLY.
The air fryer is especially great on hot summer days when you don’t want to turn on the oven, although truth be told it’s not the most quiet thing to run. Good thing it’s fast.
Anyway, I chopped up some breast meat and then breaded it in a combo of corn meal, spelt flour, salt and pepper. I was too lazy to bother with an egg wash and it turned out great, so let’s all do a cheers to minimizing the dirty dishes.
I served slaw and (leftover) homemade focaccia on the side and everyone loved it.
The best part, though, was that I made a ton of extras so that I’d have leftovers for lunches that week and boy was that a good decision.
I made a big salad, too, which I paired them with every day. It lasted for a few meals!
Bagged salad mixes have been a game changer during covid. It allows me to get produce for a whole meal without having to overanalyze what I will need and hope that the CSA or whatever delivery service brings me all the items I need for that particular meal.
It was so frustrating opening my imperfect order and seeing they were out of broccoli and thinking there goes my stir fry! Or my cilantro, which seems to make it’s way into nearly every salad I make these days. Cilantro is the most universal herb! Mexican, Asian, it does it all!
So there you have it. My unpaid advertising pitch for rice cookers, bagged salads, and the skinnytaste cookbook.
