Whether you’re short on time or simply looking to streamline your cooking process, sheet pan recipes are the answer you’re looking for!
A sheet pan recipe keeps the vast majority of the cooking on one pan. It keeps things quick, organized, and mess-free when preparing meals. That way, you don’t have 5+ pots and pans to clean after making your meal, and you can multitask while your food is in the oven!
I especially love using sheet pan meals when I don’t have much time to prepare dinner. I also use them when I’m looking to prep a few items that I can quickly grab throughout the week.
Let’s walk through what constitutes a sheet pan meal, as well as 4 of my favorite recipes!
Using the Foundational Five to Create Balanced Sheet Pan Recipes
A balanced sheet pan recipe has all the components we need to feel satiated, satisfied, and energized after eating. Cue the Foundational Five!
In case you’re new to the NS Community and the Mindful Nutrition Method, the Foundational Five system is part of how we teach you to build balanced meals. It makes it easy for you to give your body the nourishment you need while having the flexibility to enjoy the foods you love without stressing about food.
The Foundational Five is made up of five elements of nutrition including Protein, Fat, Non-starchy Carbohydrates, Starchy & Sugary Carbohydrates, and the Flavor Factor (which brings vibrancy, deliciousness, and enjoyment to your meals).
You can download our free guide that walks you through our Foundational Five system for creating balanced meals that you can use to meal prep or cook fresh this week!
4 Balanced Sheet Pan Recipes You Have To Try
Below you’ll find 4 of my favorite sheet pan recipes. These are tried and true recipes that you can either have alone or mixed in with other dishes to add some volume and variety.
If you’re looking for convenience and trying to save time, aim for the recipes that are fully sheet-pan ready. If you’re looking for an easy, streamlined way to add some variety to your meals, aim for the recipes that can be added to other meals or bowls.
The key here is to have some fun!
Maple Miso Glazed Salmon
If you’re a fan of salmon and are looking for a fun new way to make it, this recipe is for you! The maple miso glaze has a delicious, sweet, umami flavor that adds so much complexity and excitement to the meal. Once the salmon and carrots are prepped, all you have to do is toss them onto the sheet pan and they’ll be ready in no time!
Fall Grain Nourish Bowl
Who doesn’t love a good nourish bowl recipe? The only ingredient you won’t be cooking on the sheet pan is the quinoa. One of my favorite ways to streamline this recipe is to use quinoa that I’ve already prepped with my Meal Component Prepping Method earlier in the week. That way, all you have to worry about is what’s going in the oven!
With that said, you always have the option to simply make the quinoa while the other ingredients are roasting. Whatever works best for you and your timeline!
Tahini Miso Covered Cauliflower Steaks
Tahini and miso are a deliciously flavorful combination! The sauce on these cauliflower steaks gives you a boost of protein and fat, while the steaks themselves are a great source of non-starchy carbohydrates. In order to give you that last starchy carbohydrate component we’re looking for to make it a balanced recipe, you can always toss these over a grain of choice, or maybe even have some roasted sweet potato alongside them.
This is one of my favorite sheet pan recipes to make when I’m meal prepping. They’re just so flexible! Plus, they’re super easy to reheat and reuse throughout the week.
The Best Cooked Tofu
If you haven’t already tried this sheet pan recipe, you have to give it a try. It’s the best way to quickly make tofu that’s actually delicious! You can have it as a meal component alongside any other meal that you’ve pre-prepped, and you can toss it into a salad or grain bowl!
Similar to the cauliflower steaks, I really like making this sheet pan recipe ahead of time to save me some time in the kitchen during a busy week. The recipe is just so easy to make, and it’s a flexible one, too so you can really do whatever you want with it!
Do You Want To Start Experiencing More Balance With Your Eating Habits Today?
Discover the simple yet effective tools you can start using at your next meal to experience more balance with your food choices today, plus the steps to maintain balanced eating habits for life.
Be sure to download our free balanced eating guide that brings you through the Foundational Five so you understand not only what components you need, but also why they’re important for your health and why this way of eating is helpful for creating balanced eating habits.