Sheet pan dinner ideas that keep cleanup simple

Sheet pans are weeknight gold: chop, toss, roast, done. The secret is mixing ingredients that cook at similar speeds or staggering them so nothing dries out. Line the pan with parchment when you want easy cleanup; go bare when you want deep browning.

Lemon-herb chicken with potatoes and green beans

Toss small potatoes with olive oil and salt; roast 15 minutes. Add chicken thighs rubbed with lemon zest, garlic, and Italian herbs, plus green beans tossed with oil. Finish roasting until the chicken is juicy and the beans blister.

Squeeze fresh lemon over everything and add a few curls of Parmesan. The acid and salty cheese make it taste like more work than it was.

Sausage, peppers, and onions with crusty bread

Slice bell peppers and red onions, toss with oil, oregano, and a pinch of chili flakes. Add sliced Italian sausage links and roast until edges char.

Serve with toasted baguette and a swipe of mustard. If you’ve got provolone, melt a slice over the sausage at the end for sandwich night without a stovetop mess.

Maple-mustard salmon with roasted carrots

Roast carrot sticks with olive oil and salt until just tender. Push them to one side and lay salmon fillets on the pan; brush with a quick maple-mustard mix. Roast until the salmon flakes.

Finish with chopped dill or parsley. A lemon wedge on the plate keeps it bright and cuts the sweetness.

BBQ chicken flatbreads with red onion and jalapeño

Warm naan on a pan, top with shredded chicken tossed in barbecue sauce, thin red onion, and sliced jalapeño. Bake until edges crisp and cheese (if using) melts.

Shower with cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Dinner in ten, and the pan basically wipes clean.

Smoky chickpea and cauliflower crunch bowls

Toss cauliflower florets and canned, well-dried chickpeas with olive oil, smoked paprika, and cumin. Roast until deeply browned and crisp.

Serve over rice with a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of hot honey. It’s filling, plant-forward, and holds well for second helpings.

Pesto shrimp with tomatoes and asparagus

Spread cherry tomatoes and asparagus on a pan, oil and salt, roast five minutes. Add shrimp tossed with pesto and roast just until pink.

Stir everything together on the pan so the tomato juices mix with pesto. Spoon over couscous, pasta, or the quick-grain pouch you kept on standby.

Nacho night without the skillet

Scatter tortilla chips, top with seasoned ground beef or black beans, corn, and cheese. Bake just to melt, then add pico, avocado, and sour cream.

Line the pan with foil and lift the whole thing to the table. Cleanup is a crumple and toss.