Sheet pan dinners are ideal for introducing kids to cooking.
• They don’t require the patience of sitting over the stove and stirring a sauce.
• They are super simple to prepare. Just chop, put everything in the oven and you’re done.
• Best of all, they are delicious!
I’ve written these recipes with kids in mind. Young children can help with gathering ingredients and tossing them in oil. Older children might be able to make these dishes all on their own! And busy adults can indulge in a healthy, yet simple meal.
Now that is something that we all could use in this busy holiday season!
Winter Sausage Bowl
This delicious sheet pan meal is served in a bowl with a drizzle of something flavourful. Feel free to use a vegan-friendly sausage alternative for a meatless meal!
2 large sweet potato
1 medium-sized head of cauliflower
1⁄4 cup of vegetable oil
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
1⁄2 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp black pepper, to taste
4 Italian sausages
Miso Sauce
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp miso
1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Peel the sweet potato and chop into bite-sized pieces. Chop the cauliflower into florets. Slice the onion in quarters. Finely dice the garlic.
3. Spread the vegetables out on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Pour the oil over the vegetables. Add the salt and pepper. Toss everything to mix well.
5. Cut each sausage into 4 pieces and place on the baking sheet. Wash your hands well.
6. Bake for 15 minutes.
7. Pull the sheet pan out of the oven and toss everything to combine. Bake for another 15 to 25 minutes, until everything is cooked through and browning.
8. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
9. Make the miso sauce by mixing the oil vinegar and miso in a small bowl. Use a fork to stir in the miso until it’s a smooth sauce.
10. Serve the baked vegetables and sausages in a bowl with a drizzle of miso sauce.
Nacho Hash
This recipe is a favourite with my kids. It’s like nachos, but instead of corn chips, we make a vegetable-packed hash.
3 large potatoes
2 sweet potatoes
5 mushrooms
1 green pepper
1 can of black beans
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1⁄4 cup of oil
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 cup of grated cheese
3⁄4 tsp salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Salsa, sour cream and guacamole, for serving.
1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.
2. Coarsely grate the potatoes, sweet potato and mushrooms. Finely dice the green pepper, onion and garlic.
3. Place the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil, toss to coat. Add in the chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir one more time to make sure that everything is well coated, then spread it out evenly on the baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir the hash to ensure even cooking.
5. Open the can of black beans and rinse. Spread the can of black beans over the hash. Top with the grated cheese.
6. Bake for another 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.
Oven Roasted Salad
This winter vegetable salad is a perfect holiday dish. The flavour of balsamic and rosemary really complements the winter vegetables. My kids love the crispy garlicky Brussels sprouts. Serve with bread for a complete vegetarian meal.
1 large acorn squash
1⁄4 cup of cooking oil
1 lb. Brussels sprouts
6 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary
1⁄2 tsp salt
1 can of chickpeas
Balsamic Dressing
1⁄4 cup of olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1⁄4 tsp salt
1. Preheat the oven to 400° F
2. Peel, slice and deseed the squash. Cut it into bite-sized pieces. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Coat with the cooking oil and pop it into the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
3. Trim off the bottom of the sprouts. Rinse, then slice them in half.
4. Finely dice the garlic.
5. Pull the squash out of the oven. Add the sprouts and toss to combine. Sprinkle on the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.
6. Place the pan back into the oven to bake for 15 to 25 minutes. It’s ready when the sprouts and squash are just starting to brown.
7. In the meantime, open the can of chickpeas and rinse.
8. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl with all the salad dressing ingredients.
9. When the vegetables are ready, add them to the salad bowl and toss to combine with the dressing.
10. This salad is delicious served warm or cold.
