'Sheet Pan Suppers'

Many home cooks look for delicious meals that are also fast and easy to make. Larry Meiller talks with the author of a cookbook of recipes that are all prepared on a cookie sheet.

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Sheet Pan Suppers Are A New Twist On One-Pot Meals

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For many people, one of the first kitchen items either bought or inherited is a cookie sheet. Early uses likely include making cookies or the occasional frozen pizza. For some, that’s where it ends, but not for Molly Gilbert.

Gilbert is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and the author of “Sheet Pan Suppers: 120 Recipes for Simple, Surprising, Hands-Off Meals Straight from the Oven.” She also blogs at Dunkandcrumble.com.

For Gilbert, there is no easier way to make a meal. Even when ingredients might be added to the cookie sheet at different times, like in her recipe for Soy-Mustard Salmon & Broccoli, the streamlined cooking process allows the cook to get out of the kitchen and enjoy the company of family or guests.

“It’s like a riff off of a one-pot meal in that everything cooks together on one pan, but you can really go beyond a soup or a stew and get really crispy and juicy and delicious full meals,” she said.

In addition, Gilbert likes that a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil placed under the food makes for quick and easy clean-up.

Sheet pans, also called cookie sheets or rimmed baking pans, are a favorite for Gilbert not just because of the ease and efficiency, but for the depth of flavor that they allow for by baking, roasting and broiling.

“I think those methods really bring out the best flavor in a lot of foods. They really concentrate and intensify the flavors,” Gilbert said.

Science backs up Gilbert’s observations. Because the sides of the pan are so shallow, the oven’s dry, even heat draws the sugars out of ingredients so that the exterior is crispy and nicely browned, while the inside stays moist and tender.

“So you get a succulent chicken, syrupy fruit, crisp potatoes, and tomatoes that taste like dinnertime candy, all by tossing a few fresh things on a pan and then simply closing your oven door,” Gilbert explained in the introduction to “Sheet Pan Suppers.”

Most kitchens have at least one sheet pan in them already, but Gilbert does have some advice to keep in mind for a new purchase.

Aluminum or stainless steel versions will be more sturdy than some other types, Gilbert said, which can prevent warping in the oven. She personally is not a fan of the non-stick varieties because they will inevitably get scratched or the finish will wear off in time. Then there is the concern of those chemicals leaching into the food, she said.

Gilbert provides recipes for all types of meals and dishes in “Sheet Pan Suppers,” like Baked Brie & Berries as an appetizer, Quick Chicken & Baby Broccoli with Spicy Peanut Sauce for a main dish, and a gorgeous Apple Galette for dessert.

Molly’s Grandpa Gene called in to ask about one of his favorite recipes. You can listen to their conversation here.