Sheet Pan Dinners are Easy to Make and Clean Up

If you are on social media, you are likely familiar with popular cooking trends such as simple sheet pan dinners, and the viral baked feta dish that really took off recently. I personally love sheet pan dinners because everything cooks at once in the oven, and there are very few dishes to clean. 

One of my favorites is a dish consisting of bone-in chicken quarters with vegetables such as green beans, parsnips, carrots and radishes, though you can adapt this recipe to any vegetables that are currently in season. I also prefer to purchase a whole chicken and butcher it myself. Not only does it not take a lot of time, but you'll save money and have additional pieces to use in other recipes. If you aren't comfortable breaking down a chicken, join us for our virtual Building Block class on Chicken Butchery and Cooking on Saturday, May 22 at 10am CST. It's just one of nine classes that will take you from a beginner level home cook to advanced! 

For equipment, all you need is a couple of sheet trays, either half or quarter sheet trays. I used the quarter sheet trays for this recipe, since I have a pretty small oven. What I love about this particular recipe is that you can make it your own, change the vegetables you want to roast, and use different cuts of chicken. A few things to keep in mind:

• Roasting means you are using a high temperature of usually about 400 degrees.
• When using carrots and parsnips, I cut them into medium sticks, and place them together with the green beans and radishes, so that they roast evenly. If you cut the vegetables too small, you run the risk of overcooking them because they will cook at a faster rate.
• Choose medium sized radishes and just cut them in half.

Now to the chicken. I marinated the chicken in buttermilk for a couple of hours. Depending on the sizes of the pieces, you don't necessarily need to marinate them overnight. Be sure to season them with salt and pepper once you remove them from the marinade. 

Be sure to space the racks out in your oven. I used the middle rack for the chicken and the upper one for the vegetables. Using parchment or a Silpat on your sheet trays is a good idea, because they make the sheet trays easy to clean up.

Let's talk about meat doneness. Once the chicken pieces are brown and firm to the touch, use a meat thermometer. You are looking for a temperature of 165 degrees for dark meat and closer to 155 degrees for white meat.  

You know whether your oven has any flaws, and if so, you may want to rotate your trays halfway through the cooking process, so that everything is cooking evenly. Keep in mind the vegetables might be done a bit sooner than the chicken, so be sure to keep an eye on your everything. I served this chicken and vegetable dish with The Chopping Block's horseradish whipped potato recipe because it makes a great pairing.  

Roasted Buttermilk Chicken with Vegetables

Scroll down for a printable version of this recipe

Serves: 2

Active time: 20 minutes 

Start to finish: 45 minutes 

Inactive time: 4-6 hours

For the chicken:

4 pieces bone-in chicken, 2 thighs and two legs 

2 cups buttermilk 

Salt and pepper to taste 

2 Tablespoons olive oil to drizzle on the chicken 

For the vegetables: 

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into medium size planks

1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into medium size planks

8 oz of French green beans 

1 medium sized red onion, cut into quarters

1 bunch of radishes, leaves removed 

Salt and pepper to taste

Grapeseed oil to drizzle 

1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, place in a bowl and cover with the buttermilk. You can also use a Ziploc bag to marinate the chicken in. 
2. Marinate the chicken for about 4-6 hours in your refrigerator.
3. While the chicken is marinating, prepare the vegetables and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
4. Peel the carrot and parsnip, cut into planks, and cut the radishes in half, if they are large.
5. Prepare the sheet trays with parchment paper or use your Silpat. 
6. Place the vegetables on the sheet tray, making sure not to overcrowd the tray. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the grapeseed oil.
7. Once the chicken is marinated, place on the sheet tray, season with salt and pepper, and lightly drizzle with the olive oil. 
8. Roast the chicken pieces for about 25 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer; the ideal temperature is 165 degrees. Your vegetables will be done at this time, too.
9. Serve right away. 

Horseradish Whipped Potatoes

Yield: 4 servings

Active time: 15 minutes

Start to finish: 40 minutes

2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in half or quartered, depending on the size

6 cloves garlic, peeled

1 Tablespoon sea salt

4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

1/2 to 1 cup whole milk, heated

2 Tablespoons fresh chives, minced

1 to 2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish

TCB fine sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the potatoes and garlic cloves in a large pot with the 1 Tablespoon of salt. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. 
3. Drain the potatoes thoroughly, and return them to the pot. Cook over low heat to evaporate any excess water, 2 to 3 minutes. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or pass them through a food mill for a smoother consistency.
4. Add the butter and mix until incorporated. Add the warm milk a little bit at a time, stirring with a spoon, until the desired texture is reached.
5. Stir in the chives, and season to taste with horseradish, salt and pepper.

For more ideas on making chicken into delicious dinners, join us for The Chopping Block's virtual Sunday Dinner: Arroz con Pollo class on Sunday, May 2 at 4pm CST. You'll learn to make:

• Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)
• Hearts of Palm and Avocado Salad

And if you are ready to join us for a fun, safe, in-person class, join us for French Bistro Demo on Friday, May 7 at 6:30pm at Lincoln Square. You'll enjoy:

• Mixed Green, Hazelnut and Goat Cheese Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
• Forty-Clove Garlic Braised Chicken Thighs
• Truffle Mashed Potatoes
• Profiteroles with Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce