Putting together a well-balanced meal doesn’t have to be hard – but it can be tricky to coordinate, from a timing perspective. You could cook your protein of choice on top of the stove – sauté it or pan fry; boil potatoes – then mash them and prepare your veg in whatever manner you choose – steam it, boil it, roast it…you get my point. Lots of decisions to make – all needing different vessels, different cooking times and methods.
But what if it all went on ONE pan, in the oven and is done all at the same time? That’s the beauty of the Tray Bake idea.
Like many of my recipes though, this is blank canvas. Choose whatever protein you like – chicken, beef, pork, fish – or leave it out! The veg and carb choice – if you even want one – is again, totally up to you!
I have to confess – I did do a little cheating though. For the red potatoes, I par boiled them for five minutes, just to get them jump started…I can’t stand tough potatoes. And if you roast them in the over from raw, they’ll definitely take longer than your other components. By doing this little extra step (and it’s quick, I promise), you’ll have an easy dash to your dinner finish line!
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
1 head of broccoli – cut into florets
5-6 small to medium sized red potatoes, diced with their skins on
Nonstick cooking spray
3 tbs Tajin
3 tbs ground garlic powder
3 tbs ground onion powder
3 tsp kosher salt, divided
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (if you have it) – or waxed paper or a silicon mat. If you have none – be sure to spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
Dice the chicken, set aside. Dice the broccoli, set aside. Dice the potatoes and place in a medium sized pot and cover with enough water just to cover. Add a tsp of kosher salt. Cook on high heat until a rapid boil. Turn down to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
Mix your spices (including 2 remaining tsp of kosher salt) in a small bowl.
Add the chicken to the baking sheet and spray with nonstick baking spray. Sprinkle about 1/3 of your spice mix on chicken. Toss until covered. Arrange the chicken on about 1/3 of the baking sheet – trying to ensure no overlap with each other.
Next, add the broccoli and potatoes to the baking sheet. Use the remaining 2/3 space. Spray with nonstick baking spray. Toss both with the remaining spice mixture and toss until all evenly coated. Again, try to arrange such that all are in an even layer.
Bake for 25 minutes.
When out of the oven, juice the lemon over the broccoli. Serve all together in bowls or on a plate.
You’ll notice the proportions or more veg than protein – but of course, you can play with that to your liking. And this recipe easily increases or decreases depending on the number of mouths to feed! If necessary, do two baking sheets! You may want to increase the cooking time by 7-10 minutes and swap the trays from one level to the other midway through.
A great day for me is preparing great meals for friends and family. I enjoy experimenting with new ingredients and also updating classics that I've enjoyed for years. I love to travel and try lots of new cuisines - and wouldn't be anything without the love of my family!
