One Pan Recipes by Reagan Greenwood

One Pan Recipes
By Reagan Greenwood

If you are anything like me, you are always craving something new for dinner; however, by the end of the work day, cooking just sounds like a chore and grocery shopping sounds even worse. After a long day at the office, the last thing I want to do is follow a long, complicated recipe that will take hours to cook and doesn’t include my several trips to the grocery store because I forgot a major ingredient.

I don’t have time for that type of complication, nor do I have the patience. So, if you can relate to this scenario at all, or maybe you’re just looking for some new recipes to try, let me introduce you to a couple of my favorite One Pan Dinners.
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One Pan Dinners are great because they are quick, easy, and typically don’t require a ton of ingredients. Vegetables can be substituted for almost anything, which really helps when expiration dates are approaching. But, perhaps the best thing about One Pan Dinners, is the fact that you only need one pan, which means less dishes to clean afterwards! Honestly, are you not sold yet?
 
One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables
Prep: 10 minutes (not including marinating time)      Cook: 20 minutes       Servings: 4
 
Ingredients:
1.25 pounds of chicken tenders/breasts
2 head of broccoli
1 cup of baby carrots
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes
6 tbs of balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of zesty Italian dressing
3 tbs of olive oil
1 tsp of Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
Fresh parsley, salt, and pepper (optional)
 
Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven at 400°F. Spray dish with nonstick spray, or line the dish with parchment paper.
2. Stir or whisk together the balsamic vinegar and Italian dressing.
3. Cut the chicken to desired size. If you are using breasts rather than tenders, I recommend cutting the breasts into 1/2 inch thick slices.
4. Place 1/3 cup of the balsamic and Italian mixture into a large bag along with the chicken. Make sure all the chicken is coated with the mixture then place the bag in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
5. Chop vegetables into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
6. Put the chopped broccoli, carrots, and cherry tomatoes in the prepped dish. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and add olive oil on top of the vegetables.
7. Pop the veggies into the oven and roast them for about 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Remove dish from oven and rotate 180 degrees. Separate the vegetables into halves and place the marinated chicken in the middle of the dish. Add 1/3 cup of the remaining balsamic vinegar and Italian mixture over the chicken.
9. Place the dish back in the oven and cook until the chicken is cooked through. This could take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness.
10. Remove dish from oven and prepare to serve. Parsley can be added on top and the remaining balsamic and Italian mixture can be used as a dipping sauce!

 
One Pan Honey Lemon Chicken
Prep: 5 minutes     Cook: 30 minutes        Servings: 4
 
Ingredients
Olive oil cooking spray
4 chicken breasts
1/3 cup of lemon juice
1/4 cup of honey
1 tbs soy sauce (optional)
2 tbs of parsley
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
Asparagus (can be substituted for green beans)
1 sliced lemon
 
Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking dish with foil or parchment paper and then spray it with nonstick cooking oil. Arrange chicken on sheet.
2. Add the lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and half of the parsley into a bowl and mix. Pour 3/4 of the mixture over the chicken. Arrange sliced lemons over the chicken. You can add extra seasoning if you prefer here.
3. Cover the dish with foil and place the dish in the oven until the chicken is cooked through. This should take around 20 minutes.
4. Remove the dish from the oven, uncover and then add the asparagus or green beans around the chicken breasts.
5. Pour the remaining honey lemon mixture and then return the dish to the oven still uncovered.
6. Broil the dish until the chicken in golden and the vegetables are cooked thoroughly. Sprinkle the remaining parsley on top to garnish.

 
Both of these dishes can be served over rice. I suggest starting out with little improvisation. After making each recipe once or twice though, feel free to adapt and adjust the ingredients to your own personal liking. I know I personally drizzle more honey over my chicken breasts in the last recipe because I prefer something a little sweeter. As for the balsamic chicken, I know many people who add in different vegetables, such as peas and corn.

These recipes are meant to be quick and easy, and they should help clean out the fridge as well as taste great.
 
Edited by Emily Chance