Ease of preparation is a big selling point for home cooks, which explains our love of slow cooker dinners and one-pot meals.

Today’s version of that quick and easy kitchen savior is the sheet pan supper: all the ingredients (protein, vegetables and starch) are placed together on a sturdy, rimmed baking sheet, put in the oven, and a short time later, dinner is served.

The technique has been turning up everywhere: New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark shared a recipe and video last February; Bon Appetit and Rachael Ray magazines featured sheet pan recipe spreads in recent months; and last fall, a new book came out, “Sheet Pan Suppers.”

Author Molly Gilbert credits the popularity of this quick, easy cooking method to a simple fact: “I don’t think a lot of people have time to cook.”

Gilbert adds: “You don’t have to use four pots. You don’t have to wash as many dishes. For busy people with families, it’s a no-brainer.”

There are a few things to remember:

A rimmed jellyroll pan or cookie sheet is not the same as a sturdy half sheet pan, which can be found at restaurant supply and kitchenware stores for as low as $8 apiece.

Line the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper to make cleanup a breeze.

Make sure all ingredients are a consistent size. You want potatoes and vegetables to be uniform, chicken breasts or pork chops to be the same thickness. Otherwise, you will be constantly checking to see if that larger piece of protein is finished cooking while the rest of the meal is burning ― I learned the hard way while testing these recipes.

Place ingredients in a single layer and don‘t crowd them. Air circulation is key to achieving perfectly roasted meats, caramelized vegetables and browned potatoes.

Roasted pork chops with green beans and potatoes

Adapted from the January/February issue of Rachael Ray magazine.

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Juice of 1 lemon, about 3 tablespoons

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 cloves garlic, grated or pasted

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 bone-in pork chops, about 1-inch thick

1 (8-ounce) bag trimmed French green beans or haricots verts

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into wedges

1 jarred roasted red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Mix 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, paprika and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add pork chops and turn to coat.

Toss green beans, potatoes and red pepper with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread in an even layer. Nestle pork chops among the vegetables.

Roast, turning the pork chops once, until the vegetables are tender and the chops are just cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings.

By Andrea Weigl
 
(The News & Observer) 

(Tribune Content Agency)