Do you cover sheet pan meals?

Sometimes, yes, sometimes no. If an ingredient is breaded, then definitely don’t cover the dish for baking - if you do, it will come out soggy. For this sheet pan chicken recipe, I cover it for baking so that the mushroom sauce doesn’t dry out. Follow your recipe!

How long to cook a sheet pan dinner?

It all depends on what you’re cooking, and at what temperature. I would plan on anywhere from 15 minutes for something like shrimp (or chopped boneless chicken) at 425 degrees, to 45 minutes for bone-in chicken at 350 degrees. Follow the instructions for your particular recipe.

What temperature do you cook a sheet pan meal in?

Again, it depends on what you’re cooking. I have some recipes (like this one) that I cook at 350 degrees, and others that I cook at 425 degrees. If I cooked this recipe at the higher temperature, the mushroom sauce would dry out before the chicken and vegetables were done.

Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

Scale

Mushroom Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (I like to use baby bella/cremini)
1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped garlic (around 2 cloves)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk (whole, 2% or skim)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons beef broth concentrate (I like Better than Bouillon brand)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste

Sheet Pan Chicken

1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
8 fingerling potatoes (around 2-inches in length)
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

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Instructions

Mushroom Sauce

In a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, add the butter and oil; cook until butter is melted and oil is hot. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic and cook until most of the mushroom moisture has evaporated, and the mushrooms and onion are beginning to turn a light golden brown. Reduce heat to low, sift in flour and continue cooking, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Whisk in the milk, wine, sage, beef broth concentrate and tomato paste. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside. (It will thicken as it sits, and that’s okay. Just stir it a time or two.)

Sheet Pan Chicken

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a half-sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.
If using chicken breasts, butterfly and halve larger pieces. Season chicken to taste with salt and pepper.
Arrange chicken pieces on prepared pan in one layer, smooth side up. Arrange carrots and potatoes around chicken. Stick thyme sprigs in and around all the ingredients. Spoon mushroom sauce over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Carrots and potatoes should also be tender. Remove thyme sprigs; sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Notes

Note on cook time: The thickness of your chicken pieces, not the carrots or potatoes, will determine how long you need to bake this dish.

Make ahead: mushroom sauce can be made up to 24 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated.

Author: Lee Clayton Roper
Category: Main dish, poultry, easy entertaining, sheet pan cooking