The Ultimate Sheet Pan Dinner Guide: Tips, Tricks and Recipes

By Laura Rancie.

For the home cook who loves your kitchen and kitchen accessories but also loves easy and quick, then sheet pan dinners are your go-to in 2024. Not only are sheet pan dinners gaining in popularity but also in sophistication. Chances are, if you already enjoy cooking or baking then you might already own a baking sheet, but how good is it? 

Here we will give you one of our favourite links to easy and beautiful-looking sheet pan dinners you could try out for your next dinner party and discuss what to look for in a great sheet pan. 

If your current sheet pan is rusty, warped or dented – let’s start afresh. A great baking sheet should reliably provide an even base so that your food doesn’t burn on the bottom and be able to withstand years of regular use.

 

 

Sheet pans are incredibly versatile and can be used for baking cookies, roasting vegetables, toasting nuts, baking sheet cakes and more. They can also be used as a makeshift tray for carrying or serving food.

I have both. I like my rimless baking sheet when I’m baking cookies. Rimless trays slide in and out of the oven easily, however, aside from that it’s the rimmed tray that I use most days as I know it will hold whatever is in there without leaks or spills – it’s just more versatile. 

An insulated baking tray (or sheet) is designed with an air layer between two sheets of metal to promote even baking and prevent burning, however, the downside is they make baking cookies take a bit longer. This can be a good thing for delicate cookies that burn easily but as this article is focused on sheet pan dinners, the downside of having to wait a couple of minutes extra for cookies isn’t relevant.

Also, look out for sheet pans made from aluminium as these will conduct heat more effectively and evenly than just a steel pan. A tri-ply has an aluminium core but is sandwiched by steel, they are more expensive and can cause burning.

 

Aside from feeling better in your hand, a thicker sheet tends to give a more durable and even bake.

 

Some sheet pans have a non-stick coating, which can make cleanup easier but may not be as durable as pans with a natural finish. Natural finish pans may require greasing or lining with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Care:

To prolong the life of your sheet pans, avoid using metal utensils that can scratch the surface. Hand wash your pans with warm, soapy water and avoid using abrasive cleaners that can damage the finish.

A good bet would be using an aluminium, heavy-weight, natural finish pan with rims. Once you have found that, grab a couple of them as they are so versatile for all sorts of cooking and baking in your kitchen. 

 

We particularly love Beerenberg's eight 'Easy Sheet Pan Dinners', with flavours as varied as easy mango chutney chicken sheet pan dinner to a pork tenderloin recipe, sheet pan prawn fajitas and even a cheeky dessert. Well worth a look to get you started on your sheet pan dinner journey.