3 Unusual Sheet Pan Dinners That Are Actually Worth Making

At Cooking Light, we're all about trying out new and crazy cooking techniques, whether it's using sweet potato as a quiche crust, creating gravy out of cauliflower, or creating a vegan dish that can rival any meaty main. This creativity doesn't stop when it comes to the world of sheet pan dinners. We've seen some odd yet delicious options across the web, and we're proud of our own unusual dinner combos that can save you time washing dishes. See below for our favorite delicious and healthy sheet-pan ideas. 

Individual mini meatloaves, green beans, and mashed potatoes, all cooked to perfection on one pan? Yes, it’s true! The potatoes are chopped and cooked with a little water in a foil packet so that they steam to tenderness alongside the meatloaves (then you just quickly mash them with milk and a little butter).

Combine the simplicity of a sheet pan dinner with the classic comfort of chicken Parmesan in this simple weeknight recipe. Clever use of aluminum to "wall" off certain ingredients helps you cook everything properly without dirtying multiple pots and pans.

Admittedly, this is not a classic jambalaya recipe. But it does capture the ingredients and flavors that are characteristic of jambalaya—bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, sausage, shrimp, rice, and Creole seasoning. It’s just a chunkier, fresher take on the classic. Bell peppers, onions, and sausage get a head start on the pan, and then shrimp and tomatoes get added. As the veggies cook on the pan, they release some of their flavorful juices; and then you add the rice, which soaks up all the tasty liquid.