Two High Protein Sheet Pan Dinners You Can Make This Week In A Rush

Cooking a high-quality dinner at the end of the day is one of the biggest challenges I see for my clients (and myself), especially if it’s for a whole family. 

I genuinely enjoy cooking, but anything more than ~5 ingredients or 6 steps in total and I’m lost. This is why I love healthy sheet pan dinners, especially when all you have to do is cut up some veggies, prep some protein, and then stick it in the oven. Plus, sheet pan dinners mean less clean up!

Here are 2 high-protein, nutritious sheet pan recipes you can enjoy this week.

Chicken fajitas

This meal is super easy and takes less than 30 min total to prepare. It’s a no-brainer and super delicious! You can also make this recipe with steak or fish (note: cook times might vary a little bit if you change up the protein). 

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs Chicken breast

2 large bell peppers (sliced)

1 yellow onion (sliced)

2 tablespoons avocado oil

2.5 tablespoons fajita seasoning (homemade is better)

1 tsp salt

Fresh cilantro (optional)

1 lime

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prep a large baking sheet by spraying with coconut or olive oil. 
2. Veggies and chicken should already be sliced, but if not, slice them up! Combine the sliced veggies, chicken, oil, lime juice, and fajita seasoning in a large bowl, mixing well to coat everything.
3. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet (or on a rack on top of a baking sheet). Bake for 15-18 min until the chicken is cooked through. Then place under the oven broiler for 1-2 minutes (watching so it doesn’t burn). 
4. Top with fresh cilantro and some more lime juice and enjoy! 

You can serve these chicken fajitas with tortillas (Siete Almond Flour tortillas are my favorite), and some full-fat greek yogurt in place of sour cream. 

Sweet potato hash with sausage

I love meals that can be leftovers, and I love meals that can be breakfast the next day even more! This hash recipe fulfills both of those things. 

The recipe calls for uncooked pork breakfast sausage, but you can swap the pork for chicken, turkey, or pre-cooked sausage if you prefer. You can also swap the bell peppers in this recipe for another veggie if you prefer (brussel sprouts would be great!).

Ingredients: 

1lb sweet potatoes (cut into ½ inch cubes)

½ yellow onion (chopped)

½ bell pepper (chopped)  

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp coarse sea salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1lb ground breakfast sausage (look for sausage that isn’t in a casing, or cut the casing and take the meat out!)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ cup parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Toss the chopped sweet potatoes, veggies, oil, salt and pepper, and spread on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 min.
3. Take the pan out of the oven after 20 min, and crumble the breakfast sausage across the mixture in ½ inch clumps. Put back into the oven and bake for another 20 min, or until the sausage is fully browned and the sweet potatoes are fully cooked. 
4. Take out of the oven and let cool for 8-10 min. Stir in lemon juice & parsley and serve! 

The bottom line on healthy sheet pan dinners

Both of these recipes are super versatile and make great leftovers for the next day. The ingredients can be swapped if there is a protein you prefer or a veggie you want to avoid. The recipes can also be doubled if you have a larger family or want to prepare to have leftovers for a couple of days. 

Sheet pan dinners are a great way to get creative in the kitchen and try out mixing your own favorite flavors. You can combine your own favorite ingredients and make something really delicious!