By Samantha Cassetty, The New York Times
Most of us know that if you want to feel pleasantly full and satisfied after a meal — not stuffed and sleepy — you should aim for a happy balance of protein, fiber and flavor on your plate. But on a busy weeknight, when even boiling pasta can feel like too much, planning and executing a balanced meal often goes right out the window.
Enter the sheet-pan dinner. Itap a low-fuss, minimally messy and customizable way to make well-rounded meals a reality any day of the week. This recipe delivers at least 10 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving. (For adults, many experts recommend aiming for 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, and 25 to 38 grams of fiber a day.) To work even more fiber into your meal, serve these dishes alongside a pile of whole grains like quinoa or farro; add vegetables like winter squash or broccoli; or sprinkle in beans, nuts or seeds. Then, keep adjusting the recipe to suit your needs and tastes: Reduce the salt, dial down (or up) the heat and swap ingredients based on whatap in your refrigerator or pantry.
(One tip: If you’re new to fiber-rich meals, increase your intake gradually and drink plenty of water. Fiber works best when you ease into it.)
Big flavor can come from pantry staples and simple prep. Thatap the case with Carolina Gelen’s honey-Dijon marinade. Toss it with chicken and broccoli, roast on a sheet pan, then finish it under the broiler for that appealing char. Readers say the recipe makes a generous amount of marinade, so save some for another night, or serve the meal over fiber- and protein-filled quinoa to soak it all up.
Recipe: Sheet-Pan Honey Mustard Chicken and Broccoli
When a marinade does the heavy lifting, throwing together dinner turns into a breeze. This sweet, tangy honey-Dijon blend coats freshly chopped broccoli and skinless chicken thighs. The broccoli florets and stems are separated, and the stems are peeled and sliced into thin coins, which helps them cook at the same rate as the other ingredients. To ensure perfectly tender broccoli, the sheet pan gets tightly wrapped in aluminum foil to trap in steam. Once the chicken and broccoli are partially cooked, uncover, then douse in more honey mustard. This second round of sauce gets charred, sticky and caramelized under the broiler. Since this recipe requires so few ingredients, it can be a versatile blank canvas that invites experimentation. Substitute some of the olive oil with toasted sesame oil and top with toasted sesame seeds for a nuttier flavor; replace some of the honey with hot honey; or simply top with lemon zest and juice at the end for the brightest results.
By Carolina Gelen
۾:4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup/120 grams Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup/165 grams honey
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds broccoli (about 2 broccoli heads)
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each sliced into three even pieces
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
1: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a large sheet pan in the oven.
2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard and honey until combined. Season with salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of honey mustard for serving and 3 tablespoons for brushing.
3: Trim the broccoli florets into bite-size pieces. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the outer layer of the broccoli stalks, trim the ends, then cut the rest of the stalks into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
4: Add the broccoli florets, sliced broccoli stalks and chicken to the bowl of honey mustard. Stir until evenly coated.
5: Carefully remove the pan from the oven and evenly drizzle the oil on top. Arrange the broccoli and chicken in an even layer and drizzle any remaining honey mustard from the bowl on top. Lightly season the broccoli and chicken with salt. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
6: Remove the aluminum foil and brush the 3 tablespoons of reserved marinade on top of the chicken and broccoli.
7: Place an oven rack underneath the broiler. Set the broiler to high. Place the chicken and broccoli back in the oven. Broil for 5 minutes, until the chicken and broccoli develop char marks on their surface and the chicken cooks through (a thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh should read 165 degrees).
8: Serve with reserved honey mustard on the side.
This article originally appeared in .
