Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD
I love to cook. I love to try new recipes and learn new techniques. And sometimes, my omnivorous family members enjoy that, too! However, I don’t always have the time or energy for big elaborate dinners and constantly consulting a recipe.
So, I like to keep a rotating list of easy meal ideas that I can tweak here and there. And more importantly, I can prepare quickly. Or set up, cook hands-off, and come back to it later.
Slow cooker recipes are good for this. And so are sheet pan dinners!
For those that can’t cook, are just learning, or have no interest in increasing their cooking skillset, or are looking for a new, simple idea this sheet pan dinner is perfect for you!
What is a sheet pan dinner?
Sheet pan meals are exactly what they sound like. Meals that are created on sheet pans. You can put all your ingredients onto the pan(s), throw it in the oven, and get something else done.
These meals are usually very versatile, so you can throw whatever you have in your fridge on a pan and forget it for a bit.
You can do this several times a week and never eat the same meal twice! Super exciting stuff, I’m telling you.
Side bonus: the oven running so hot keeps you warm in the winter. I’m not cut out for the winter!
Why Roasted Gnocchi?
Honestly, it’s just stinkin’ good.
It’s a quick carbohydrate source that you don’t have to prepare in a different pan. No waiting for water to boil. No unnecessary extra dirty pan.
But those are only side benefits to how good gnocchi is when it’s roasted. The texture is hard to explain. It’s kind of firm and caramelized on the outside and soft on the inside.
How to make this recipe
This recipe is really easy to make. You’ll see I use two sheet pans instead of one. This is for 2 reasons.
First, when you roast vegetables, you have to give them room. You should see some space around them. If you crowd the veggies altogether, they’ll steam rather than roast, and you’ll miss out on all that yummy caramelization.
And that would be a shame.
Second, the veggies I chose have different roasting times. The broccoli and gnocchi take longer to cook than the mushrooms and onions.
This is why I have you season the first batch, put it in the oven, then work on the second batch. The timing works out so well that way.
If you halved the recipe, you could probably get away with putting everything on one pan, just watch closely for burning mushrooms! Or sub the broccoli for something else, maybe some asparagus or halved Brussels sprouts.
When roasting, make sure to get the oven screamin’ hot before you put the food in. I usually make this at 425, but 450 would work as well.
Try to keep the door closed as much as possible. You’ll drop the temperature in the oven every time you open the door.
Products I used
Below are some links to some of the products I used. You can probably find them in your local grocery store or make it easy and add them to your next Amazon purchase.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Vegetarian Sheet Pan Dinner with Roasted Gnocchi
Equipment
- 2 sheet pans
- Small Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccoli chopped
- 16 oz gnocchi
- 2 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 packets Urban Accents Parmesan Mediterranean Seasoning divided
- 1 yellow onion cut in to chunks
- 1 lb whole mushrooms halved if very large
- 10 oz Chicken substitute
- 1 Tbsp butter
- ½ cup dry white wine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Wash your hands and rinse all produce thoroughly, including the mushrooms.
- In a large bowl, put chopped broccoli, gnocchi, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and 1 package of the seasoning mix. Mix well so broccoli and gnocchi are coated in olive oil and seasoning.
- Put onto parchment paper lined sheet pan. Make sure to spread evenly so that no food is overlapping. Place baking sheet in oven.
- In the same bowl, place your onions, mushrooms, your chosen chicken substitute (frozen is fine), and the remaining olive oil and seasoning pack.
- Spread these ingredients on a lined baking sheet. Again, make sure no food is overlapping. Place in oven. Allow both sheet pans to continue cooking for 20 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter.
- Add the white wine and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken slightly as it simmers. (optional, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste)
- When the broccoli is caramelized and slightly crispy the veggies are done!
- Pour both baking sheets of food into your bowl, add wine sauce, and mix thoroughly.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
*We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases made through links on our site. These commissions help support our work in providing valuable content to our readers. Thank you for your support!
Tips, Tricks, and Substitutions
- The super-simple wine sauce is optional. We had eaten this meal plenty of times before I decided it needed a little bit more to make it a great dish.
- Without the wine sauce, the dish is dry but still full of flavor from the 2 packets of seasoning.
- If you don’t want to buy the seasoning product I used, that’s fine. You can use your preferred seasoning blend or make your own with your favorite spices.
- You can turn this into a side dish by eliminating the faux chicken. Just remember to pair it with some other protein source!
- I’ve made this with vegan sausages as well, but everyone seems to prefer the fake chicken in this dish. You could also consider substituting the faux chicken with tofu or tempeh.
- If eating this dish with omnivores, you could consider having them cook a chicken breast to replace the faux chicken in this recipe.
- Consider different vegetables if you want. Swap the broccoli for Brussels sprouts, add carrots, etc. I wouldn’t add a starchy veggie since you already have the gnocchi.
- If feeding this dish to a vegan, you’ll have to use a different seasoning blend, as this one contains cheese. Obviously, omit the optional Parmesan at the end as well.
For more recipes
Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD is a registered dietitian, mom, wife, and vegetarian in North Texas. She has dedicated Dietitian Jenn to be a source of information, ideas, and inspiration for people like her, vegetarians that live with people with different dietary beliefs and/or needs in a multivore household.