A cut Class A topside roast beef and a winter veg combo of butternut, potato, onions, and tomato is the perfect mixture of ingredients for sheet pan cooking. But, what is sheet pan cooking?
Sheet pan cooking is placing all your ingredients for a roast dinner into the oven at once, onto one cooking tray or sheet. Allowing it to cook away, while you can help your kids with homework, whip up a salad or delicious dessert or just tuck into a good book.
What is a sheet pan?
A sheet pan is more commonly known as a baking tray here in South Africa but it’s not just for biscuits! It is usually about 24 x 18 centimetres, with a short 2cm edge all around.
Why sheet pan cooking?
Sheet pan cooking is what the pressure cooker was to the 70’s, producing home cooked Sunday lunch flavours with ease. It’s time-saving, uses fewer dishes and cooking together in one pan boosts the taste, allowing the meat and vegetable flavours to infuse creating its own gravy. This will then brown and caramelize, which not only looks appetizing but gives a savoury sweetness that everyone will love.
Sheet pan cooking hints
- When everything roasts in one tray, you won’t be faced with a mountain of dishes. Line the bottom of the tray with wax paper or foil to make cleaning even easier.
- Different vegetables cook at different temperatures. Select a cut of meat and vegetables that cook in similar times or cut the slower cooking veg into smaller pieces to synchronize the cooking times.
- Avoid using baking trays without the edge, as all the good juices will be lost to the oven, only to have to be cleaned later!
- As tempting as it may be, keep the oven door closed to keeping cooking time to a minimum.
- For extra flavour and tenderness and to save time in the evenings, marinate and season the meat the night before.
If you’re proud of your magazine worthy sheet pan roast, go ahead and share it with us online.
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