The new one-pot meal: Sheet pan suppers

Ease of preparation is a big selling point for home cooks, which explains our love of slow cooker dinners and one pot meals.

Today’s version of that quick and easy kitchen savior is the sheet pan supper: all the ingredients (protein, vegetables and starch) are placed together on a sturdy, rimmed baking sheet, put in the oven, and a short time later, dinner is served.

The technique has been turning up everywhere: New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark shared a recipe and video last February; Bon Appetit and Rachael Ray magazines featured sheet pan recipe spreads in recent months; and last fall, a new book came out, “Sheet Pan Suppers.”

Author Molly Gilbert credits the popularity of this quick, easy cooking method to a simple fact: “I don’t think a lot of people have time to cook.”

Gilbert adds: “You don’t have to use four pots. You don’t have to wash as many dishes. For busy people with families, it’s a no-brainer.”

There are a few things to remember:

• A rimmed jelly roll pan or cookie sheet is not the same as a sturdy half sheet pan, which can be found at restaurant supply and kitchenware stores for as low as $8 apiece.

• Line the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper to make cleanup a breeze.

• Make sure all ingredients are a consistent size. You want potatoes and vegetables to be uniform, chicken breasts or pork chops to be the same thickness. Otherwise, you will be constantly checking to see if that larger piece of protein is finished cooking while the rest of the meal is burning. (I learned the hard way while testing these recipes.)

“You don’t want to babysit this kind of thing, so be mindful when you are prepping,” advises Nina Elder, executive food editor at Rachael Ray magazine.

• Place ingredients in a single layer and don’t crowd them. Air circulation is key to achieving perfectly roasted meats, caramelized vegetables and browned potatoes.

“You don’t want things to steam,” Elder says. “You want them to roast.”

If you have too many ingredients, Elder suggests placing the remaining ingredients on a second sheet pan.

And you will likely have more than one sheet pan because this cooking method is something to love.

This story was originally published January 20, 2015 at 2:35 PM.