Vegetarian Sheet Pan Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners
Photo by Markus Spiske/Unsplash Food Lists sheet pan recipes
It’s 6 p.m. and you just got off of work. You have two options if you want to eat a meal that’s more substantial than a bag of microwave popcorn: either order takeout or put a bunch of stuff on a pan and throw it in the oven. If you’re trying to save money, eat healthier or both, the second option is probably your best bet.
The following recipes are not only easy and relatively affordable, but they’re also great options if you’re trying to eat less meat, whether for your health or the planet. (As a reminder, about a third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions can be traced back to our food system, especially the production of animal products, according to the United Nations.) Plus, they’re a lot more flavorful than the buttered noodles you’d planned to make yet again.
1. Sheet-Pan Tofu and Brussels Sprouts With Hoisin-Tahini Sauce from NYT Cooking
Basic tofu and Brussels sprouts get a makeover with a sweet and salty sauce that would taste amazing drizzled over pretty much anything. The best part? This simple recipe only requires four ingredients, so you don’t even have to go out of your way to make a trip to the grocery store.
2. Tandoori Tofu Sheet Pan Dinner from The Minimalist Baker
Admittedly, some sheet pan recipes can be bland and boring, but that’s not what you’ll get when you make this Tandoori Tofu Sheet Pan Dinner from The Minimalist Baker. It features tofu, of course, along with cauliflower, carrots, onions and other good-for-you ingredients that yield an incredibly flavorful dinner.
3. Sheet Pan Veggie Shawarma with Lemon Tahini Dressing from The Real Food Dieticians
If you’re craving Mediterranean street food but find yourself stuck inside on a cold, dreary day, you need this veggie shawarma recipe to warm you up. Not only is it packed with plenty of nutrients, but it delivers when it comes to flavor as well, especially when you use a particularly generous drizzle of the lemon tahini dressing.
4. Winter Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner from Tabs & Tidbits
Just because it’s mid-January doesn’t mean you have to skip out on the fresh produce. This sheet pan recipe calls for a variety of winter vegetables that not only taste their best during the colder months of the year but are generally cheaper at that time as well. Carrots, Brussels sprouts, chickpeas and cauliflower are the stars of the show.
5. Vegan Sheet Pan Fajitas from From My Bowl
All you need is some veggies, tortillas and a single pan to make this recipe for sheet pan fajitas. It’s less messy and time-consuming than cooking all the necessary components on the stove, and you can just leave your veggies to bake while you finish your work or get a workout in. In just 45 minutes, you’ll have dinner on the table.
6. Sheet Pan Vegetable and Chickpea Bake from Dishing Out Health
Chickpeas are truly one of the most delicious, most cost-effective ingredients you’ll find in the grocery store, and they get the love and attention they deserve in this recipe for sheet pan vegetables and chickpeas. You’ll coat the chickpeas in tomato paste and cook them with delicata squash. Finish it all off with some bright, fresh dill.
7. Herbed Potato, Asparagus & Chickpea Sheet Pan Dinner from The Simple Veganista
If you’re looking for a vegan sheet pan dinner that’s heartier than most, turn to this recipe for a potato-forward dish that’s sure to delight even the most avowed meat eaters in your life. This may not be the most common combination of ingredients, but believe me when I say that the flavors work really well together.
8. Vegan Sheet Pan Gnocchi and Vegetables from Profusion Curry
It’s not all about beans and tofu. You can make your veggie sheet pan meal more interesting by adding some carbs to the mix, which is exactly what you’ll get when you make this recipe for Vegan Sheet Pan Gnocchi and Vegetables. How can you not love crispy gnocchi served with fresh, flavorful veggies?
9. Vegan Dijon Rosemary Sheet Pan Dinner from Rabbit and Wolves
In this vegan sheet pan recipe, tomatoes, tofu and broccoli are all crisped to perfection, helped along on the flavor front by fresh lemon. This combination of ingredients feels so filling, so comforting and so easy all at the same time. Feel free to use the Dijon very liberally.
10. Veggie Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner with Pesto Cream from The First Mess
Head to the vegetarian section of your local grocery store to pick up some veggie sausage so you can make this indulgent-tasting sheet pan dinner. Don’t skip the pesto cream; it really brings the whole dish together and adds some much-needed moisture to the baked ingredients.
Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.