Sweet Potato Sheet Pan dinners are flavorful, healthy and easy to prepare with minimal cleanup. This versatile, vibrant dish is a wonderful blend of sweet and savory flavors. Add sausage or chicken and you have an awesome well-rounded dinner!
How to Make a Healthy Dinner Recipe with Sweet Potatoes
Why use a sheet pan for roasting? It's simple really, there is something special about roasting vegetables and the different flavor you end up with. There is a reason you are frequently served roasted vegetables at restaurants! The sweetness the dry roasting brings out is unique and so tasty!
As of late, sheet pan dinners have become so popular but I remember my grandmother making them when I was young, and later my mother, so many years ago! They didn't call them sheet pan dinners but that's what they were!
Sheet pan dinners are like slow cooker meals in the sense that you throw everything into a pot and when you return everything is ready to serve, or at least mostly ready, only instead of a slow cooker you are using a pan! So tasty, super simple, very adaptable, good for you, easy to clean up, and a wonderful mixture of flavors to enjoy!
A large, heavy-duty sheet pan with short sides works best for this dish. According to Wikipedia, a proper sheet pan is 21 by 15 inches with an outer rim that is about 1 inch high and it will fit in most ovens.
You can purchase one at most stores that sell products for your kitchen or online, Amazon and other stores sell them and they are definitely worth every penny, in my opinion. That being said, you can always use two smaller sheet pans (just remember to rotate them when you are adjusting the vegetables during cooking to achieve the best result possible).
The best thing about sheet pan meals is that they are healthy, delicious and perfect on days when you are feeling lazy or are too busy to spend a lot of time working in the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Roasting Vegetables In The Oven
I also make an Oven Roasted Carrots and Potatoes and a Sweet Balsamic Roasted Carrots and Onions that I still make regularly to this day. Using carrots and potatoes are great because their cooking time is so similar.
There are so many uses for roasted vegetables, but just to name a few, you can include roasted vegetables with pasta, sauces, soups, stews and dips. As well as on pizza or in sandwiches.
Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and intensifies their own individual natural flavors. For example, raw garlic has a sharp, harsh and distinctive taste.
When you roast garlic the subtle, mellow, flavor is definitely sweeter and so smooth, not overpowering. You will even love the way your house smells while you are preparing it.
If you are not a garlic fan you might want to still give roasted garlic a try. The difference in flavor might just convert you! Garlic is so special that roasting a garlic bulb requires special instructions and I have an entire post dedicated to making it that you can find here.
Tips for Roasting Vegetables in the Oven
Make the same vegetables the same size
Always try to make all of the same vegetables the same size or at least as close as possible. If the vegetables are small, and are all around the same size, you can roast them whole.
I always try to cook the vegetables in bite sized pieces to reduce the overall cook time but you can definitely roast your vegetables in any size you require or desire! Just adjust your cook time accordingly.
Use enough oil to coat your vegetables
Usually only a few tablespoons are needed to totally coat all of your vegetables, not enough for them to swim in, just coat them. In the end your vegetables will be more flavorful and have a somewhat crispy outside.
Feel free to use any oil you have on hand, vegetable, coconut etc... all of them will work, but myself, I prefer to use olive oil.
Don't forget salt
Use enough salt that every piece of vegetable has a bit of salt on it. The salt brings out so much flavor and it is important to include for an amazing result! Other seasonings are great too, some pepper and your favorite herbs, but salt is truly the most important.
Use aromatics
An aromatic is any kind of food that adds or intensifies the flavor or scent of a specific recipe. Most savory recipes, no matter what they are, sauce, soup or sheet pan, involve a combination of garlic, ginger, onions, celery, carrots and herbs. These are definitely the most common aromatics.
If you plan on eating your aromatics, like onions, or carrots, then I advise you to chop them up into bite sized pieces. The extra surface area exposed also means they will release more flavor faster into your dish while it is baking inside your oven.
If you are using rosemary or thyme, You can dice or mince up some fresh herbs to sprinkle in and/or just throw in an entire sprig or stem, remembering to remove it when serving.
Space the vegetables out on your baking sheet
There needs to be a bit of room around your vegetables, while they are in the oven cooking in a single layer. Space them out as evenly as possible on your baking sheet, and if you need to, use two baking sheets.
The less the vegetables touch each other, the more area on them will brown and darken. If the vegetables are too crowded, they can't roast and will steam instead of bake and you want the vegetables to be crisp and roasted.
Stir and rotate pan while roasting
Half-way through baking make sure you rotate your pan and adjust or stir all of your vegetables. Your goal is to have all of your vegetables brown and cook evenly.
Roast until tender
Vegetables are done when they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You should be easily able to poke through the skin with a fork and feel the soft, cooked interior of each vegetable. There should also be a some charring on the edges of your vegetables.
Getting the Timing Right
Sheet pan dinners are absolutely wonderful, once you get all of the timing issues worked out. As you know some vegetables cook faster than others!
Roasting root vegetables adds a delightful sweet taste. Cut vegetables into chunks that are similar in size so they will finish roasting at the same time.
If you're not sure if a particular vegetable can be roasted, my recommendation is to just give it a try. It might not end up being your favorite way to eat that vegetable, but it's definitely worth the experiment to find out.
If you're roasting a particular vegetable for the first time, start checking it after about 15 minutes, and keep roasting until you see some charring around some of the tips and edges.
If you are wondering if your vegetables are done, when in doubt, roast for an extra five or 10 minutes. It's unlikely the extra roasting will hurt the vegetables, and very likely that your vegetable will be even tastier.
If the vegetables start to get too dark, cover them with foil until tender, then cook for a final 5 minutes or so with the foil off. If they aren't browning, raise the heat in the oven and move the pan to the top rack of the oven.
Ultimately, the goal is to find vegetables that take the same amount of time to roast or a system so that certain vegetables can have all of the time they need to cook without over cooking all of the others. You have a few different options to try and achieve this.
- Only use vegetables with the same cook time. This is obviously the easiest way to prepare your dinner but not always the most realistic.
- Use separate trays and pans for each vegetable, remove each as they are cooked and toss them all together once everything is cooked.
- Place all vegetables with the same cooking time on the same sheet and remove each sheet once cooked.
- Cut the slow roasting vegetables into smaller pieces so everything is cooked at the same time
- Start roasting the vegetables with the longest cooking time and slowly add vegetables that require less time so everything is finished together.
Approximate Vegetable Roasting Times
Cooking times are for roasting vegetables at 400°F and are flexible depending on how small you cut them
- potatoes 40 to 60 minutes
- sweet potatoes, cubes or wedges: 35 to 60 minutes
- sliced carrots, 1 inch thick: 15 to 20 minutes
- baby carrots: 30 to 35 minutes
- butternut squash, acorn squash: 20 to 60 minutes
- beets, turnip, rutabaga, parsnip: 40 to 55 minutes
- broccoli, cauliflower: 20 minutes
- Brussels sprouts, halved: 25 to 30 minutes
- Brussels sprouts, whole: 35 to 40 minutes
- zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers: 15 to 25 minutes
- asparagus, green beans: 15 to 25 minutes
- onions, halved or quartered: 30 to 45 minutes
- onion, chopped or rings: 20 to 30 minutes
- tomatoes: 15 to 20 minutes, up to 60 minutes
- eggplant: 20 to 30 minutes
- mushrooms 25 to 30 minutes
- sugar snap peas 8 to 10 minutes
Can You Use Regular Potatoes Instead of Sweet Potatoes?
You can definitely swap in a regular potato if you prefer. I would recommend a Yukon gold or yellow fleshed potato, as I think they roast the best. Honestly though, any potato will work and work well.
Ingredients in Sweet Potato Sheet Pan
- sweet potatoes
- white onion
- sweet bell pepper
- fresh rosemary
- garlic
- green beans
- carrots
- Italian seasoning
- pepper
- butter
- brussels sprouts
- olive oil
- sea salt
How to make Sweet Potato Sheet Pan Dinner
Line a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Slice the sweet potatoes into rounds about ¾ inch thick and then dice those rounds into cubes.
Wash the rest of the vegetables and cut into bite sized pieces (cut the brussels sprouts in half and put aside).
In a large bowl, toss together sweet potatoes, onion, bell pepper, rosemary, garlic, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, pepper, oil and butter. Add one tablespoon of oil at a time until all the vegetables are coated.
Pour out onto one side of the lined baking sheet. Place sprigs of rosemary, or your favorite herb, sprinkle with salt and aside.
Mix the cut and washed brussels sprouts in the same bowl as the oil until fully coated. Pour out onto the other side of your baking sheet.
Sprinkle with pepper and sea salt.
Bake at 400 for 35 to 45 minutes, or until potatoes are crisp tender with some charred edges and tips. Exact timing will depend on the size of your vegetable pieces and chunks.
After 15 to 20 minutes of cooking, stir and mix the vegetables so that all sides are cooked throughout.
Serve with rice or as desired.
If I add Chicken or Sausage?
First, you have to decide whether you want to include boneless chicken breasts, boneless chicken thighs or sausages. If you want to include them make sure they are boneless as the bone in will have different cooking times. Regardless, they all taste great and work beautifully in this sheet pan recipe!
I switch between honey garlic sausages and Italian but there are other flavors to choose from as well and I also make a few slices into the sausages before placing them on to the baking sheet. This lets some of the juices out and adds flavor to the vegetables as well as ensuring the sausages don't burst while cooking.
I cover each chicken breast or chicken thigh in oil and sprinkle salt and pepper all over each piece. I don't add anything on the sausages as they already have oil in them and have a nice flavor to them.
Ideally, the meat should be placed on the baking sheet but if there is not enough room on it, I just place the chicken or sausage on top of the vegetables.
It's always a great idea to have a meat thermometer available to confirm that the chicken or sausages are done and cooked. Chicken is cooked at 165 degrees and pork sausages are cooked at 150 degrees.
Using a thermometer is the only way I know of that works for sure to prevent your chicken or sausages from being over or under cooked.
Make sure to test your biggest piece of chicken or sausage approximately 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
How do you reheat roasted vegetables?
This recipe is best served warm and fresh out of the oven but leftovers will easily keep in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days.
When I am getting ready to reheat these vegetables I remove them from the fridge about 30 minutes before I plan on reheating them. This is to ensure even reheating.
Next, I move my oven rack to the upper middle slot and turn the oven on to BROIL Generally, if your vegetables are cut into bite sized pieces, your pan will be fine in the upper middle slot.
If your vegetables are in bigger chunks, the middle slot is better to use. Judge for yourself and lay your vegetables as flat and level as possible. You do not want the vegetables so close that they burn before being heated through.
Timing is going to depend on the size of your vegetables and the distance from your broiler. I prepare a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spread the vegetables, in a single layer, all across it.
If you have a toaster over then get it out as this is the best way to reheat your roasted vegetables. Set the temperature to 350 degrees and heat the vegetables for about 10 minutes.
Ideas with Sweet Potatoes
How to Make Candied Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Sheet Pan Video
Sweet Potato Sheet Pan
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- ½ white onion roughly chopped (you can leave some layers together)
- 1 sweet bell pepper, diced
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped to mix in
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup green beans, cut
- 1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 2 sprigs rosemary, to put on top
- 2 cups brussels sprouts, ends cut off and any "bad" leaves peeled
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Clean and prepare your vegetables for roasting (make sure to peel the brussels sprouts if needed). Cut vegetables (except sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts) into bite sized pieces.
- Peel the washed sweet potatoes and cut into ¾ inch cubes.
- In a large bowl, toss together sweet potatoes, onion, bell pepper, rosemary, garlic, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, pepper, oil and butter. A.dd one tablespoon of oil at a time until all the vegetables are coated.
- Pour out onto one side of the lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and place sprigs of rosemary (or your favorite herb) on top and set aside.
- Cut brussels sprouts in half and mix them in that same bowl with oil. Pour out onto the other side of your baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper and sea salt.
- Bake at 400 for 35 to 45 minutes, or until potatoes are crisp tender with some charred edges and tips. Exact timing will depend on the size of your vegetable pieces and chunks.
- After 15 to 20 minutes of cooking, stir and mix vegetables so that all sides are cooked throughout.
- Serve with rice or as desired. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Tami says
In your video/pics, it looks more like a yam that you are using, are they interchangeable?
Karin and Ken says
You bet they are interchangeable! This recipe is terrific and I hope you give it a try! All the best. Karin