Throw together this Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken and Veggies dinner in no time at all! The chicken is marinated in a lemon dijon honey sauce, the mini potatoes are tossed in olive oil and seasonings, and the asparagus is thrown in the pan the last few minutes of baking. It couldn’t be any easier…or tastier!
ME BEFORE THE RECIPE…
Well Ben’s all giddy and happy to the point that my snarky, sarcastic self is about done with him this week. I don’t know why I’m that way. When other people are really, really happy…I just get annoyed. Is that normal??? I didn’t think so.
I think I’m one of those people that struggle with showing emotions, therefore, when others show their emotions so effortlessly, it’s irritating. Well there you go. Now you know what a horrible person I am. Just being real here.
Anyway, as annoyingly happy as Ben has been lately, it is slightly cute seeing him all excited. You see, his fiscal year has just ended for his sales company and he exceeding all three of his sales goals. Not only that, but he is 99% sure he is ranked in the top ten salesmen in the company, which means he will be awarded a trip at the end of the year. Now that part I’m excited about! Spouses are invited because, you know, apparently we’re super supportive and all.
So not only is he floating around on cloud nine because of his professional achievements, but his parents just flew in this week and are seeing our house for the first time. We haven’t owned a home in years (we’ve rented for 7 out of the past 8 years), and Ben is extremely proud about owning a home again.
I’m lucky to be married to a man that takes such pride in our home. He works hard to keep the yard nice, the laundry done (I know…I should help, but he just does it), the bills paid, and the home furnished (he makes the money and I make the “decorative” choices). He really does put other men to shame because he is quite the perfect husband.
It was pretty adorable seeing him show his parents around the house, talking about the improvements we’ve made and our creative visions for the future. He even made a point to go out and purchase a decent sized television and set it up before his parents arrived. For some reason, owning a television larger than our current oven sized television was a big deal for Ben. Instead of big truck syndrome, Ben has big TV syndrome.
I find it slightly ridiculous since I’m a minimalist and we rarely watch television anyway. Our dinky TV worked, so why replace it??? If it ain’t broke, no one’s gotta fix it!
That’s how I feel about my rusting, disintegrating car as well. As long as that thing has air conditioning and drives me front point A to point B, I don’t need a new one. Ben can be embarrassed all he wants. As he frequently points out, even if we were millionaires, I wouldn’t spend any money. True, true.
However, I do understand the desire to “impress” other people, especially your family. I want both my parents and Ben’s parents to know how far we’ve come as a couple and as a family. Our successes are a direct reflection of them. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of our family.
HERE COMES THE RECIPE…
Ben’s proof of success may be in material things, and I guess my way of “showing off” is with food. I love bringing out the big guns in the kitchen when we are hosting guests. Most people enjoy treating their visitors to lunch or dinner at local restaurants, but I want to cook every night. I can’t get enough of preparing tasty cuisines for our friends and family.
I prepared an entire fish tacos southwest spread last night with all the toppings and condiments, along with a fresh honey, lime, and mint fruit salad that was to die for. I’ve already have tonight’s pasta dinner meal prepped, and our Easter menu has already been solidified. I’ve got homemade granola cooking in the oven as we speak, and I have a few breakfast ideas in play for the next couple of mornings. Just think of our house as a free bed and breakfast…just better breakfasts than beds.
The last time we had guests over for dinner, I whipped out this Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies. It was one of the simplest dinners I’ve ever made, yet it looked so elegant and tasted fantastic.
This sheet pan dinner is so easy to prep ahead of time. The chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours in advance. In fact, the longer you marinate, the better the chicken tastes. I prefer to season the chicken the night before and let it chill in the fridge all night and the following day.
The flavor in the marinade is spot on. It’s a mixture of freshly squeezed lemon juice, dijon mustard, olive oil, minced garlic, and fresh dill. If the marinade wasn’t going all over raw chicken, I would refer to it as lickable. Basically it’s good.
I found these mini creamer potatoes at Costco a few months ago and fell in love. They roast beautifully and are hassle free. They come pre-washed and they are small enough you don’t have to cut them in half for roasting. The skins are extremely thin, so there is no need to peel. You just eat them whole. They are perfectly creamy inside and are slightly addictive baked in all the yummy seasonings.
I opted to throw in asparagus with this dinner, but you can really choose any veggie to roast up with the chicken and potatoes. You may need to adjust the baking time depending on your vegetable of choice. Since asparagus is thin and cooks fairly quickly, I threw it in the last 10 minutes of baking. Brussel sprouts or broccoli may need closer to 15-20 minutes of baking time. Either way, I would throw your veggies in the pan slightly after the chicken and potatoes have already started baking, since they will take a little longer.
If you’re familiar with my blog, you know I’m a sucker for sauces and toppings. A meal just doesn’t feel complete without a sauce or some kind of garnishing to toss on top. The same goes for this chicken. Once it came out of the oven, I topped it with my cucumber avocado dill sauce, some diced grape tomatoes, and a sprinkle of feta cheese. I love the combo of warm cooked food with something fresh and cool on top.
This Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken and Veggies would be the perfect Easter dinner. It’s simple, full of fresh spring flavors, and pretty enough to be a show stopper at any meal. You could even switch out the chicken for pork chops, pork tenderloin, or salmon for a variety in protein. Whatever you choose, you’re sure to scrape this pan clean.
Happy Easter!
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY…
- Southwest Chicken and Ranch Veggie Skillet
- Honey Mustard Barbecue Chicken
- Italian Skillet Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes
- Gluten Free Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Sauce
- For the chicken:
- 4-6 medium sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 oz. each)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeeze lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons freshly chopped dill
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
- ¾-1 teaspoon salt
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon pepper
- thinly sliced lemon rings (optional)
- For the potatoes:
- 1½ pounds mini creamer potatoes (or red or golden potatoes quartered)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped dill
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- For the asparagus:
- 1 bunch asparagus (try to avoid thick stalks)*
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- Toppings:
- cucumber avocado dill sauce (recipe link in post), diced tomatoes, and crumbled feta cheese
- Prepare chicken by trimming fat. If chicken breasts are extremely large, cut in half. Pat chicken completely dry with paper towels and place in a Ziploc bag. Add lemon juice. Do not discard the lemon. Place lemon remains in the bag as well. Add olive oil, dijon mustard, chopped dill, and minced garlic. Seal bag and massage gently until ingredients are well mixed. Place bag of chicken on a plate and chill in fridge for at least 4 hours up to 24 hours, preferably overnight.
- Once ready to cook, remove chicken from fridge and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess marinade. Place on one side of a sheet pan. Season both sides evenly with salt and pepper. Scatter thinly sliced lemon rings over top (optional).
- Scatter potatoes in middle of sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dijon mustard. Stir and toss with hands until evenly coated.
- Bake chicken and potatoes at 400 degrees for 18 minutes.
- While chicken and potatoes are baking, rinse and pat asparagus dry. Place on a plate or in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and add minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
- Once chicken and potatoes have baked for 18 minutes, remove pan from oven and add asparagus next to potatoes. Quickly return to oven and bake for 5 minutes more at 400 degrees. Increase heat to broil and bake for an additional 5 minutes until potatoes are tender and asparagus is crisp tender.
- Remove from oven and squeeze lemon juice over potatoes and asparagus. Sprinkle freshly chopped dill over potatoes. Toss to coat. Top chicken with cucumber avocado dill sauce (recipe link in post), diced tomatoes, and crumbled feta cheese. Serve immediately.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in fridge for up to 5 days.
