Make Ahead Holiday Meals: Sheet Pan Lemon Oregano Chicken Dinner

The holiday season is upon us and that means some majorly busy weeks leading up to Christmas and the end of the year. This week, I am sharing 3 make ahead recipes that will help when you need a yummy and healthy meal!First up, is this Sheet Pan Lemon Oregano Chicken Dinner. My family went crazy for this on Sunday! Our family of 2 adults and 3 kids nearly ate 4 lbs of chicken! Love it when a dinner is demolished!Sheet pan meals are so easy to pull together in a rush. Just throw your ingredients on a sheet pan, season and bake! The perfectly cooked chicken is the best compliment to the creamy sweet potatoes and crispy edges of the roasted broccoli. Plus, the aroma of the garlic and oregano seasoning as it cooks perfumes the house and will make everyone’s mouth water. Spritz over a little lemon before serving to brighten up the flavors. This is such a nice unexpected twist to really take dinner to the next level! I love the versatility of this dish. You could substitute the chicken thighs and drumsticks with chicken breast or tenderloins (cooking time would change though!). Don’t like broccoli and sweet potato? Swap them out for other veg that you like! Just make sure the vegetables are cut up small enough that they will cook in about 30 mins. You could even change up the seasonings to your favorite combination. Sheet pan dinners can be eaten the day of, or, after it is cooled, transferred into airtight containers and kept in the fridge till later in the week. Then you can easily reheat the meal for a super quick weeknight dinner. You could even serve it with extra veg, a green salad or quinoa, like I did! My one regret from making this meal is…. That I didn’t make more of it! We only have 2 pieces of chicken left. Looks like I will need to make 2 sheet pans of food next time lol!!!Let me know if you give this recipe a try! Snap a photo and tag me @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata. I would love to see how you make this recipe your own! 

Sheet Pan Lemon Oregano Chicken Dinner

Chicken dinner just got easier and tastier! The perfect make ahead meal with vibrant citrus and herbaceous flavors. Your family will love it! 

Ingredients

• 4 lb chicken pieces such as thighs and drumsticks (extra fat trimmed off)
• 1 large sweet potato (peeled and diced in 1" chunks)
• 1 medium head of broccoli (cut into florets)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 large lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 deg F.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano.
3. To a large rimmed sheet pan, add the chicken pieces, sweet potatoes and broccoli florets.

4. Pour over the oil and seasoning mixture, and toss with the chicken and vegetables. Make sure everything is well coated with the seasonings.

5. Roast in a preheated oven for about 30 mins, till the chicken is golden brown and crispy, potatoes are cooked through and the broccoli floret tips are toasted and caramelized.
6. Gently squeeze half a lemon over the chicken and vegetables, taking care not to drop any seeds.

7. Serve with quinoa or a green salad, plus extra lemon wedges for an added burst of citrusy flavor.

NOTE: Chicken pieces such as thighs and drumsticks will render more fat during the cooking process. This fat can be drained off the sheet pan prior to serving, or the meal transferred to another dish.