When it comes to hassle-free cooking on hectic weeknights, you can’t beat a sheet pan dinner. Not only does throwing a bunch of ingredients onto a pan and leaving it in the oven take minimal effort, but the clean-up process couldn’t be simpler since you aren’t using a zillion pots and skillets. Plus, it’s easy to make a satisfying sheet pan meal that’s meat free. Whether you’re vegetarian on the regular or you’re just trying to emphasize more plant-based foods in your diet, these vegetarian sheet pan dinner recipes are great weeknight staples.
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1. Italian Herb Tofu & Winter Vegetable Sheet Pan Meal
Courtesy of Minimalist Baker
With a combination of crave-worthy caramelized roasted veggies and seasoned crumbled tofu, you won’t believe how easy it is to make this nourishing yet flavorful weeknight dinner. Did we mention that it’s both vegan and gluten-free, too?
Enjoy this meal as is or choose between two creamy plant-based sauces to take things up a notch — three-ingredient tahini or garlicky hummus.
Try the recipe at Minimalist Baker.
2. Easy Vegetable Sheet Pan Dinner
Courtesy of A Couple Cooks
The American Heart Association recommends aiming to get five servings of vegetables per day — and while it may sound like a lot, this sheet pan dinner can help you to meet that goal. With broccoli, red onion, peppers, and sweet potatoes, the recipe is loaded with satiating fiber and a wide variety of nutrients.
It couldn’t possibly be simpler to throw together, too: Just toss the veggies and chickpeas in olive oil and seasoning, spread the mixture out onto your sheet pan, and bake for 30 minutes at 450ºF.
Pro tip: Don’t love chickpeas? Try using shelled edamame instead.
Try the recipe from A Couple Cooks.
3. Sheet Pan Chow Mein
Courtesy of Smitten Kitchen
This meal is the epitome of comfort food — and with crunchy stir-fried vegetables and crispy noodles, it boasts a range of satisfying textures.
Feel free to swap in your preferred veggies — for instance, shredded cabbage, chopped mushrooms, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts would also work perfectly here.
And if gluten is an issue, just substitute rice noodles for the egg noodles.
Try the recipe at Smitten Kitchen.
4. Southwest Sheet Pan Dinner
Courtesy of Dietitian Debbie
Gluten and/or dairy a problem for you? It’s not an issue with this sheet pan recipe. It’s gluten freeas written, and all you have to do to make it dairy free is swap in plant-based cheese (or just skip the cheese).
With a medley of spices including paprika, oregano, and cumin, this meal is packed with flavor. You can serve it straight off the pan, or spoon it over brown rice to make a hearty grain bowl. Don’t have the time or energy to make the avocado sauce? Just top it with salsa, sliced avocado, or even plain Greek yogurt.
Try the recipe at Dietitian Debbie.
5. Veggie Sheet Pan Fajitas
Courtesy of Veggies Don’t Bite
Other than slicing the veggies, there’s basically no prep work necessary for this meal. Plus, it’s packed with protein, fiber, and complex carbs thanks to the beans.
The best part about these fajitas is that you can customize the recipe to your own tastes and preferences, or use up whatever you happen to have in your fridge or pantry. For example, swap in lentils for the pinto beans, or toss in some summer squash. Because sour cream and cheese are totally optional, this recipe is also vegan-friendly.
Try the recipe from Veggies Don’t Bite.
6. Cauliflower Gnocchi with Crispy Kale & Pine Nuts
Courtesy of E.A. Stewart
When a carb craving strikes, this comforting sheet pan dinner should do the trick. And it featurecauliflower gnocchi, which is gluten free.
What makes this an especially convenient option on busy weeknights is that it comes together in just 20 minutes. Pop the frozen gnocchi, kale, and onions onto a parchment-lined pan, toss with olive oil and seasoning, and roast. For an extra pop of flavor, top the dish with pine nuts and chopped fresh herbs.
Try the recipe at E.A. Stewart.
7. Sheet Pan Roasted Veggie Tacos
Courtesy of Ambitious Kitchen
Tacos are a meal the whole family can agree on, and this one-pan recipe happens to pack five different vegetables. With black beans for protein, sweet potato and cauliflower for fiber, and avocado for healthy fat, this meal is as filling as it is balanced.
Feel free to substitute whatever seasonal veggies you happen to have — for instance, try zucchini, corn, and tomatoes in the summer or Brussels sprouts and butternut squash in the winter. You can also kick up the heat by adding cayenne pepper to the spice mix and topping your tacos with diced jalapeño. Watching carbs? Use almond flour tortilla, or ditch the tortillas altogether and serve the taco contents over cauliflower rice or mixed greens.
Try the recipe at Ambitious Kitchen.
8. Sheet Pan Fried Rice
Courtesy of Jessica In The Kitchen
Skip the takeout and make this healthy one-pan dish instead: It takes only 10 minutes to prep and calls for fewer than 10 ingredients.
What makes this recipe so satisfying is the variety of textures and flavors, from sweet pineapple and savory scallions to crunchy, buttery cashews. Sriracha lends just a subtle kick to the sauce — and you can add more or less depending on how much heat you prefer.
This dinner is bound to keep hunger pangs at bay, too: With both edamame and tofu in the recipe, it packs 18 grams of protein per serving.
Try the recipe at Jessica in the Kitchen.
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