It’s 2019 and sheet-pan dinners are a thing. We all have zero time to be making dinner AND we hate dishes. When I say “we” I’m including myself in that. While I do love to cook, I really, REALLY hate to do dishes. I want healthy, real food, and I want it to be delicious but I also want clean up to not take me 100 hours (clearly an exaggeration). This sheet-pan lemon honey garlic salmon, asparagus, & potatoes fits the bill and I’m SO glad it worked out so I can share it with you.
Sheet-Pan Meals
I just recently got into sheet-pan dinners. I’m not sure what took so long but I am glad I’ve hopped on board. I’m mostly excited because I feel like these meals will make it easier for everyone to eat more real food. I get it that cooking can be intimidating and ordering out seems FAR easier.
Here’s the thing, if you make food yourself you’ll not only save money & feel better, you’ll also feel like a rockstar! Nothing like making yourself a delicious meal. Heck, maybe you could make this for others too and wow the socks off of them. They’ll wonder what cooking school you went to, just kidding 😉
Just know, that everyone started somewhere in the kitchen and if you are nervous to get started, the only way to get better is to try. You WILL make mistakes. Heck, I make mistakes every time I get in the kitchen. Those mistakes can be delicious & even if they’re not, they’ll serve as a lesson you can use for the next time you cook.
Building Your Meal
So, when thinking of a meal, I usually think of 4 components that I want included. In no real order, here are the major components of meals that I make.
Protein (i.e. chicken, fish, steak, bison, eggs, etc.)
I want every meal I make to have all the above. Snacks are the exception, but if I’m going to cook what I consider a well balanced meal, it needs the above. Why? Well for one they contain all the macronutrients AND they are rich of a variety of micronutrients. Together, these foods create a meal that is not only delicious BUT also sufficient and satisfying. In this meal:
So where did I come up with this beaut? Well, I was shopping at Whole Foods this past weekend and I was rolling past the freezer fish section. I almost always pass it up because I usually buy canned OR fresh from a local fish shop. However, this year I wanted to try and make more fish recipes to help you guys eat more fish! I pulled over and peaked in the freezer.
These salmon fillets that were individually portioned caught my eye. While I’d usually buy about 1-2 lbs of a full salmon fillet, I figured, why not try something different this time? I’m so glad I did. They were incredibly easy to cook and even easier to eat.
As for the side veggies of this dish I was inspired by a wedding I was at this past weekend. The sides were asparagus & mashed potatoes and it was delicious & comforting this time of year. Why not use that inspiration for something tasty like this sheet-pan recipe?!
The sauce? I wanted to keep it simple but delicious so I mixed a few ingredients I had on hand together and BAM! That’s it! It’s okay if you switch up the ingredients a bit, have fun with it and enjoy!
Pro Tip: buy frozen salmon & thaw it in the fridge in a bowl with cold water while the potatoes are cooking, salmon will be ready when you are!
1.5 lbs fingerling potatoes (sliced in 1/2 lengthwise)
1 tbsp ghee (melted)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Asparagus
1 bunch asparagus (trimmed)
1 lemon (sliced)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F & line a pan with parchment paper
In a large bowl, mix potatoes with ghee, garlic, pepper, & salt then spread out evenly in one layer on lined baking sheet
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until soft when poked with a fork & slightly golden brown.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together glaze for salmon (ghee, honey, garlic, lemon & parsley)
Remove potatoes from oven & push to the outsides of the pan, add apsaragus to outside areas, leaving enough space in the middle of the pan for the salmon
Add salmon to sheet pan, drizzle a spoonful of glaze on each fillet & rub in with the back of the spoon.
Drizzle any remaining glaze on asparagus & top asparagus with lemon slices.
Bake in oven for 8-12 minutes (no raw salmon visible) & turn oven to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes to crisp the outside. (Monitor closely)
