Sheet Pan Shenanigans

I'm not one to  jump on trends: I read novels five years after they are on the best seller list. I generally loathe the hit single on any Billboard 100 album. And, I have emphatically shunned the hot fashion must-haves for all of my years: Bodysuits - Nah. Doc Martens - No. Trucker hats - Gag. Cold-shoulder tops - Next!

But this sheet pan dinner business. This, dear cooking friends - I tried. And I'm only like a year or two behind. Yay! Now, I'm not saying all of these sheet pan recipes rock my world, but Greek Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner with Green Beans and Feta has totally won my heart. And The Husband and The Boy ate a whole bunch of it, so it will be made again, trust.

I'm not going to lie. I was skeptical. You see, while I am a totally creative artistic type, my mathematical and science prowess comes into play in many aspects of my day-to-day. Especially with cooking, I'm always trying to see the logic of the recipe or method at hand. I think that helps it work out well. The difference between food you want to eat, eat and eat again and food that is ick nast has a lot to do with planning, logic and reasoning.

The proposition that different sizes and shapes of food can cook all at once evenly in the same vessel seems to defy reason. Surely, this would fail! 

But this sheet pan recipe totally works. Thank you, Food52, for opening my eyes.

Conclusion: The chicken was tender and cooked through; the string beans were done but not overdone; the potatoes were just right.  And the flavor was banging. If you dig Greek food, check this out!

My tips: Be sure to cut your potatoes small. I cut back on the salt measurement because I find olives and feta to be high in their saltiness. To prep things ahead, you can clean your string beans and mix up the marinade the day before. Do not cut your potatoes ahead; however, because they will discolor.

I served this with a hummus platter, featuring homemade hummus, veggies and pita.

Greek Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner with Green Beans and Feta

Serves 6
By Food 52

Ingredients:

• 1 pound baby Dutch yellow potatoes
• 1 pound green beans
• 1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 ¹/₂ lemons (1 1/2 juiced, and 1 sliced)
• 8 cloves garlic (4 minced, and 4 sliced)
• 4 ounces feta cheese (sheep or goat's milk preferred!)
• 1 large onion
• 2 teaspoons salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (plus more for garnish)
• 12 pitted Kalamata olives
• Instructions:
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cut each chicken breast into 4-5 even-sized strips.
• In a large bowl add the chicken pieces, lemon juice from one whole lemon, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp. salt, pepper and paprika, and 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Mix together well and set bowl aside while you prepare the veggies.

• Rinse beans, snip off the end with the hard nub/stem and place them in another large bowl. The other end should have a dainty little tail that is soft and thin and doesn't need to be removed.

Chop one large yellow onion and add to the beans.

Rinse (and scrub if needed) the baby potatoes and add to the veggie bowl.

Stir in one 15-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes, juice from half a lemon, oregano, 1 tsp. salt and pepper and 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Pour the mixture onto a large baking sheet, add the chicken pieces (spaced evenly throughout the pan), some lemon slices, 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, about a dozen pitted Kalamata olives and roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

Pull the pan out from the oven but don't remove. Crumble 4 ounces of feta cheese and sprinkle onto the sheet pan and continue to cook for 5 more minutes or until the chicken reads 165 degrees with a meat thermometer.

Serve while it's hot and garnish with chopped parsley.

Note: Use a non-stick 12 by 17 baking pan. Depending on the pan you use you may want to line it with parchment paper or tin foil. 

Please note from Jersey Girl: I trimmed both sides of my string beans.