Weekend Cooking: Sheet Pan Suppers by Molly Gilbert

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We've already had one review of Molly Gilbert's Sheet Pan Suppers on Weekend Cooking and I bet we'll see even more as time goes on. That's because this is a great little cookbook with many ideas for busy people who like to cook but don't necessarily like all the fuss or cleanup.

The first thing you have to know about Sheet Pan Suppers is that the book also includes snacks and brunch and even dessert, so you'll put your sheet pan (rimmed baking sheet) to good use throughout the day. All you need is a good-quality pan (though a discount store brand works too) and some parchment or cooking spray.

Even before I started studying the recipes, I found a lot to like about this cookbook. The colorful boxes containing all kinds of useful tips caught my eye right away. Gilbert gives us information about ingredients (what exactly is Maldon salt?), provides helpful cooking tips (how to bake the best biscuits), and offers variations on a theme (focaccia flavors). I really love the "DYI or Buy" boxes, which help you decide whether it's worth it to make your own, say, blue cheese dressing.

But the heart of any cookbook is, of course, the recipes, and you'll be happy to know pretty much all of the dishes are accessible to the everyday home cook. The bulk of the work is in preparing the ingredients for the oven. Sometimes that means simply chopping and seasoning; other times that means mixing a sauce or forming patties or burgers. A few recipes, like an appetizer tart, require some fancier footwork in the slicing department, but there is nothing out-of-bounds difficult.

One of the best compliments I can give a general cookbook is to praise the range of flavors it incorporates. Sheet Pan Suppers helps us open our kitchens to global tastes, with Mideast falafels, Southwest enchiladas, All-American chicken, Asian-spiced pork, and Italian-inspired fish. There are meat dishes and vegetarian dishes and healthful fruit desserts as well as sinful indulgences.

A few notes: (1) Although there are plenty of options for busy weeknights in Sheet Pan Suppers, I think it has a kind of lazy weekend feel to it. (2) I'm glad that not all the recipes involve roasting: Some dishes cook under a broiler, and others are baked covered or in parchment pockets. (3) The scan (at the right) is of the Greek Stuffed Roly-Poly Squash (all rights remain with Gilbert), which is on my list to try.

One of the dinners I made was Philly Chicken Sausage & Peppers with Basil-Garlic Bread, although I substituted spicy Italian (pork) sausages. This was a quick meal to put together and perfect for a weeknight. We both loved it, and I know we'll have it again.

If you're looking for easy yet nutritious and flavorful dinners, snacks, and desserts pick up Molly Gilbert's Sheet Pan Suppers. You're sure to discover some new go-to dishes that will fit your busy schedule. And what could be less stressful for a casual company dinner than to pull out a baking pan of colorful deliciousness?

Instead of sharing a recipe, I've included the following short video in which Gilbert makes a simple salmon dish from her book.

Published by Workman, 2015
ISBN-13: 9780761178422
Source: Review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)