By Summer has hit its stride, which means the kids have found their routines and the house has reached a state of manageable disorder that I have decided to accept rather than fight. Amber reads. Tyler builds. Justin runs. Josie follows whoever will let her follow them, which is usually Tyler, who tolerates her with the patience of a saint, and occasionally Justin, who tolerates her with the patience of someone counting to ten very slowly.
I am back on my regular route schedule: three to four days a week on the road, home the rest. The slow cooker is my best friend in summer. This week I loaded it with a pork roast and barbecue sauce before I pulled out Monday morning. Pork shoulder, a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray sauce, a splash of apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder. Low and slow for eight hours while I drove to Lincoln and back. By the time I parked for the night at a rest stop outside York, I had pulled pork that would make a restaurant jealous. I ate it on white bread with coleslaw I had prepped the night before and felt like the richest woman in Nebraska, which is a low bar, but still.
Dave tried to make dinner on Tuesday while I was on the road. He made spaghetti, which is his second-best dish after macaroni and cheese from a box. According to Amber, who texted me a detailed report, the noodles were overcooked, the sauce was from a jar which is fine, and Dave forgot to make any vegetable whatsoever. Tyler ate three plates. Justin ate two. Josie ate the noodles plain with butter because she has entered a phase where sauce is unacceptable. Dave called this a success. By Dave standards, it was.
I got home Wednesday and made a real dinner: baked chicken thighs with roasted potatoes and a salad. The salad was for me, mostly, because after two days of truck food even my body starts asking for something green. The chicken thighs are foolproof: season with garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, drizzle with olive oil, bake at 425 for thirty-five minutes. The skin gets crispy, the meat stays juicy, and it costs about six dollars for enough to feed the whole family. That is the recipe I give to anyone who says they cannot cook. You can cook. You just have not met chicken thighs yet.
After two days away and Dave’s idea of a balanced meal being three plates of buttered noodles, I needed a dinner that felt like coming home—something real, something with vegetables, something that reminded everyone including myself that we do actually eat like people who care. The sheet pan version I’m sharing here is that Wednesday night chicken elevated just slightly: same foolproof thighs, but with the potatoes and broccoli all roasting together on one pan so everything is done at the same time and there is exactly one dish to wash. Here’s how I make it.
Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4–6
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes, halved
- 2 cups broccoli florets (or whatever vegetable you have on hand)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet pan with foil or give it a light coat of cooking spray.
- Season the chicken. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels—this is the step that gets you crispy skin. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then sprinkle evenly with garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Rub it in so every surface is coated.
- Prep the vegetables. Toss potatoes and broccoli with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread them out on the sheet pan in a single layer.
- Arrange and bake. Nestle the chicken thighs skin-side up on top of and around the vegetables. Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and crispy and the juices run clear. No flipping, no fussing.
- Rest and serve. Let the pan rest for five minutes before serving. That’s it. That’s the whole recipe.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 480mg