Sheet pan meals and busy days go hand in hand. Sheet pan meals are so easy! Sheet pan meals are delicious.
easy delicious meal for a busy day
Sheet pan meals are easy to make and extremely convenient for a busy day. Incidentally, it works for comapny, families, singles and couples!
Does the day pass you by and then it is time for dinner? Keeping a few key ingedients on hand for sheet pan meal is smart and can save a bit of stress over the question of what to make for dinner.
Sheet pan meals also hold up when made early. If you prep ahead of time, even better. Grab it out of the fridge and spread it on the lined baking sheet. That makes this already easy meal even easier.
Meg works retail so you know what that can mean…many late nights. Odd hours. This is a great option for us.
quick and convenient
Having easy meal options like this one with salmon and asparagus is a great one for us. Main dish and vegetables. Perfect!
Most sheet pan meals cook quickly. The prep time is minimal. The clean up is quick because so few pans and utensils are used. That works for me!
If you line your sheet pan just right, you can carefully fold it up and toss leaving the pan totally clean. Lining the pan protects it from the inevitable brown and black spots over regular usage.
Lining the sheet pan is key in my mind. Why? I want the easy clean up which means no pan to curb! Parchment paper is not just for cookies; it’s for sheet pan meals too. Easy cleanup!
Prepping the salmon and asparagus is about as easy as you can get.
Rice is a great side. It can be white rice made in the rice cooker or our preferre favorite, Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice. A green salad can be added to round out the meal.
PREPARe the salmon
Asparagus with salmon and Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice is a standard menu for us. The only change is how I prepare it. Another good side might be cut up red potatoes in lieu of rice.
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Next, line your baking pan with parchment paper.
Prepping the salmon is about as easy as you can get.
For this sheet pan meal, I used wild sockeye salmon. It is a bright salmon red color. The flavor’s stronger than Atlantic or farm raised salmon. When baked, the oil in in the fillet comes and looks white and visible.
No mixing bowl needed. Just put the salmon pieces skin down on the lined sheet pan. Place sliced sweet peppers on top. Drizzle extra virgin oil lightly. Put sliced limes or lemons on top. Squeeze the juice out the lime end pieces over the salmon.
I do not use green peppers because the flavor can overpower the delicate one of the salmon. Using seasoning is meant to enhance and not hide the flavor.
Colorful peppers, limes and lemons, tomatoes, lettuces and berries are staples in my fridge.
I also use extra virgin olive oil. When I decided to switch to a less heavy tasting olive oil, I bought several small bottles to find that fresh taste. If you go to a specialty store, often you can get a taste test to help you chose.
garden fresh asparagus
Jim’s asparagus is ready! Asparagus is a delicous spring vegetable. Like I said, when it is ready for picking, it needs to be cooked!
Woody ends of asparagus spears need to be trimmed even when bunches purchased. The ends are tough and stringy. Bend the asparagus to find the spot to trim off. If it won’t bend, cut it off. Sometimes, you can tell by the color changing and the extra thickness. Toss the ends into your compost bin.
Line the trimmed asparagus on the sheet pan with the salmon and drizzle with olive oil. That’s it. No other seasoning is needed.
Pop in preheated oven to 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve from the sheet pan. Now, how easy it that? Here is the recipe.
Sheet Pan Salmon and Fresh Asparagus
Equipment
- sheet pan, parchament paper, knife, cutting board
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound salmon Alternate: use 1 individaul piece per person
- 12-15 spears asparagus, trimmed
- 1-2 tsbp extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
- 3 limes, thin sliced Alternative: lemon
- 1 red, yellow or orange pepper, sliced don't use green peppers
Instructions
- Pre hear over to 350 degrees
- Line sheet pan with parchment paper
- Put salmon pieces skin down on lined sheet pan
- Lightly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil on top of the salmon
- Arrange sliced peppers on top of salmon
- Add sliced lime on top
- Squeeze the juice from the lime ends over the salmon
- Trim aparagus of woody ends
- Arrange asparagus trimmed spears in a line on the lined sheet pan next to the salmon
- LIghtly drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the spears
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for appx 20 minutes of less until done
Planning meals ahead helps me be ready for our in and out household with older kids so we can catch them when we can! Any ideas for other easy quick meals. Please share.
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Well, that looks amazing and very easy, which is a bonus for me since I’m not into complicated meal prep. Off to pin! Thanks!
So true Kim. I do like keeping those easy but delicious recipes and menus on hand too.
Thanks for sharing, Linda! I can’t wait to give your recipe a try. Perfect meal for after a long day of swimming.
Summer time is here! Hope everyone enjoys it. Thanks for stopping by.
I love salmon and this sound amazing!
Thanks Melba. Tasty and very easy to make. A perfect meal.
Yum! I am saving this – my husband loves salmon! Thank you for sharing.
Hope he enjoys it!
I love sheet pan recipes and this looks yummy!
Marty, it is!
We switched to parchment in the last year or so and I love it. I found a compostable version too! Easy meals like this are the best!
Marie, I love meals like this too espcially for the easy clean up.
I am not a fan of fish, but that looks good enough to encourage me to try. lol
Thanks Antia! The asparagus is really good this way though.
What a delicious recipe! its perfect combo.
My family agrees with that!
Quick easy and healthy! This one is a winner! Thanks for sharing it.
You are welcome. Thanks for dropping by.
Asparagus in the oven is sooo good! Pinned! And thanks for sharing Linda!
It was delicious Cindy. Thanks.
This looks amazing. I love quick and easy meals, especially for weeknights when everyone is rushing.
Thanks Carol. It’s good to have these types of option though I would also serve this meal for a special dinner.
In this house we LOVE salmon!!! I can’t wait to try this recipe! It sounds so easy and delicious!
Hope everyone enjoys it!
What a great idea! Aqua Pazza is my go-to fish recipe but I have to babysit it. I love how quick and no-fuss this is to make.
I just folded that parchemnt paper up, toosed and put the sheet pan right back into the cabinet!
I love this meal. I always use foil and it rips when we serve the salmon. I’m going to use parchment paper the next time. Thank you for that tip.
It works wonderfully!
Now that’s my kind of meal. Quick, easy, no fuss, and two of my all-time favorite foods together. Pure heavenly yumminess
Good that right Michelle!
Your version is a lot healthier Than mine. I use butter too.
Well, butter can burn…
What a great weeknight meal idea! Easy and healthy, too!
So true. An area I really stuggle with becasuse I love potatoes!