It always surprises me when I hear people say they don’t like cooking, don’t have time to cook or just don’t want to. I don’t believe it could get any easier than throwing everything onto an oven tray and baking it in the oven. It most parts this is called a “tray bake” and it couldn’t get any simpler. Here are 16 tray bake recipes for dinner in 30 minutes or less.
What you’ll need:
- Meat that is going to stand up to a relatively high temperature for a longer period of time does well in a tray bake. Cuts like chicken thighs, drumsticks, chicken pieces, pork or lamb chops. sausages etc will take about the same time to cook as the vegetables. If you cook a piece of fish or chicken breast, it will most likely dry out before the vegetables cook.
- All sorts of vegetables are great for a tray bake. Potatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin, other root vegetables like parsnip, carrots, wedges of cabbage, tomatoes, onion, olives. asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, beans, capsicum (peppers), whole garlic cloves.
- Canned pulses also add an extra boost of protein or go all out with a vegetarian tray bake. Try chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans etc.
- Herbs and spices sprinkled on before cooking will enhance the flavour. It’s probably best to leave any fresh herbs until serving for garnish.
- All your other seasonings like sauces such as barbecue sauce, soy sauce, honey, maple syrup, salt, pepper, flavoured salts will also enhance the flavour.
- Add 1 to 2 cups of stock to the dish when cooking and make a gravy once the meat and vegetables have been removed. All that goodness will be in the remaining liquid and make the most delicious sauce.
Recipe Ideas
One Pan Butter Chicken with Rice
Greek Lamb Meatballs Tray Bake
Creamy Chicken & Risoni Tray Bake
Sticky Salmon & Crunchy Potato Tray Bake
Roasted Salmon with Broccoli, Lime & Chili Tray Bake
Chicken, Chorizo, Leek & Cauliflower Tray Bake
Garlic & Rosemary Chicken Tray Bake
Macaroni Cheese & Parmigiana Tray Bake
Hoisin Peanut Chicken & Rice Tray Bake
Creamy Pumpkin & Pasta Vegetarian Tray Bake
Mexican Chicken Tenders Tray Bake
