BY “HUNGRY GIRL” LISA LILLIEN
In This Article
When life gets busy, eating well shouldn’t feel like a chore.
With just a few smart tools, you can enjoy wholesome, satisfying meals that come together quickly—no fuss, no long ingredient lists, and no mountain of pots and pans to clean up afterward.
That’s why I’m all about kitchen creations that require minimal equipment and prep. And when it comes to low-effort, high-reward cooking, the sheet pan reigns supreme!
Here’s why this humble kitchen essential deserves BFF status in your cooking routine:
- Versatility: Sheet pans can do it all: baking, roasting, broiling, and even serving.
- Large Cooking Surface: Cook multiple items at once without overcrowding.
- Perfect Heat Distribution: Designed to evenly distribute heat for consistent and thorough cooking.
- Easy Cleanup: Sheet pans are a breeze to clean—just wash by hand or toss in the dishwasher. Plus, the raised edges help contain oven spills and drips.
- Cost-Effective & Long-Lasting: Affordable and durable, they can last a lifetime. (I’ve had my favorite one since 1999!)
- Space-Saving: Flat and stackable, they are easy to store in a cabinet or drawer.
- Multipurpose Use: Beyond cooking, they are great for marinating, mixing, and assembling dishes.
- Smart-Cooking: A lazy (and healthy!) cook’s dream. Sheet pan cooking couldn’t be easier. Load up on nutritious ingredients for healthy, delicious flavors and textures.
Sheet Pan 101
The beauty of the recipes in my Hungry Girl Sheet Pan Cookbook is that they can all be baked on a simple sheet pan, aka a baking sheet. I recommend having a few on hand in different sizes.
- Half-size sheet pan = 13 inches x 18 inches
- Mid-size sheet pan = 10 inches x 15 inches
Mid-size sheet pans come in handy when you’re working with batters or mixtures that you don’t want to spread too thin.
Sheet pan = pan with a rim
Sheet pan and baking sheet are synonymous. Both refer to a flat baking pan that’s typically rectangular in shape with a small rim. A cookie sheet, on the other hand, generally refers to a sheet without the rim. That rim tends to help keep the food contained and your kitchen mess-free!
Kitchen Essentials
In addition to a few sheet pans, I also recommend having the following kitchen tools on hand:
Parchment paper. Lining your baking sheet with parchment makes cleanup easier by preventing your food from sticking. When possible, opt for unbleached, non-toxic parchment paper free from chlorine and other harmful chemicals.
Conventional parchment is often treated with bleach or coated with nonstick chemicals like PFAS, which can leach into food at high temperatures. Choosing a cleaner option helps protect both your health and the environment—without sacrificing performance in the kitchen.
Cooking spray. Another no-stick solution for speedy cleanup. Opt for neutral-tasting oils, like avocado or extra virgin olive oil. If you avoid aerosol products, you can buy a mister bottle and fill it with your favorite cooking oil.
*FYI: Even when a dish includes food tossed in oil, I still recommend spraying your baking sheet. The traditional oil and the sprayable kind serve separate purposes. The spray keeps your food from sticking, and the oil helps your food crisp up nicely.
Meat thermometer. The cooking times listed within recipes are estimates and can vary from oven to oven. If you want to be sure your meat, poultry, and seafood are cooked through (and you DO!), a meat thermometer may become your new kitchen essential.
Oven thermometer. You might be surprised to learn that your oven’s built-in thermostat isn’t always accurate—it can be off by as much as 20 degrees (or more), which can make a big difference when it comes to baking or roasting.
That’s why using a simple oven thermometer that hangs inside your oven can be a total game changer. It gives you a true reading of the internal temperature, helping ensure more consistent results, better texture, and fewer surprises when the timer goes off.
Scratch-proof spatulas. Look for a handle and base sturdy enough to flip a variety of foods, from spinach to chicken. One that’s coated in silicone will be heat resistant and protect your pans.
Oven mitts. You can’t go wrong with silicone oven mitts. They offer excellent heat protection and a secure, non-slip grip—perfect for handling hot sheet pans with confidence.
Now, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, hit the sheets, and whip up some magic in the kitchen with these delicious recipes!
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LISA LILLIEN (aka Hungry Girl) is a New York Times bestselling author and “foodologist”—not because she has some fancy degree, but because she is obsessed with food. Over three million email subscribers and social media followers eagerly await Hungry Girl’s recipes, food finds, and tips and tricks each weekday.
Lisa also reaches millions more with a biweekly podcast, Hungry Girl magazine, and appearances on television shows like Good Morning America, The View, and The Dr. Oz Show. She has starred in top-rated cooking shows on Food Network and Cooking Channel.
Well Being Journal adapted the above excerpt from Hungry Girl Sheet Pan Cookbook by Lisa Lillien. Copyright © 2025 and reprinted with permission from St. Martin’s Publishing Group.
