I had the wonderful pleasure of my mom staying over while my husband traveled a week or so ago. It was so nice to have quality time with her and my kids were in heaven. She’s not too adventurous when eating so I always try to be thoughtful about what I’m going to serve her. This dish immediately came to mind because it completely fits the bill — simple, flavorful and didn’t take too long to prepare. Time to talk about Easy Sheet Pan Chicken with Potatoes and Pears.

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What Works Here

The sheet pan cooks everything at once, cutting down on active cooking and cleanup time. All of the prep work is done while the oven preheats. You can even line the pan with aluminum foil for super easy cleanup. I love industrial type sheet pans. They are sturdier than most regular pans and cook things evenly. These are a great purchase.

While chopping the potatoes and pears, try to cut them into pieces about the same size. Smaller pieces will cook quicker than larger pieces, so having a uniform size really helps to promote even cooking. Also, make sure there is space between all the items on the pan. If they are too close together, moisture isn’t able to escape. This ends up with steamed food, not roasted food.

It’s amazing how adding just a little bit of olive oil and salt can bring out the flavors of food. When I first started cooking I would never know how much olive oil or salt to use though. Too much and the vegetables were soggy, not enough and they were dry. I learned along the way that ¼ cup of olive oil is enough for 6 cups of vegetables. As for salt, unfortunately, it isn’t as straight forward. I generally use about 2 teaspoons per pound of meat. Vegetables are harder to guage because it truly is about your taste. I always salt it until I think it’s done and then add a bit more. We tend to fear overdoing it so much that we undersalt things. Over time you will start to see how much salt you need to add. That’s a skill I’m still working on that myself.

As for the other elements of the dish, the dressing does double-duty to add flavor to the chicken as well as the whole dish. It’s light on ingredients but heavy on flavor. I used mixed greens here because it was what I had on had although watercress or arugula would work really well and add more flavor.

How is This Sheet Pan Chicken Kid-Friendly?

You may be thinking, what are my kids going to eat? Chicken, pears, potatoes with dressing on the side is the answer. It’s also a great way to introduce a new green to your kids. Simply put a few pieces of the mixed greens on their plates and encourage them to try it. I’ve read reports saying that kids can be introduced to foods 10-15 times before they will eat them. It’s worth a shot if you can get it on their plates.

Most importantly, if they are anything like mine, when putting it on the plate, no food should be touching! Ever!

So without further adieu. Here’s the recipe for Easy Sheet Pan Chicken, Pears, and Potatoes.