You know those summer meals you want might last forever? Warm weather and an outdoor table, excellent company and plenty of jokes, juicy sweet corn on the cob, and chicken slathered in sticky tangy-sweet barbecue sauce are generally included. (A watermelon is also appropriate.) While I can’t promise the first two, I can show you how to make the same dish any time of year without even firing up the grill. With chicken, veggies, potatoes, and corn on the cob, it’s a complete barbecue feast on a single baking sheet – it’s summer on a sheet pan!
Sheet pan dinners are my favorite. Throwing a number of items on a single baking sheet and pulling a complete, well-rounded dish out of the oven is so fulfilling. I’ve been head over heals for a few previously, but this one may be my all-time favorite. It’s such a traditional mix that everyone enjoys, so it’s appropriate for family, company, or whatever!
And it’s not one of those hard sheet pan dishes that profess to be simple but actually require you to add and remove components due to incompatible cooking times. Nope. Everything in this one cooks for the same amount of time in the oven. The chicken is finished at the same time as the corn, potatoes, and zucchini. There is no fuss.
INGREDIENTS
3-4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
8-10 quartered tiny red potatoes
1 large red bell pepper, peeled and sliced into 1-inch slices
1 red onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch slices
1 medium zucchini, quartered and cut into bits
4 ears shucked corn
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup favorite barbecue sauce
Extra virgin olive oil
To taste, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
PLAN THE SEASONING:
1 smoked paprika teaspoon
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. brown sugar
a half teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon of salt
PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
On a baking sheet, combine the potatoes, zucchini, red onion, and bell pepper. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to coat.
Season chicken breasts with barbecue spice (paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, cumin, and salt) and season with salt and pepper.
Arrange vegetables on a baking pan, leaving room for corn in one corner. Place the seasoned chicken among the vegetables.
Season each cob with salt and pepper and top with 1/2 tbsp butter. Wrap each ear of corn in foil. Arrange corn on baking sheet in an empty space.
Bake in the upper third of the oven for 25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Remove the chicken and slather it with barbecue sauce. Return to the oven and raise the broiler to high. Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce begins to caramelize and the vegetables are colored. Serve and have fun!
