5 Simple Sheet-Pan Breakfasts

If you only ever break out your sheet pans to bake cookies, you’re missing out on a great tool for simplifying your mornings. A sheet-pan breakfast is an all-in-one method you can master, even if you’re groggy — just one pan gets you a delicious meal with easy cleanup.

Sheet-pan meals are an especially useful trick for feeding a crowd. Instead of hovering over half a pound of splattering bacon on the stove or cooking a dozen individual pancakes, you can slide the whole meal into the oven at once, and everyone’s food is ready at the same time. You might even have time to enjoy a cup of coffee before the timer goes off.

Green Shakshuka

A North African breakfast dish, shakshuka is typically cooked on the stovetop with stewed tomatoes and onions. This sheet-pan version uses greens for a bright, nutritious twist on the classic.

Makes 6 servings | Prep time 15 minutes | Cook time 10 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 bunches Swiss chard
• 6 oz. Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
• 6 large eggs
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Cilantro for garnish (optional)
• Toasted bread for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Strip the Swiss chard leaves from the stems. Thinly slice the stems and place in a large bowl. Chop the leaves and add to the bowl. Add Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, scallions, olive oil, cumin, and salt. Toss to coat.
3. Spread the chard mixture evenly on a 13-x-18-inch sheet pan and roast for five minutes to wilt the greens.
4. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to divide the mixture into six portions. Form each into a mound with a divot in the center.
5. Crack an egg into each divot, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and return the pan to the oven.
6. Bake for five to eight minutes, until the yolks are as set as you like.
7. Garnish with cilantro and serve over toast, if desired.

Sheet-Pan Blueberry Pancakes

Makes 12 servings | Prep time 10 minutes | Cook time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup avocado oil, plus more for the pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tbs. coconut sugar
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup frozen blueberries (don’t thaw)
• Toppings of choice: yogurt, fresh fruit, or maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Generously oil a 15-x-10-inch sheet pan (also called a jelly roll pan), or line with parchment paper and rub oil around the rim.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk and eggs and whisk until smooth, then add the 1/2 cup of oil and vanilla and whisk again until incorporated.
4. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until there are no lumps. Gently stir in the oats, then fold in the frozen blueberries.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use the tip of a spatula to distribute the berries evenly.
6. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Let cool in the pan for five minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the edges. Cut into 12 squares, then use a metal spatula to transfer cakes to plates.
8. Serve warm with desired toppings.

TIP: If you don’t have buttermilk or prefer to avoid dairy, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 1/2 cups of any nondairy milk. Let it sit for a few minutes, and voilà: vegan buttermilk!

Beet and Sausage Hash

 Makes 6 servings | Prep time 15 minutes | Cook time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large beets, peeled and cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 large parsnips, peeled and cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried sage
• 16 oz. precooked sausage links
  (any kind, including meatless)
• 1 bunch kale, leaves stripped from stems and chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place the beets, parsnips, and onions in a large bowl, then add the olive oil, salt, and sage. Toss to coat. The beets may stain the parsnips pink — this is normal.
3. Spread the vegetables on a 13-x-18-inch sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes.
4. While the vegetables roast, slice the sausages into 1-inch rounds.
5. At 20 minutes, stir the sausage into the vegetables and roast for 10 minutes longer.
6. Sprinkle the chopped kale leaves over the pan and fold them into the hot mixture, then roast for 10 more minutes, until the beets are tender and the kale softened.
7. Serve.

Sweet Potato Nests With Oven Bacon

Makes 6 servings | Prep time 15 minutes | Cook time 30 to 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups shredded sweet potatoes (about three large)
• 3 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 3/4 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tbs. plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 large eggs
• 6 strips bacon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, cabbage, thyme, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat. Spread the remaining teaspoon of olive oil on a 13-x-18-inch sheet pan, then spread the sweet potato mixture evenly on the pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a spatula to divide the mixture into six portions.
4. Shape each into a round nest with a divot in the center. Crack an egg into each divot, sprinkle with a bit of salt, then bake for 10 more minutes. Check that the yolk is done to your liking — you may choose to bake for a few additional minutes.
5. While the sweet potatoes bake, line a second sheet pan with parchment paper and lay the bacon strips on it. Bake for 12 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon and your desired level of crispness. Drain the bacon on paper towels, then serve each nest with a strip of bacon.

Smoked Salmon and Quinoa Strata

Makes 6 servings | Prep time 15 minutes | Cook time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 10 large eggs
• 6 oz. smoked salmon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 oz. chèvre, crumbled
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 oz. arugula (about 3 cups)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Use the olive oil to generously grease a 13-x-18-inch sheet pan, including the rim.
3. In a small pot, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil over high heat, then add the rinsed quinoa. Return to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 14 minutes. When all the water is absorbed, take the pot off the heat, remove the lid, and fluff. Let cool to room temperature.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then stir in the salmon, chèvre, scallions, salt, and pepper.
5. Drizzle about half of the egg mixture into the oiled pan, making a thin layer. Spoon the quinoa over the egg mixture, then drizzle the remaining half of the egg mixture evenly over the quinoa.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, until the eggs are cooked through and the top is golden around the edges.
7. Cool on a rack for five minutes before cutting into six pieces. Serve topped with arugula.

This article originally appeared as “Simple Sheet-Pan Breakfasts” in the December 2022 issue of Experience Life.