I cook for others all week long — on the job and then at home. On Sundays, I cook what I want to eat. I crave simple food, so my day doesn’t center on the kitchen. I choose (mostly) ordinary ingredients that don’t break the bank or require multiple store visits, but still deliver value and comfort. Ever the planner, I prepare enough food at once to ensure I have leftovers to tote for lunch and a second dinner.
More often than not, a hot oven factors into these dinners. Ditto for a sturdy, rimmed baking sheet large enough to hold dinner for four. My favorite is light-colored (to prevent over-browning of foods) and nonstick (for easy cleanup). Often called a half-sheet pan or a jelly-roll pan, the most versatile size is about 18 by 13 inches with sides about 1-inch high. No stress if yours measures slightly different.
Usually, chicken fills the pan — cut-up parts rubbed generously with warm spices. I tuck plenty of vegetables around the parts to soak up the juices and transform into meltingly tender goodness.
Spatchcocked chickens (whole splayed-open chickens with their backbones removed) garner lots of attention on the internet for their dramatic appearance. The once-ubiquitous “cut-up whole chicken” not so much. Nor is it readily available in the supermarket. These days, drumsticks, thighs, breasts, even wings, are sold in separate packages. Mix and match as you see fit.