7 Game-Changing Sheet Pan Recipes (That Might Surprise You!)

Here are 7 (surprising) things you can make on a sheet pan to make your life easier!

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If you’ve been following me for a while (especially on Facebook or Instagram), you know I LOVE a good sheet pan dinner. A complete meal on one pan? Yes, please! (I talk about some of my favorites in this post.)

But there are other sheet pan foods you can make that you might not know about…

I’m about to share a list of foods that are easier/faster/better made on a sheet pan, and some of them may surprise you!

I’m all about time-saving tricks, especially ones that make feeding my family a little bit easier.

And while not everything on the list necessarily cooks faster, it does offer more hands-off time, allowing you the freedom to do other things while it cooks!

And what mom doesn’t want that??

Check out the list, then answer AT LEAST ONE of the following questions in the comments section at the bottom:

Which of these foods have you already made in a sheet pan?
Which one(s) completely blew your mind?
Which one(s) are you going to try first?

Ready? Let’s go…

7 Surprising, Game-Changing Sheet Pan Recipes

Pancakes

This is literally the only way I make pancakes now. Admittedly, the texture is different from traditional pancakes, but… I don’t have to stand over a griddle and flip a million cakes!

This is a HUGE time-saving option, especially if you’re feeding breakfast for a crowd (or making a big batch to freeze for later.)

Related Post: 15 Make-Ahead Breakfasts for More Relaxed Mornings

I’ve used several different recipes, but this is a good one!
French Toast

I wouldn’t say this one is easier, exactly (you still have to dunk and flip), but it enables you to do something else while the french toast cooks, which is super handy. Plus, with a couple of sheet pans, you can cook a lot more at once!

Recipe from Fit Foodie Finds
Scrambled Eggs

As with the pancakes, the texture is a little different baked in the oven. But it’s great for a crowd, for freezing for busy school mornings, for egg sandwiches, and for a batch of breakfast burritos.

Recipe from Longbourn Farm
Cookies

Sheet pan cookies are fabulous. Mix up the batter, plop it on a sheet pan, and away you go. No scooping a million balls of dough or baking in batches.

Tip: I use a cookie scoop to drop balls of dough across the pan, and then I spread it out slightly with a spatula. They will spread as they bake to fill the pan, so there’s no need to spend much time on it!

This recipe from The Baking ChocolaTess is soooooo good.
Hamburgers/Sliders

Of course, there’s nothing like hamburgers on the grill (check out this post for some grilling tips), but hamburgers/sliders on a sheet pan are SUPER handy.

This is my favorite recipe — they are delicious! (**We get our beef from a friend who raises cows, and it is good stuff. So your results may vary depending on the quality of your beef.)
Nachos

Sheet Pan Nachos are perfect for when you want to make nachos for the entire family!

Instructions:
Spread tortilla chips across a half sheet pan. Top with seasoned (cooked) taco meat and cheese of your choice. Broil for a few minutes until cheese is melted and meat is warmed through. Top with all the nacho garnishes your little heart desires.
Quesadillas

I’m a terrrrible quesadilla flipper, so discovering sheet pan quesadillas was truly a game-changer for me.

I recommend this method from Midwest Foodie, though I use fewer tortillas (for now… I’ll need to use more when the kids get bigger).

Related Post: 50 Ways to Repurpose Leftovers: Waste Less, Save More!

BONUS: Sheet Pan Grilled Cheese

As I was putting the final touches on this post, my friend Kishona at lifeinlapehaven.com shared her genius method of making grilled cheese on a sheet pan. I tried it last night, and it worked so slick, I rushed right over to add it to this post.

You can find her instructions in her Instastory highlights, or you can find a slightly different method here.

Most of us don’t have a lot of extra time to kill in our everyday lives. So we need to be efficient with the time we do have. That way, we have more for the things we love and cherish most!

I have long been a fan of sheet pan dinners for this very reason, but discovering these seven sheet pan foods has been even more of a game-changer for me. And I think it will be for you, too!

SHARE WITH US: Which of these foods have you already made in a sheet pan? Which one(s) completely blew your mind? Which one(s) are you going to try first?