The holidays are almost behind us and I don’t know about you but I’m ready to take it easy.

I dove into Christmas headfirst this year and the hustle and bustle of that plus all of the dark and gloomy days we’ve been having lately has left me completely exhausted. For me, January will be about slowing things way, way down and focusing on my word of the year – zen.

When it comes to zen in the kitchen, I love recipes that take a little bit of prep work – there’s something so relaxing about slicing mushrooms or chopping an onion – but not a lot of time standing over the stove.

Sheet pan dinners like sheet pan gnocchi or one pan orange salmon with sweet potatoes are great for those nights where you just…can’t.

How to cook gnocchi in the oven

Cooking gnocchi on a sheet pan is one of my favorite kitchen tricks.

Just toss the dry gnocchi in some oil and liquid – in this recipe I used lemon juice – and it magically plumps and softens in the oven.

Not only do you not need to wait for a giant pot of water to boil, but the edges of the gnocchi get slightly crispy and all sorts of delicious. I love gnocchi any way it’s cooked, but I definitely prefer this baked version to boiled.

As an added bonus, you can take advantage of the already hot oven and throw the rest of your ingredients right on the same sheet pan so everything can cook together. In this case, I added mushrooms, asparagus, and GO VEGGIE’s lactose-free parmesan for a simple, nourishing vegetarian meal that couldn’t be easier to make. (If you use their vegan parmesan, this easy sheet pan meal would also be vegan. I always have one version or the other in my fridge – I buy whatever the store happens to have because they’re both delicious.)

If you don’t like asparagus or are looking for an alternative, you can swap it out for green beans. Stirring a cup of frozen peas to this healthy gnocchi recipe is also a nice option.

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Lemon-Parmesan Gnocchi with Mushrooms (Sheet Pan Dinner)

Sheet-pan mushroom parmesan gnocchi is an easy dinner that's perfect for busy weeknights when you want a nourishing meal but don't feel like spending a lot of time or energy in the kitchen.

Course Healthy One Pan Recipes

Cuisine American

Keyword gnocchi sheet pan recipe, healthy gnocchi recipe, sheet pan gnocchi

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 300kcal

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 16 ounces gnocchi (dried /shelf stable)
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms sliced
• 1 bunch asparagus cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1 lemon juiced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup vegetarian parmesan cheese plus more for serving
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 lemon thinly sliced
• 5-6 fresh basil leaves. thinly sliced optional

Instructions

• Heat your oven to 450ºF.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the gnocchi, mushrooms, asparagus, lemon juice, olive oil, parmesan, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine, making sure the gnocchi is fully coated with oil.
• Pour the gnocchi mixture onto a baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Scatter the lemon slices over top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the gnocchi is plump and tender and the asparagus is slightly charred.
• Remove the gnocchi from the oven and discard the lemon slices. If desired, Stir in the fresh basil. Serve with extra parmesan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 489mg | Potassium: 347mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 91IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 5mg

I created this recipe for my client, GO VEGGIE. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen.

Grilled cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods. It’s one of my go-to things to make when I’m in a hurry and don’t have a lot of time to cook, but I’ve also been known to order a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato at my favorite diner.

The classic combo of American slices on white bread brings me straight back to when I was a kid, but I also love to play around with different filling options. Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese? Delicious. Gourmet Grilled Cheese with Jalapeno Jelly? Amazing. Mushroom Melt Grilled Cheese? Downright craveable.

April is National Grilled Cheese Month, and I couldn’t let it pass without adding another recipe to the collection. This Fancy Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onion, Apples, and Bacon is one of my favorites to date. It has all of the nostalgic goodness that you’d expect a grilled cheese to provide, but sweet caramelized onions and tart apples take it to the next level and add a ton of dimension.

I used GO VEGGIE lactose Free American Singles for these sandwiches and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been working with GO VEGGIE for over 3 years, but only gave the American singles a try recently. They’re indistinguishable from ordinary American slices, with the added benefit of having 30% less calories, 25% more calcium, and no cholesterol. Plus check out that melt! You can’t ask for more.

How to make the best grilled cheese

1. Use salted butter to grease your pan well. I don’t call for salted butter often, but that little hit of salt on the crispy toasted bread is amazing. If you don’t keep salted butter in your refrigerator, add a pinch to the pan once your butter melts. (You can also use a nondairy butter alternative to keep this recipe lactose free)
2. Use soft fillings – and limit them! Save the bulky, heavy ingredients for paninis. For grilled cheese, keep the fillings soft for the best gooey texture. A slice of bacon or soft vegetables work well, but stay away from anything the requires a lot of chewing. For the grilled cheese in this post, I sliced my apples paper thin. You could also shred them.
3. Use cheese that melts well. Hard or ages cheesed don’t really work here – there’s a reason Mom always used singles! I like to use singles for the best melt. GO VEGGIE makes them in a ton of flavors, from American to Pepper Jack to Smoked Provolone so there are a lot of options. I also like to cover my pan for the first few minutes. It creates a steamy environment that encourages the cheese to get extra melty. After you flip your sandwich, keep it uncovered to help the bread crisp.
4. Cut on a diagonal. Always. Any other way just isn’t right.
   
   

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   Fancy Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onion, Apples, and Bacon

   Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

   Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

   Total Time 42 minutes minutes

   Servings 4

   Author Lauren Keating

   Ingredients

   • 1 teaspoon salted butter
   • 1 onion thinly sliced
   • 1 pinch sugar
   • 8 slices sourdough or white bread
   • 12 slices GO VEGGIE Lactose Free American Singles
   • 1 apple thinly sliced
   • 8 slices cooked bacon optional
   • 1 tablespoon butter cut into four pieces

   Instructions

   • Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a pan set over medium heat. Add the onions and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and deeply browned – about 30 minutes. (Make ahead tip: freeze a big batch of caramelized onions in an ice cube tray!)
   • Arrange four slices of bread on a flat surface. Top each with 3 pieces of American, some of the caramelized onions, apple slices, and bacon (if using). Top each sandwich with a second slice of bread.
   • Heat one piece of butter on a griddle set over medium low heat. Add two sandwiches. Cover and cook 3 minutes. Add a second piece of butter. Flip the sandwiches and cook uncovered for another 3-4 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and toasted and the cheese is melted. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
   • Cut on a diagonal and serve hot.

I created this recipe for my client, GO VEGGIE.  Thank you for supporting the brands that make Healthy Delicious possible.

March is always a stressful time for me at the office. Combine that with the fact that winter finally decided to show up (at this rate, we’ll have snow on the ground until June) and I’m craving comfort food like crazy. Creamy macaroni and cheese, roast chicken, pasta – I’ll take it all!

I was thinking about making a pot of my lentil and pumpkin chili, when I had the idea of using the lentils for sloppy joes instead. Lentils are a great alternative to meat in recipes like this. They’re hearty and full of fiber, protein, and iron but their flavor is relatively mild. Paired with a quick homemade barbecue sauce and piled on top of a soft burger bun, these barbecue lentil sloppy joes will take you straight back to childhood.

Cheese isn’t a traditional component of sloppy joes, but what isn’t better with a slice of cheddar? GO VEGGIE’s cheddar singles complement the barbecue flavor of these sloppy joe’s perfectly. I used their vegan cheddar singles for these sloppy joes, which kept the whole recipe vegan-friendly, but you can also use the lactose free version. Either way, you can’t go wrong! I love how these singles melt, and the vegan version has 65% less fat and half the calories of ordinary cheese.

You can use your favorite store bought barbecue sauce for these lentil sloppy joes, but it’s definitely worth it to take a few minutes to make your own. The flavor can’t be matched and it’s made with standard pantry items. I start with a combination of ketchup, mustard, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce – just like mom used when I was a kid – but I sweeten it with maple syrup instead of brown sugar and add a good pinch of cayenne pepper. The result is subtly sweet, tangy, and a little spicy. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, omit the cayenne and add more maple syrup to taste.

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BBQ Lentil Sloppy Joes

Quick homemade barbecue sauce gives these lentil sloppy joes a ton of flavor. You can also substitute 1 1/2 cups of your favorite bottled barbecue sauce plus 1/4 cup water.

Servings 4

Author Lauren Keating

Ingredients

• 1 cup green or brown lentils
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion diced
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• ¾ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce*
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 hamburger buns
• 4 slices GO VEGGIE Vegan Cheddar Flavor Singles

Instructions

• Add the lentils and two cups of water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 25 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the lentils begin to soften.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in another pan. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened. add the ketchup, vinegar, water, syrup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
• Add the partially cooked lentils to the sauce and simmer 10 minutes, or until soft. Adjust cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Divide the lentils among the rolls; top each with a GO VEGGIE cheddar single.

Notes

*Traditional Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in it, so be sure to look for a vegan version if that's important to you. I use this one.