Sheet pan meals are such a great idea. The conundrum is, for most sheet pan recipes, you still have to mess up a skillet to brown the meat. Not this one! Mediterranean-Style Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Vegetables is straight-up, only one sheet pan for everything. Last weekend I made it for a little dinner party at our house. I even discovered a new ahead-of-time preparation shortcut. Make and bake the vegetables and the chicken according to the recipe. 20 minutes before the chicken is cooked through, remove the pan from the oven. Let the pan cool for a few minutes, cover, and refrigerate. When it’s time to serve dinner, take the pan out of the oven for 20 minutes and then uncover and bake for a final 30 minutes to reheat the vegetables and finish baking the chicken. Be sure to top the chicken and vegetables with kalamata olives and fresh dill. I like to serve tzatziki sauce on the side, too. The meal was perfect – and best of all, I didn’t have to stay in the kitchen. I was able to hang out with Vince and our guests. White Bean and Cucumber Salad, Baklava Bundt Cake and a delicious bottle of cabernet sauvignon completed our dinner party meal. Reheat any leftovers, covered, in a 350 degree oven until warmed through.
White Bean and Cucumber Salad
This simple salad is fresh and bright! Don’t be tempted to omit the mint leaves. The mint is very subtle and adds great flavor.
2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 large ripe tomato, diced
4 green onions, chopped
20 to 25 mint leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Crumbled feta cheese, optional
Roasted pine nuts, optional
Fresh mint leaves, to garnish
Rinse and drain beans. Place beans, cucumber, diced tomato, green onions, and mint in a large bowl. Add cider vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Top with feta cheese and toasted pine nuts. Garnish with fresh mint before serving. Serves 6 to 8.
Mediterranean-Style Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Vegetables
I’ve made this recipe for Vince and me more times than I can count. It’s no-fail. Always delicious. Always moist and tender. Even the reheated leftovers are yummy! (For a detailed cooking demonstration, please visit the Lowcountry Weekly website or @chefdebbicovington on YouTube or Instagram to watch this short video.)
For the tzatziki sauce:
1 (5.3-ounce) container Greek yogurt
½ cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Dried dill weed, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the chicken:
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lemon, sliced
Mix spices in a small bowl. Season chicken thighs with spice mixture; cover and set aside. Reserve sliced lemon.
For the vegetables:
3 to 4 large red potatoes, cut in a large dice
1 large red bell pepper, halved, seeded, and sliced
1 medium red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Toss vegetables with garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Spread on prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove baking pan from oven, gently toss vegetables and then top them with sliced lemon and seasoned chicken thighs. Spray the chicken thighs with olive oil cooking spray and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the thighs are cooked through.
To serve:
Sliced kalamata olives
Fresh dill weed
Tzatziki sauce
Crumbled feta cheese, optional
Sliced grape tomatoes, optional
Toasted pine nuts, optional
Place chicken thighs and vegetables on a large serving platter. Top with sliced olives and fresh dill. Crumbled feta cheese, sliced grape tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts are also delicious toppings. Serve tzatziki sauce on the side. Serves 4 to 6.
Baklava Bundt Cake
The addition of sour cream in the batter makes this nutty cake ultra-moist. Store leftover cake in the refrigerator to serve with your morning coffee.
For the topping:
¼ cup melted butter
1 cup chopped nuts (I used a combination of pistachios, almonds, and walnuts)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon (dark or light) corn syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cake:
1 (15.25-ounce) yellow cake mix
3 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
3 tablespoons sour cream
For the glaze:
¼ cup honey
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a Bundt cake pan with baking spray that contains flour. Combine melted butter, nuts, brown sugar, corn syrup, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix until well combined. Spread mixture evenly in the bottom of prepared cake pan and set aside. Mix cake mix with eggs, oil, water, and sour cream according to package directions. Pour batter into Bundt pan on top of pecan topping in an even layer. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a cake plate. Add any nuts that remain in pan to the top of the cake. Cool completely. In a small bowl, mix honey with powdered sugar, lemon juice, and water until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake. Serves 12.
The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of three cookbooks, Celebrate Beaufort, Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. For more great recipes and to view her cooking demonstrations, visit and subscribe to Debbi’s YouTube channel. Debbi’s website address is www.cateringbydebbicovington.com. She may be reached at 843-525-0350 or by email at dbc@cateringbydebbicovington.com.
