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Dinner's in the Oven: Simple One-Pan Meals

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“Offers fresh takes on sheet-pan suppers . . . Bold visuals and wide-ranging recipes are highlights of this low-prep, low-cleanup title.” —Library Journal   Fresh, simple, delicious . . . and simple! This vibrant cookbook is a comprehensive guide to creating tasty and quick one pan meals for any time or day of the week. With seventy-five satisfying one pan meals, there is something for all friends and family to enjoy, Chipotle Chicken Wings with Sweet Potato Wedges Crispy Baked Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Basil, Mozzarella and Pine Nuts Steam-Roasted Salmon and Broccoli with Lime, Ginger, Garlic and Chile These clever dishes are the ideal solution for busy home cooks looking to eat nutritious food made from scratch. Each recipe is enough to feed four or two with leftovers. Bright, fresh photography pairs perfectly with these easy recipes that offer a modern, elevated twist for dinner.  “Iyer’s recipes are the ideal mixture of fresh and comforting dishes that only take one pan to make.” —Refinery29  “I love it for the underlying promise, of course—who doesn’t want to throw a bunch of things on a roasting pan, set the timer and have a glass of wine while dinner cooks. . . ? I was consistently surprised by what the author, Rukmini Iyer, decided to place on a sheet pan. A few Uncooked spelt goes right into a mix of chorizo, sweet potato, red onion, and chicken broth for a one-pan dinner (no dishes).” — A Love Story

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 22, 2023

479 people are currently reading
901 people want to read

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Fred Moody

17 books2 followers

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5 stars
343 (45%)
4 stars
232 (30%)
3 stars
122 (16%)
2 stars
44 (5%)
1 star
9 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
Profile Image for Sarah Anne.
72 reviews2 followers
April 12, 2017
Probably one of the best cookbooks I've bought in the past few years. I love cooking, and I'm not afraid of complex recipes, but during the week you just want something you can throw in the oven. My partner and I have already made three dinners from this book and every single one of them has been tasty, quick to make and delicious. The book does what it says on the front cover: every recipe involves nothing more than cutting something up and putting it in the oven. This is perfect for busy people who want to eat good, tasty food with as little fuss as possible. Amazing.
Profile Image for Rob.
227 reviews18 followers
July 7, 2019
A cookbook that just works. The recipes are tasty and dead easy to create. I don't think we've had a duff dish. In fact, I've been positively evangelical about this to friends - one of the best cookbooks I've used in recent years.
Profile Image for Woody Chichester.
127 reviews8 followers
April 12, 2019
It feels weird to say "I read a cookbook" but I legit read this cover to cover and now I plan on buying it. I made some delicious meals, plus it has guides for roasting meats, veggies, and grains. Great for making meals for the week or something fancy to impress folks that isn't too complicated. also- WHO DOESN'T LOVE PHOTOS OF FOOD??? 5 stars.
Profile Image for Laura.
421 reviews
February 20, 2018
I love this book. I've had it for three days, cooked three completely different meals (chicken, pork and salmon) and all have been easy and delicious. Can't wait to try some more of the recipes.

Update - I am now on my second copy of this book as my first one has been *borrowed* by my 67 year old dad who thinks it is the best thing ever...he's not been cooking that long and loves that the recipes are even doable for him.

Two work colleagues have also bought copies after borrowing mine. It's a revolution!
Profile Image for Natalie.
287 reviews2 followers
August 27, 2025
I liked the way this book was organised (fast recipes at the front of each section), and a few of the recipes were great (the chipotle chicken wings, the ras el hanout mushrooms with haloumi, the salmon and broccoli recipe, the filipino-style pork roast, and the date & walnut stuffed apples). We used this book through winter, when cooking meals in an oven also has the benefit of warming our house!

Unfortunately, the pictures of the recipes are often inaccurate and this became irritating the more I used the book. Some recipes contained different ingredients to what was in the picture (the lime and ginger broiled prawns had no mushrooms!) and some contained vastly different volumes than what was in the recipes (the chicken with squash had about double the quantity of chicken). More than once I had chosen a container to cook the recipe in, and as the tray filled, I had to move to a larger tray. This became really annoying to the point that I no longer trusted whether the pictures really represented the meals.

The recipes with grains also required much more cooking time than listed, and did not look nearly as appetising as in the pictures, because everything was essentially steamed rather than roasted.

If you're not bothered by those two issues, and want an introduction to oven-based meals, it's a good place to start.
Profile Image for Sarah u.
247 reviews32 followers
February 12, 2020
Absolutely brilliant for weekday dinners. Rather than taking a box out of the freezer and slinging the contents into the oven, I am cooking with fresh ingredients again most evenings. An excellent working family’s cookbook that I highly recommend.
Profile Image for Beka.
2,949 reviews
May 16, 2018
Though none of the recipes stood out to me, this would be a great jumping off point for someone to try sheet pan meals and then come up with their own recipes.
Profile Image for Kate.
285 reviews
February 10, 2020
This has been my favourite new cookbook from the last several years! We’ve tried many of the recipes now, and are just slowly working our way through the whole thing — every one of them has been easy, delicious, and just such a delight. Five enthusiastic, very satisfied stars.
Profile Image for Em.
409 reviews70 followers
May 6, 2018
Awesome cookery book - this is my kind of meal preparation, everything in one tin at one temperature, pop it all in the oven then nip off to do a sudoku while it all cooks.
Profile Image for gem.
756 reviews22 followers
March 26, 2019
This is a brilliant cookbook which features easy to follow, fuss free recipes that are not prescriptive; if you don’t have one ingredient to hand you can check the options and substitute for something you have without need to to alter the rest of the elements.
There is a good variety of meals to appeal to most palates, I’m really fussy but with the way this boom is presented I can just swap in and out the things I don’t like. It’s a really good guide for showing you what flavours go together.
I need the others in this series, especially the vegetarian one.
Profile Image for Tuesdayschild.
936 reviews10 followers
November 29, 2021
Iyer has included pages of options to combine ingredients before each section, which take this from ‘just’ a recipe book to also design your own recipes. I already have favourites to refer to in this book too. (My other favourite roasting tin book in this series is The Quick Roasting Tin.
Profile Image for Holly.
1,192 reviews9 followers
April 23, 2018
Look, these recipes look delicious. I'm probably not going to make of them because my family and I hate most ingredients in general, but they look tasty as all hell.
449 reviews8 followers
October 5, 2019
Testing this book as a gift for my newbie-cook partner and have been reaping the benefits! The recipes are all simple and good, very un-intimidating for a newcomer to the kitchen. I think it will go over well!

The best, the absolute best thing about this book is the layout. I read a LOT of cookbooks and have definite opinions on the stupid things publishers do that make the books themselves hard to use even if the recipes are good.

This has a nice, flat-bound, hardback spine that means the pages lie flat easily and the spine won’t crack quickly. The font is big and easy-to-read for long-distance peering. The (bright! Gorgeous!) illustrations and photos do not interfere with the text. They are also there for almost every recipe - if you know anything about the economics of cookbooks, know that this team decided on fewer, top-notch recipes in order to include the photos that make this book so visually distinctive and helpful. Thank you! The introductions to the recipes are small and unobtrusive but charming. The layout is also *consistent* from recipe to recipe, not always a given.

Lastly, this is a book that will teach a cook to use the oven. Each chapter begins with a chart and a table of suggested ingredients, temperatures, and cook times for an incredible variety of oven dishes. If you don’t like or can’t find an ingredient in a recipe as written, just check the front of the chapter and sub it out for something else. Just wonderful.

They should use this book in cookbook-design masterclasses.
Profile Image for Laura.
2,525 reviews
February 12, 2020
This book is awesome! The layout is fun and bright. There are pictures for most (but not all - I can always take more) recipes. The ingredients are generally things you'd have handy or could easily get. And prep is easy, and mostly hand's off. It's perfect for people who want to eat dinner at home, but are too busy or don't feel like cooking.

Basically, you're going to be chopping some vegetables, layering on a protein, maybe making a sauce and adding seasoning. Then you lay everything out on a sheet pan and let your oven do the rest. Most of these are weekday recipes, but there are a few special occasion treats in here (a lamb recipe that takes 3 hours to cook). In general, the prep times were short (and accurate). While there isn't any nutritional information given, most of these are relatively healthy. If that information had been provided, this would be a five star review.

Did I mention most recipes are just one page long? There are some really creative desert and fruit recipes, and for me the chicken chapter was a highlight - it's a protein my family can agree on, and I really need new ways to make it.

If you're in charge of getting dinner on the table for your family, or a group of people (most recipes serve 4-6, but you could halve them), and would prefer to be doing something else than actively cooking, this book is for you.

Profile Image for Nienke van Berkum.
20 reviews
August 20, 2024
Reading this will get you tadtbust long for flavors... and if when you try - sometimes you get suprised by the real reality and foodtast as well as the structure in your mouth off these dinners. Never mind the good and sunny days days... the drowly days will get sunny with spices and flavors like these. But sometimes your imaginaire flavors are more intens, creating associotions that you feel exiting or happy. It will get you thinking about combination you yourself can create magicaly, when you choose your own favoritis and the time it will take... thisbook has answers to that question of various colourfull pages... so you can create your home sweet family favorites... . Some may say that mens the book is not enouf- i say: if it gets you thinking of more ways... with your own authenticy - it is more a friendly friend in the kitchen underlining your own potential in creating magical foods.
17 reviews1 follower
August 24, 2024
I hadn’t heard of this cookbook before receiving it as a gift, but it has quickly become one of the most used in our kitchen. Packed with simple and straightforward recipes, we’ve enjoyed trying out a whole range of different dishes, with the smoky sausage and sweet potato traybake and crispy gnocchi fast becoming family favourites. In particular I really love the clear infographics and instructions at the start of each chapter. Missing an ingredient? No problem – simply check out these sections for a substitute and edit your times and temperatures per the guidance. It’s also a great way to give you the freedom and confidence to experiment with creating your own dishes as you go. I’ll now definitely be checking out the other books in the series to discover more!
Profile Image for Silvia.
225 reviews70 followers
November 12, 2020
"The Roasting Tin is a deliciously simple concept: fresh, easy ingredients, five minutes prep and let the oven do the work"

Yep, as I said, I read the other book, too. I think this one was actually the first to be published.

Anyway, same format of the green roasting tin, another set of easy to make and fuss-free recipes, this time including meat and fish. I must say I slightly prefer the vegetarian option, but that's only because I love batch cooking and feel like the other set of recipes is more suitable for that.

Definitely recommended, especially if you are looking for easy and quick new ideas!
Profile Image for Teresa.
612 reviews15 followers
September 14, 2025
I’m just trying to learn to cook more vegetables in a different way than my life-long cooking style.

The roasting tin method is really easy, conveniente, quick and with very little washing up in the end. Some recipes look very unappealing in the photographs of the book though, although the ones I already tried straight following the instructions or with my own modifications, were very delicious.

I ended buying all three roasting tin series books, and I like them all, rotating vegetarian/vegan, fish & meat menus during the week.

My main criticism is a somewhat repetitious use of ingredients and dressings/sauces
11 reviews
February 5, 2024
A really fun book to cook through! The vegetable dishes are all excellent and the chicken dishes are very easy but impressive. Some of the grain based ones didn’t work out for me though.
Finally, I made the mistake of cooking through this book during the height of a southern hemisphere summer, which I don’t recommend as I ended up drenched in sweat and boiling hot as I wrestled baking trays in and out of ovens.
Profile Image for Aaron Elliott.
137 reviews1 follower
October 24, 2022
This cookbook for me did not do it.

The two stars are for the photography.
Very humble-beautiful. Think aesthetic of "Real Simple" magazine.

Although beautiful, the pictures are of:

1. Food arranged and not roasted.
2. Unroasted food arranged on top of roasted food.
3. Roasted food

NOTE: 95% of all recipes contain red onions.
Profile Image for MAYA QUARTZ.
332 reviews11 followers
March 16, 2025
The book is visually stunning, with gorgeous photography that makes every dish look very appetizing.

The recipes are generally simple. While ingredient conversions could be tricky for beginners, the recipes themselves are generally accessible, with a few creative twists that surprised me. I was intrigued by the unique flavor pairings, like beet risotto or mackerel and rhubarb.
Profile Image for Lauren Nesbitt.
15 reviews
November 11, 2019
Great read - however, it’s a shame that the author has decided not to include the nutritional information beside each recipe as a lot of other cookbooks on the market do. I feel this is a very handy addition so am always disappointed when this is missing.
Profile Image for Sarah .
251 reviews3 followers
October 24, 2020
Doesn't do anything ground baking but does collate a lot of information that I could probably Google in one place - where I'm probably more likely to remember to access it. It's also given me the inspiration I was looking for to make better use of my oven.
Profile Image for Robby.
254 reviews
May 16, 2021
The roasting is really easy. I'm not sure how much the specific recipes were what I was looking for, but the general knowledge about how to roast various things and how to put together roasted meals was extremely useful.
Profile Image for Suzanne.
242 reviews12 followers
November 6, 2021
Healthy Simplicity

Scared of ‘cook from scratch’? Buy this book and don’t be. As well as easy no nonsense recipes it includes charts to enable you to pick and mix your own ideas or store cupboard ingredients. Reminds me of the Olive Branch Cookbook from Ludlow in the late 90’s.
2,934 reviews261 followers
July 2, 2022
This is a beautiful cook book.

There's lots of recipes that just take one pan. There's a lot more meat than I'd eat in this book so it wasn't quite what I was looking for, but the pictures are nice and the recipes are pretty clear.

Overall a nice find.
Profile Image for Tweedledum .
859 reviews67 followers
July 18, 2023
Great recipes, lovely pictures. Already have several favourites. I really like the charts with each chapter suggesting alternative ingredients. I also like the fact that the photos of the tins are realistic … not looking pristine!
2 reviews
August 8, 2018
Fantastic

Simple to follow recipes with clear illustrations.
Such a range of ideas. Every meal so far has been a great success.
No nonsense just delicious!
Profile Image for Elizabeth Judd Taylor.
670 reviews5 followers
December 19, 2018
I love the concept of this book, which offers lots of recipes but also encourages mixing & matching. Everything looks so yummy, too, and the photography is great.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews

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