Preparing a lovely meal for your family during summer can be a difficult proposition. It is hard enough to accomplish this feat during the cooler months as kitchen chefs linger over the top of hot surfaces. But summer provides an extra dimension to the heat, and while many people want to create a hot culinary experience at home, the prospect of spending hours in a hotbox is far from appealing.
A tray bake offers a good, viable compromise for producing a hot meal as it sees people spending less time in the kitchen due to the exclusive use of the oven as the appliance cooking the food. Cooks can prepare the dish during cooler times of the day, and they don’t have to spend gruelling periods of time hunched over woks, steamers or sauce pans.
According to BBC Food, traybakes are easy to put together and make a great midweek treat or easy weekend dish. The versatility and options available make them a solid choice for home chefs wanting to still provide a warm meal during hot Summer months.
We took a look at three popular, reasonably easy to make traybake recipe options below.
If you are after a nutritious family dinner requiring minimum effort and not that much time infront of a hot surface, then this could be a healthy option for you. Try this wonderfully simple traybake, with sticky, spiced chunks of pumpkin and sweet potato, red onion and peppers, served with watercress and crispy pumpkin seeds.
Each serving provides 322 kcal, 7.8g protein, 49g carbohydrates (of which 25g sugars), 9.2g fat, 7.2g fibre, and 0.5g salt.
Ingredients
For the traybake
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ small pumpkin or 1 small butternut squash (approx. 600g/1lb 5oz), cut into 3cm/1¼in chunks, seeds reserved
- 2 sweet potatoes, cut into 3cm/1¼in chunks
- 2 red onions, cut into thick wedges
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the crispy pumpkin seeds
- reserved pumpkin seeds (see above), washed and patted dry with kitchen paper
- 1 tsp olive oil
- pinch smoked paprika
To serve
- 100g/3½oz watercress or rocket
- 250g/9oz natural yoghurt
- 1–2 tbsp sriracha
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
- Whisk the oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, and spices together in a large bowl before adding the vegetables. Season well with a pinch of salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Then, tip everything into a large roasting tin and shake it all out into an even layer. Roast for 50 minutes, giving everything a shake and a mix halfway through the cooking process.
- While the above is roasting, make the crispy pumpkin seeds by mixing them with the oil and a pinch of salt. Spread them out on a non-stick baking tray (or alternatively, a tray lined with greaseproof paper) and bake alongside the vegetables for 20 minutes until they’re crisp. Season with a pinch of smoked paprika and set aside to cool before removing the vegetables from the oven.
- Once the vegetables are out of the oven, stir through the watercress. Mix the yoghurt and sriracha together, drizzle over the vegetables, and serve topped with the crispy pumpkin seeds.
This is an easy chicken, chorizo and potato traybake that is easy to throw together for dinner or to eat later in work lunches. It is basic enough to prepare that it could become a potential member of your kitchen roster.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs on the bone
- 400g/14oz cooking chorizo sausages (small size whole, larger size, cut into chunks)
- 800g/1lb 12oz new potatoes, halved
- 1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp dried thyme or oregano
- ½ lemon, zest and juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Drizzle the oil into the bottom of a large roasting tin and then place chicken thighs into it. Ensure that you turn the chicken to coat the skin in oil, then turn them skin-side up. Add in the chorizo, the potatoes and the onions in (you may require two tins, if yours are not big enough to hold everything in a single layer). Sprinkle over the dried thyme (or oregano) as well as the lemon zest. Squeeze over the lemon juice and season everything with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cook in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the chicken is cooked through. Check that the potatoes are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Serve alongside a crisp green salad.
This tray should be a hit with everyone in the family including the most discerning eaters. Rosemary-roasted potatoes and tomatoes, plus garlic mushrooms and meat-free sausages, are all roasted together in one baking tray. The ultimate vegan breakfast will be popular with those who go meat-free and should provide enough taste for omnivores to give it a go.
Each serving provides 413 kcal, 26g protein, 43g carbohydrates (of which 9g sugars), 13g fat (of which 1.5g saturates), 10g fibre and 2.6g salt.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs on the bone
- 400g/14oz cooking chorizo sausages (small size whole, larger size, cut into chunks)
- 800g/1lb 12oz new potatoes, halved
- 1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp dried thyme or oregano
- ½ lemon, zest and juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
Put the tomatoes and potatoes on a large baking tray. Sprinkle over the rosemary, a pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.
Put the garlic in a mixing bowl, add the mushrooms and a drizzle of olive oil and stir to mix.
Add the mushrooms and sausages to the baking tray and roast for 20 minutes.
Add the beans and spinach to the baking tray with the potatoes and roast for a final 5 minutes.