This year, the daily grind of getting dinner on the table has worn many of us down even more than usual.

Then there's the arguably even less gratifying job of getting the dinner mess off the table and kitchen counters.

One-pan or -pot meals offer a streamlined way to do both, especially when recipes stick to a magical five-ish, not-too-out-there ingredients, which simplifies shopping, too. (I don't count basics like salt, pepper and cooking oil.)



For further labor savings, prep can be minimized with convenience items such as canned beans and those precut fresh vegetables many food markets now stock.

Lining your baking sheet with foil, parchment paper or a reusable baking mat is a smart move, too.

Of course, I forgot to do the latter when I tested this recipe.

Luckily, since I'm cooking for more mouths these days, there are more hands to take care of the dishes, so it was someone else's job to scrub the pan.

How are you getting through the pandemic cooking burnout blues? Send me a note at [email protected] to share your tips and tricks. Or just feel free to vent.

Sheet-Pan-Roasted Sausages, Broccoli and Chickpeas with Lemon and Parmesan
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  
• About 1 ½ pounds bite-size broccoli florets and stem pieces (sub: cauliflower florets and stems)
  
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
  
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  
• 1 ½ to 1 ¾ pounds Italian sweet or hot sausage links (sub: any kind of sausage, including plant-based, but check cooking instructions as you may want to add them partway through roasting)
  
• 1 lemon, scrubbed and halved
  
• ¾ ounce chunk Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, parchment or a reusable baking mat.
   
2. Drizzle one tablespoon of the olive oil on the baking sheet and add the broccoli and chickpeas with the salt and several generous grinds of pepper.  Toss to combine.
   
3. Nestle the sausages and lemon halves, cut side down, among the broccoli and chickpeas. Poke each sausage a couple times with a sharp knife.  Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over everything.
   
4. Roast 30 to 35 minutes, turning the sausages once about halfway through, until the broccoli is tender and dark in spots and the sausages are browned and fully cooked.
   
5. Use tongs to squeeze the roasted lemon halves over everything. Use a vegetable peeler to shave Parmesan over the pan and serve immediately.