sheet pan

Finding quick and easy dinner ideas isn’t always easy. That’s why we love sheet pan meals so much! This simple sweet and sour meatballs recipe is the perfect one-pan dinner. Just prepare the ingredients ahead of time, store them in the freezer, and spread everything out on a big pan when you’re ready to cook dinner! After a few minutes of prep and a few minutes of cooking, your family will have a flavourful dinner to enjoy – even on a busy weeknight.

We’re on a bit of a sheet pan kick. Being able to take a freezer meal out and transfer it to the oven on a cookie sheet makes things so easy. Our other sheet pan dinners include Pesto Chicken and Veggies, Cajun Sausage and Root Vegetables, and Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs Sheet Pan Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds frozen meatballs, pre-cooked
• 1 cup green beans, frozen
• 1 onion, sliced
• 14 ounces pineapple slices, drained
• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup

Assembly Instructions:

1. Place the meatballs, green beans, onion, and pineapple slices in a large resealable bag.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and flour. Stir in the vinegar, water, soy sauce, and ketchup.
3. Pour the sauce mixture into the bag with the meatballs. Squish the ingredients to combine the sauce, meatballs, and vegetables. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Transfer the frozen ingredients to the refrigerator to thaw.
2. Spread all of the ingredients in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

How Long Can You Freeze Sweet and Sour Meatballs?

After preparing your sweet and sour meatballs ingredients, you can store the meal in the freezer for up to three months. To ensure you enjoy your sheet pan dinner before it expires, make sure to label your freezer container with the name of the recipe, date of freezing and expected expiration date.

What Type of Meatballs Should I Use for Sweet and Sour Meatballs?

Since this dinner is made with frozen meatballs, it’s important to know what style of meatballs is best for this particular recipe. While Italian style meatballs are great for pasta dishes, the Italian seasoning and herbs used in this variety won’t blend well with the sweet and sour sauce.

Instead of choosing Italian meatballs, look for “homestyle” meatballs. This variety is made with neutral seasoning, which matches perfectly with the rest of ingredients in this recipe. If you can’t find meatballs labeled “homestyle,” simply check the ingredient list on the package to see what type of seasoning is used. Avoid options made with Italian style ingredients, like oregano and basil, which may clash with the sweet and sour ingredients in the sauce.

How Do You Store Leftover Sweet and Sour Meatballs?

Once you’re finished enjoying your meatball dinner, you can store your leftovers in the refrigerator. Transfer the cooked ingredients to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to four days.

Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave, oven or over low heat in a small skillet.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe Ideas

Your family is going to love the delicious combination of sweet and sour sauce with meatballs in this dinner. But if you’re looking for ways to change up this recipe, check out these easy substitutions and adjustments to try.

• Serve over rice or pasta. This simple sheet pan meal can be served as a dinner all on its own. But if you want to bulk up the meal a little more, try serving the sheet pan ingredients over white rice or cooked pasta. You can prepare the rice or pasta while the meatballs are cooking in the oven for a quick and easy addition to your dinner.
• Add more veggies. The combination of pineapple, green beans, and onions makes the perfect meal for your family. If you want to add even more flavor to your dinner, try mixing in a few more veggies before freezing the meal. You can add sliced bell peppers, corn, sliced carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or peas.
• Make your own meatballs. Using pre-cooked frozen meatballs is a great way to speed up the prep work on this quick sheet pan dinner. But if you have some extra time on prep day, you can also make your own meatballs from scratch. Just prepare the meatballs according to the recipe, cook them, and allow them to cool completely. After that, you can transfer the cooled meatballs to the bag with the rest of the ingredients and follow the instructions in this recipe for freezing and reheating.
• Reheat in the slow cooker. If you have some extra time to cook your meal, try reheating your sweet and sour meatballs in your crockpot. Just transfer the thawed ingredients to the bowl of your slow cooker and cook them on low for six to eight hours.
• Serve as appetizers. With the help of some toothpicks, this quick sheet pan dinner also makes a great appetizer. Just stack a pineapple chunk and green bean on top of a cooked meatball, add a toothpick, and serve as bite-sized snacks at your next party.

Print

Sweet and Sour Meatballs Sheet Pan Meal

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Keyword: meatballs

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. frozen meatballs pre-cooked
• 1 cup green beans frozen
• 1 onion sliced
• 14 ounces canned pineapple slices drained
• 2 cups brown sugar packed
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. ketchup

Instructions

Assembly Instructions:

1. Place the meatballs, green beans, onion, and pineapple slices in a large resealable freezer bag.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and flour. Stir in the vinegar, water, soy sauce, and ketchup.

3. Pour the sauce mixture into the bag with the meatballs. Squish the ingredients to combine the sauce, meatballs, and vegetables. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Thaw.

2. Spread all of the ingredients in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400° for 20 to 30 minutes.

There’s no reason to leave home to enjoy a delicious Mexican meal at your favourite restaurant! When you prepare these sheet pan chicken fajitas, you can eat your favourite Mexican restaurant meal at home with just a few minutes of prep work! And since you can make this simple meal ahead of time and freeze it for later, it’s perfect for dinner any night – no matter how busy you are!

Sheet pan meals are all the rage and I’ve jumped on the bandwagon. Because who doesn’t love having less dishes to do?!

We’ve already put our Sheet Pan Cajun Sausage and Root Vegetables and Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken and Veggies into our regular recipe rotation. These chicken fajitas have joined them.

If you’re wanting to make a stack of sheet pan freezer meals, I invite you to join us in making some for yourself. We have created a free sheet pan meal plan for you that includes the recipes, prep list, shopping list, and printable labels. 

Once you download that and get your ingredients, watch the video below to cook along with us. You’ll walk away with 10 sheet pan dinners including this fajita meal.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into thin strips
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced
• 1 purple onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fajita seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

For day of cooking:

• 6 8-inch flour tortillas
• Optional toppings: chopped cilantro, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese

Assembly Instructions:

1. Prep the ingredients for your fajitas by cutting the chicken breast into strips, slicing the peppers and onions, and mincing the garlic.
2. Combine the prepared chicken, peppers, onions, garlic, seasonings, and olive oil in a large resealable freezer bag.
3. Seal the bag and give it a squish to combine all the ingredients.
4. Open the corner of the bag and squeeze to remove the excess air, then reseal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Transfer the fajita ingredients to the refrigerator to thaw.
2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. Spread all the ingredients in the bag out on a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes.
4. Serve in flour or corn tortillas with optional toppings.

Do Fajitas Freeze Well?

Since all the ingredients in these sheet pan chicken fajitas are freezer-friendly, this recipe is perfect for meal planning! On top of being simple to cook, this quick recipe is also easy to put together.

And because there’s no cooking involved in preparing your fajitas for the freezer, all you have to do is slice the meat and veggies and combine everything in a freezer friendly container. You can store your make-ahead fajita ingredients in a freezer bag or airtight container until you’re ready to cook them.

When you’re ready to start cooking, it’s important to plan for plenty of time to allow your chicken to thaw. The day before you plan on cooking, transfer the frozen ingredients to the refrigerator so it can safely thaw overnight.

Can You Freeze Cooked Fajita Meat?

The beauty of freezer cooking is that most meat can be frozen raw or cooked. Deciding which preparation method you’ll use when putting together your fajitas depends on how much time you want to spend cooking the fajitas at dinner time.

If you would rather spend less time prepping the meal on prep day, freezing the chicken raw is the best option. But if you would rather spend less time cooking your fajitas when you’re ready to eat them, try cooking the chicken before freezing it.

You can cook your sheet pan chicken fajitas on prep day by following the instructions in the recipe. Once the chicken and veggies are cooked, allow the ingredients to cool completely. Then, transfer the cooked meal to a freezer bag or container and store in the freezer.

When you’re ready to cook your fajitas, transfer the frozen ingredients to the refrigerator to thaw. Then, you can reheat your cooked meal in the oven, skillet, or microwave.

How Long Are Fajitas Good for in the Freezer?

After storing your fajita ingredients in the freezer, they’ll stay good for up to nine months. To make sure you enjoy your dinner before it goes bad, take the time to label your bag with the name of the recipe, date of freezing, and expected expiration date before placing the ingredients in the freezer.

How Do You Store Leftover Fajitas?

After you prepare your sheet pan fajitas, any leftovers must be stored in the refrigerator. Transfer the meat and veggies to an airtight container and keep them refrigerated. The ingredients will stay good for up to three days when stored properly.

When storing your leftovers, it’s a good idea to keep the meat and veggies stored separately from the tortillas and toppings. That’s because the meat and vegetables could make the tortillas soggy if they’re stored together.

Are Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas Healthy?

Since the main part of this quick meal is made up of low-fat chicken and healthy peppers and onions, this is a great dinner option when you’re searching for a healthy meal for your family.

When served alone, these chicken fajitas are low carb. To keep them low carb, you can add sugar-free toppings, like cheese, sour cream, cilantro, salsa, and guacamole.

In addition to being healthy, the filling ingredients in this sheet pan meal are also gluten free. Make sure to serve your chicken and peppers with gluten free tortillas or corn tortillas.

Print

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Keyword: chicken, fajita

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cut into thin strips
• 1 green pepper sliced
• 1 red pepper sliced
• 1 yellow pepper sliced
• 1 purple onion sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. fajita seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil

For day of cooking:

• 6 8 inch flour tortillas
• Optional toppings: chopped cilantro, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese

Instructions

Assembly Instructions:

1. Prep the ingredients for your fajitas by cutting the chicken breast into strips, slicing the peppers and onions, and mincing the garlic.
2. Combine the prepared chicken, peppers, onions, garlic, seasonings, and olive oil in a large resealable freezer bag.

3. Seal the bag and give it a squish to combine.

4. Open the corner of the bag and squeeze to remove the excess air, then reseal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Thaw.

2. Preheat the oven to 425°.

3. Spread all the ingredients on a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes.

4. Serve in flour or corn tortillas with optional toppings.

Who doesn’t love a one-pan dinner recipe? On top of being simple to prep, these easy meals make dinner clean-up a breeze! And when you make a freezer to sheet pan meal, you can whip up a delicious dinner ahead of time to make prep work at meal time even easier. With this sausage and vegetable sheet pan dinner, your family can enjoy a delicious and healthy meal. And you can enjoy dump and go meal prep on a busy weeknight!

Sheet pan freezer meals are rapidly becoming some of my favourites. I love how easy they are to throw together and how few dishes need to be done afterwards! Some of our staples are the Pesto Chicken and Veggies Sheet Pan Meal and Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas. My husband really likes the Beef and Broccoli one.

Cajun Sausage and Vegetable Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 smoked garlic sausage ring, sliced (Ukrainian sausage) 
• 1 small zucchini, very coarsely chopped
• 1/2 small sweet potato, coarsely cubed
• 1/4 butternut squash, coarsely cubed 
• splash olive oil
• Cajun seasoning
• salt

Freezing instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a large freezer bag.
2. Shake the bag to combine the ingredients, making sure all the veggies and sausage are coated in oil and seasoning.
3. Remove excess air from the bag, then seal and freeze.

Serving instructions:

1. Transfer the bag from the freezer to the refrigerator and allow to thaw.
2. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Spread the thawed ingredients evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes. 

You can find this recipe along with other recipes in our No Fuss Freezer to Sheet Pan Meal Plan. It is FREE! and comes with everything you need to fill your freezer with tasty sheet pan meals. It includes the recipes, prep list, shopping list, and printable labels.

Once you have your meal plan printed off, grab your groceries, and then come and cook along with us!

Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner Ideas

What I love most about this freezer to sheet pan dinner is how simple it is to customize! Since it’s made with just a handful of ingredients, you can easily adjust the recipe to suit your family’s preferences. Try these recipe ideas when you’re putting together your own freezer meal:

• Try different sausage flavours. Garlic sausage is a great choice for this simple sheet pan meal because it’s packed with flavour. But there are so many other sausage varieties to choose from, which means you can easily adjust this recipe to include your family’s favourites. Add some smoked sausage for a quick dinner option or mix in some chicken or turkey sausage for a healthier alternative.
• Mix in different veggies. When it comes to adding veggies to your sheet pan meals, it’s important to consider the cook time of your ingredients. Since you’ll need to roast your meat and veggies for an extended period of time, it’s a good idea to avoid quick-cooking vegetables like peas or corn. Instead, try adding veggies that benefit from slow cooking, like Brussels sprouts, potatoes, onions, broccoli, carrots, and squash.

Can Sheet Pan Meals Be Frozen?

If you love sheet pan meals and freezer cooking, you’re probably wondering if you can combine the two to create a quick and easy frozen dinner. And I have good news for you! Most sheet pan meals can be frozen!

The key to making freezer to sheet pan meals is taking the time to prep all the ingredients before they’re placed in the freezer. Make sure to clean and chop all your veggies, slice your meat accordingly, and season your sheet pan ingredients before freezing. That way, your entire meal will be ready to cook when it’s time to pop it in the oven!

After your prep work is done, the only thing left to do is freeze. Depending on the space you have in your freezer and how easy you want it to be to heat up your dinner in the evening, you can store your frozen sheet pan meal two different ways:

1. Freezer bags. My favourite way to store my freezer meals is using bags because they take up less space in the freezer and make meal prep a breeze. That’s because all you have to do is dump all the ingredients into the bag and freeze. When you’re ready to cook, you can transfer your meal to your sheet pan and pop it in the oven to heat it up.
2. Sheet pan. If you prefer for your dinner to be ready to go straight into the oven when it’s thawed, you can also freeze your sheet pan meal directly on the pan. Since sheet pans are made of metal, they’re naturally freezer friendly. To freeze your meal right on the pan, toss all the ingredients in oil and seasoning and spread them out in an even layer on your pan. Cover the pan with foil, then tightly wrap it in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. When you’re ready to cook, all the ingredients to thaw, then remove the cover and bake the dinner according to the recipe instructions.

How Do You Prepare Oven Ready Freezer Meals?

Freezer cooking is all about making oven-ready dinners that help you cut down on your dinner prep work. But if you’re not sure how to put together a meal that’s ready to cook from the freezer, don’t worry! It’s a pretty easy process.

To prepare oven ready freezer meals, there are four basic steps:

• Prep all the ingredients. This is often the most time-consuming part of meal prep. Chop up all your vegetables, slice the meat, and take care of any other prep work that needs to be done before your recipe can be cooked.
• Cook the ingredients. Some ingredients (like ground meats, pasta and rice) should be cooked before they go into the freezer. After all the ingredients are prepped, take the time to precook those ingredients and allow them to cool.
• Add the seasoning and sauces. Once the ingredients are prepped and cooked, the last step is to add any seasoning and/or sauces that go into the recipe. You can usually combine all those ingredients right in your freezer bag for easy prep work.
• Freeze the meal. Transfer your ingredients to your container (freezer bag or freezer-friendly container) and place it in the freezer. And don’t forget to write down the name of the recipe and the date it was frozen on the container so you know exactly what’s inside.

Print

Cajun Sausage and Vegetable Sheet Pan Dinner

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sheet pan

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 smoked garlic sausage ring sliced (Ukrainian sausage)
• 1 zucchini very coarsely chopped
• 1/2 sweet potato coarsely cubed
• 1/4 butternut squash coarsely cubed
• splash olive oil
• Cajun seasoning
• salt

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag.

2. Shake the bag to combine the ingredients, making sure all the veggies and sausage are coated in oil and seasoning.

3. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

1. Thaw.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°.

3. Spread the thawed ingredients evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes.