What's for Dinner? Sheet Pan Brats & Potatoes

As promised, here is one of our family's favorite sheet pan dinners - Sheet Pan Brats & Potatoes. It's the perfect excuse for enjoying a batch of our Homemade Sauerkraut. Even though grilling season is coming up, having a good sheet pan dinner recipe up your sleeve is a really good thing. You're gonna love this one.

We just gotta have Homemade Sauerkraut with our Sheet Pan Brats & Potatoes.

You can customize this recipe to suit the sausages and veg you prefer. We're partial to good ol' fashion bratwurst, golden potatoes, and white or yellow onions.

What's for Dinner? Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sheet Pan Nachos

I'm not a big football fan. Let me see, I think I can name a few teams - the Chargers, the Raiders, the Steelers. It is Steelers and not Stealers, right? Man, I'm bad. And yet, I'm not the worst. Anyways, I'll take any excuse to enjoy a great big tray of nachos. Come oooooooooon, game day!

These Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sheet Pan Nachos were made for game day!

These Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sheet Pan Nachos are the perfect game day snack. Can't you just picture yourself sitt'n on your couch with the game on, your favorite drink in hand, and a tray full of these gorgeous nachos just calling out your name?




Start by grilling yourself a nice big well-seasoned chicken breast. I like to use my George Foreman grill. Am I the only one whose life has been totally revolutionized by the George Foreman grill? Thank you George, wherever you are these days.

Bake a sheet pan full of corn chips and sharp cheddar for about 7 minutes until melty and toasty. Then, squirt on a generous amount of ranch dressing. I love Hidden Valley's packets. I use 1 part sour cream, 1 part whole milk, and 2 parts mayo to mix mine up. Then I let the flavors meld in the fridge for a few hours before I squirt it all over my nachos.




Sprinkle on the grilled chicken, some crumbled bacon, and a handful of chopped green onions. Now you've got yourself a football feast in a sheet tray.

P.S. You don't have to wait for game day to enjoy these nachos. 😉

Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sheet Pan Nachos

INGREDIENTS
1 oz packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste
7 to 10 oz bag corn tortilla chips
2 to 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS
1. Make your ranch dressing. Whisk together the Hidden Valley Ranch packet with the mayo, sour cream, and milk. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours for flavors to meld.
2. Season your chicken breast generously with salt and pepper on both sides and grill until cooked through. Let chicken rest 5 minutes and then chop.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and lay down a layer of corn chips. Cover with cheese and bake about 7 minutes until cheese is melted and chips are toasty.
5. Fill a Ziplock freezer bag with at least half a cup of Ranch. Snip a quarter inch off of one corner and squeeze all over the chips.
6. Sprinkle on the chicken, bacon, and green onions.
7. Sit in front of the game, pretending to watch, when you're really just eating a whole tray of nachos. Ha!

What's for Dinner? Spinach Artichoke Dip Sheet Pan Nachos

Spinach artichoke dip? Yes, please! Spinach Artichoke Dip Sheet Pan Nachos? Are you kidding me?

Say hello to your new favorite nachos - Spinach Artichoke Dip Sheet Pan Nachos!

These nachos are cheesy and creamy and packed with delicious bites of garlicky spinach and briny artichokes. My, oh my. Matthew says this is the best tray of nachos yet. I'll let you be the judge of that.



The spinach artichoke dip I use for these nachos comes together quickly on the stove. If you don't want to make your own, feel free to buy one ready to go from your grocery store's deli. Or, you can mix up this 4 ingredient version from Pickett's Pearls, bake it up, and then scoop it onto your nachos after you've melted some cheese on 'em.

Here's what I do for my stovetop version:



In a medium pot, melt a little bit o' butter and briefly saute some garlic.

Throw in the spinach and cook until wilted.



Stir in cream cheese, sour cream, a dollop or two of mayo, and a dash of cayenne. Then, melt in some Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, and Cotija cheese for sharp cheesy flavor. Lastly, throw in some lovely artichokes.

Spoon the dip over a sheet pan of corn chips and sprinkle on some more Monterey Jack and Mozzarella.

A very welcoming tray of Spinach Artichoke Dip Sheet Pan Nachos.

Bake until melty and toasty and starting to brown. Then, sprinkle a little more Cotija over the top. Just because. 😉

Spinach Artichoke Dip Sheet Pan Nachos

INGREDIENTS
7 to 10 oz bag corn tortilla chips
1 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups fresh spinach
6 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz sour cream
2 Tbsp mayo
hefty pinch of Kosher salt
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Cotija cheese
1 1/2 to 2 cups jarred or canned artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup more shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup more shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp more grated Cotija

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Lay down a layer of corn chips on the pan and set aside.
2. In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat and cook garlic for 30 seconds. Add spinach and cook until wilted.
3. Stir in cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, and seasonings and cook, stirring often, until melted.
4. Stir in 1/4 cup of each each cheese until melted and then add the artichoke hearts.
5. Spoon dip over tortilla chips and top with another 1/2 cup Monterey Jack and 1/2 cup Mozzarella.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes until chips are toasty and cheese is melty and starting to brown.
7. Sprinkle another 2 Tbsp of Cotija over the top.

What's for Dinner? BBQ Chicken Sheet Pan Nachos

Homeschool is in session over here at the Loverbee's and quick dinners are a total must. Nachos are a quick and easy dinner that graces our table on a weekly basis. Surprise, surprise.

These BBQ Chicken Sheet Pan Nachos are deliciously sweet and tangy.

These BBQ Chicken Nachos are one of our favorites. They're sweet and tangy and oh so satisfying.



I start by smothering my corn chips with cheddar cheese and BBQ pulled chicken. The tray gets popped into a hot oven until the cheese is melty and the chips are toasty. Pulled pork or grilled chicken will also work great in this recipe. Or, you can use leftover Oven Roasted BBQ Chicken.



Sour cream and BBQ sauce get drizzled on top of the hot and toasty pan. With most nachos, it's all about the sauce. The BBQ sauce in these nachos adds sweet and smokey flavor, the right amount of moisture (you don't want a dry nacho), and the messiness that a tray of nachos is really all about.



A fresh and fabulous sprinkling of green onions and cilantro finishes off the dish. I left the greens off a third of the tray for my boys. They aren't totally opposed to green food - only when it's on top of, or mixed into, other foods. Because you can't mix green food with other food!?!? There is some madness not worth fighting.

BBQ Chicken Sheet Pan Nachos

INGREDIENTS
1 10 oz bag corn chips (you don't have to use the whole bag)
1 8 oz bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups BBQ pulled chicken
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Lay down a plentiful layer of tortilla chips on your sheet pan. Sprinkle with all of the cheese and pulled chicken.
3. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted and chips are toasty.
4. Drizzle on sour cream and BBQ sauce. I like to put each sauce in a ziplock bag, snip off the corner, and squeeze it out in diagonal lines across the whole sheet pan.
5. Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro.
6. Serve with a smile.

What's for Dinner? Mediterranean Sheet Pan Nachos

Did someone say nachos? Oh, wait. That was me. I'm always saying nachos - or screaming it from roof tops. Ha! Ha! Seriously though, this mediterranean version is full of fresh flavors and textures - the perfect summertime dinner.

These Mediterranean Nachos are the perfect summer meal!

Topped with fresh English cucumber, bright red cherry tomatoes, fragrant red onions, sliced kalamatas, and crumbled feta, these nachos are practically a salad - only better - so much better!



These nachos start off in a sheet pan with shredded Monterey Jack smothering a layer of crispy corn chips. Pita chips would also be awesome.



After a brief spell in the oven, hummus and plain yogurt get drizzled all over. I like to pop my sauces into Ziplock bags, snip off the corner, and squeeze them out in a pretty pattern.

Mediterranean "salsa" made with cherry tomatoes, English cucumber, and red onion.

Next come the goodies. I made a "salsa" out of summer fresh tomatoes, English cucumber, and red onions. I sprinkled my salsa evenly over the nachos along with some crumbled feta and sliced kalamata olives.

Don't you just want to dive into this tray of fresh and fabulous Mediterranean Nachos?

Look at those beauties. So fresh and full of flavor. Cool cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, salty feta, and briny olives elevating those toasty and cheesy corn chips to new heights of nacho awesomeness! Treat this tray of nachos like the coolest of summer pools and just dive right in.

Mediterranean Sheet Pan Nachos

INGREDIENTS
1 7 to 10 oz bag corn tortilla chips or pita chips
3 cups shredded monterey jack
1/2 cup spicy hummus
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 10.5 oz package cherry tomatoes, diced
1 English cucumber, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
2. Lay down a layer of chips on your pan and top with Monterey Jack.
3. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted and chips are a little toasty.
4. Fill a ziplock bag with hummus, snip off 1/4 inch off the corner and squirt all over your nachos. Do the same with the yogurt.
5. I like to combine my tomatoes, onion, and cucumber into a "salsa" and sprinkle an even layer over the nachos. You'll have left over salsa.
6. Top with olives and feta.

What's for Dinner? Easy Skillet Chilaquiles

Any wet burrito fans out there? If you've never had one, a wet burrito is essentially a burrito covered in enchilada or chili sauce. I say all that because chilaquiles are basically wet nachos, and you all know how I feel about nachos. 😍



My version is the cheater's version. Cheater, cheater pumpkin eater. Yeah, that's me. In the traditional version you start by frying corn tortillas until crisp. Very delicious, but too much work for this busy mama. My easy version starts with a bag of corn chips instead. 



This dish almost all happens in one pan. I slice up two medium onions and cook all but 1/4 cup of them until they're tender and starting to turn brown. I like using both cooked and raw onions in these chilaquiles. I loooooove me some onions.

This dish requires a bit of multitasking. While the onions are cooking I work on frying up some eggs in another pan.



When the onions are ready I throw in my sauce. It warms up pretty fast.



Then, I throw in my chips and toss them in the sauce until they're mostly coated.



The raw onions and some grated Cotija get sprinkled over top.



Lastly, I top with the fried eggs I've been working on. Quick, easy, and super tasty - just like dinner should be.

I like to serve this dish with guacamole salsa and sour cream.

Easy Chilaquiles

INGREDIENTS
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium white onions, thinly sliced
1 7 oz bag corn tortilla chips
1 10 oz can enchilada sauce
1/4 cup grated Cotija cheese
6 large eggs
guacamole salsa and sour cream for serving

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook all but 1/4 cup of the onions until soft and starting to turn brown.
2. Meanwhile, warm another skillet and start frying your eggs.
3. When the onions are ready, pour the sauce over them. It should bubble up right away.
4. Pour in the whole bag of chips and toss them with the sauce and onions.
5. Sprinkle on the raw onions and the Cotija cheese.
6. Top with the fried eggs.
7. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

What's for Dinner? Italian Sub Nachos

I can't stop with the nachos. We eat nachos about once a week these days. Can you blame me? Nachos are fast and easy and fabulous. Absolutely fabulous! You want a fabulous meal? Make nachos!

These Italian Sub Nachos are reminiscent of one of my favorite Subway sandwiches.



I start off by covering my chips in parmesan and mozzarella. Then I throw on sliced pepperoni and hard salami.



That gets thrown into the oven for 7 minutes or so.



I chose the fresh kind of toppings I like to add to my Italian sub - shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of red wine vinegar.



Deeeeeeeeeelish! Next time I'm adding pepperoncinis.

Italian Sub Nachos

INGREDIENTS
1 bag corn tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup sliced pepperoni
1/3 cup sliced hard salami
2 1/2 cups chopped Iceberg lettuce
1 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
3. Add a layer of corn tortilla chips to your pan. Top with cheeses and meat.
4. Bake 7 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
5. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper according to your taste.
7. Drizzle with vinegar.

What's for Dinner? Skillet Lasagna

Skillet dinners are the best. They start and end in one pan. That's my kind of meal. I often take my skillet right to the table, place it on a hot plate, and dish out the grub.



This skillet lasagna has all the flavor of an awesome lasagna without all of the work. Let's keep dinner easy and yummy, shall we?



Onions, sausage, and garlic kick off this dish with a punch of flavor.



A delicious blend of seasonings gets stirred into the meat mixture and then the dry noodles are sprinkled on top. You can use any noodles you like. I used to use broken up lasagna noodles until I realized that any noodle would work. Also, this dish works just as great with regular or gluten free noodles. Look at those babies. They're just calling out, "Sauce me, please."



Pasta sauce and diced tomatoes get poured on top of the noodles. Just smooth it evenly so that all of the noodles are covered. This is what the noodles will cook in.



This skillet would be so yummy just as it is. It's kind of like a fancy homemade Hamburger Helper at this point. But we can't just leave well enough alone, now can we?



Mozzarella and Parmesan smother the skillet. Then it gets broiled into a goopy, melty, bubbly topping of deliciousness.



I usually serve this dish with a ready-to-go toss-together salad bag. Those salad bags and Steamfresh peas (the kind that you steam in the bag), are my "go to" veggies for quick dinners.

Skillet Lasagna

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb Italian sausage

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

¼ tsp dried thyme, crushed

heaping ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp fresh cracked pepper

10 oz dry pasta (I use gluten free Barilla)

28 oz diced tomatoes

24 oz pasta sauce

1 8 oz package shredded Mozzarella

¼ to ½ cup grated or shredded Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook 3 to 5 minutes until translucent and just starting to brown.

2. Add sausage to skillet, brown, and cook through. Drain any excess grease.

3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add seasonings and stir to combine. Add dry pasta on top. Add diced tomatoes and pasta sauce on top of that.

5. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook covered on medium low for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. If skillet is too liquidy, cook uncovered for the last 5 minutes.

6. Turn on your broiler. Cover top of skillet with cheeses. Broil for 2 minutes until cheese is melted and a little brown.

WARNING: It's almost impossible to only eat one serving of this dish. If that's gonna be a problem for you, then you shouldn't make it. In fact, you should stay as far away from this recipe as possible. Just unread it and walk away. 😉

What's for Dinner? Chile Verde Sheet Pan Nachos

Nachos will be making frequent appearances on this blog. Surprise, surprise. It's not like it's my favorite food or anything. 😉 It's also such an easy one pan dinner - and so very yummy. I have yet to try a version on the grill. Maybe that will be one of my goals this summer.



This version utilizes leftover pork carnitas. You can also buy some at your local supermarket in the deli section. I forget the brand just now, but they may even have a chile verde version.



I used "Queso Quesadilla" shredded cheese which I think is just a blend of typical cheeses used in Mexican food that melt well. You can also use Mexican blend or Monterey Jack shredded cheese. A must have ingredient for this pan of nachos is Cotija cheese. I grated some to melt with the Quesadilla cheese. I also grated some on top right before serving. It adds so much flavor.



After the nachos were done baking, I drizzled on green enchilada sauce and sour cream.



Then I sprinkled the whole pan with 1/2 a small can of jalapeños, green onions, and cilantro.

If there was such a thing as an all star hall of fame for nachos, this version would definitely make the cut.

Chile Verde Sheet Pan Nachos

INGREDIENTS
1 bag corn tortilla chips
1 8 oz bag Queso Quesadilla shredded cheese or Mexican Blend or Monterey Jack
1/4 cup grated Cotija cheese, plus 1 or 2 Tbsp to be sprinkled on top
1 1/2 cups shredded pork carnitas
1 10 oz can green enchilada sauce or chile verde sauce
1/3 cup sour cream
2 oz canned jalapeños (that's 1/2 of a 4 oz can)
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and add a layer of corn chips.
3. Top with the whole bag of Queso Quesadilla and 1/4 cup Cotija.
4. Add shredded carnitas and bake about 10 minutes until cheese is good and melty.
5. Drizzle on about 3/4 of the can of green enchilada sauce and the sour cream.
6. Top with 2 oz canned jalapeños, green onions, and cilantro.
7. Sprinkle with 1 or 2 Tbsp Cotija.
8. Serve with a huge smile.