Sheet Pan Chicken and Chickpeas. Credit: Rey Lopez; food styling by Carolyn Robb/For The Washington Post
The constant hamster wheel of figuring out how to feed yourself and your family can be tedious and exhausting at times, even for those of us who love to cook. Nonetheless, we still have to eat - and "Great British Baking Show” winner Nadiya Hussain wants to help.
The British television host, cookbook author and mother of three knows a thing or two about juggling priorities while trying to feed a family. Some of her favorite time-saving tips and tricks to get dinner on the table - and just make cooking easier overall - include:
-- Using dried herbs and spices, such as garlic, ginger, coriander and rosemary, to save time instead of chopping their fresh counterparts.
-- Cutting down the cooking time of root vegetables by steaming them in a microwave (in a covered dish with a splash of water) until tender.
-- Freezing leftovers in individual portions so you have meals ready to go when you don’t feel like cooking.
Get the recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken and Chickpeas
You can find more tips in Hussain’s latest cookbook, "Cook Once, Eat Twice.” "It’s got all the essentials anyone needs to make this the most useful cookbook on your shelf!” she told me via email. "I wrote it as my kids are teetering on the brink of adulthood, but it’s not just for them to gain their cooking independence; it’s also for adults who don’t cook much or for those who want to get a bit more confident in the kitchen.”
The book’s pages are filled with not only approachable recipes, but also strategies to help keep meals exciting and manageable.
Take, for instance, her Sheet Pan Chicken and Chickpeas (which she calls a "traybake” in her part of the world). "Traybakes are easy because everything goes into one dish in an even layer and you can have everything cooked and ready in the middle of the table in no time at all,” she said. I, too, am a big fan of sheet pan chicken dinners for their efficiency. But, at times, I get trapped in a flavor routine of garlic and dried herbs that’s hard to escape. During such moments, Hussain advocates for experimentation and simply using what you have on hand.
"Some of my best recipes come to life when I find ingredients I am looking to finish. That could be a stick of celery, a can of butter beans, a jar of sauce or half an onion,” she said. "Experimenting can give you some of the most unusual and unexpected recipes that often turn out to be quite delicious.”
This sheet pan meal - a favorite of Hussain’s family - features chicken drumsticks and chickpeas. Dark meat chicken is my protein of choice when it comes to sheet pan meals because of its natural defenses against drying out, but this is the first time I’ve added canned beans as a cheap and convenient way to bulk things up. The recipe also includes red onion, eggplant, a whole lemon, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, chopped garlic, paprika and ground turmeric for loads of flavor. To make it even more exciting, it’s served with tahini, chili crisp or oil, fresh cilantro, and more lemon for those who want an extra pop of acid. It’s boldly spiced, full of various textures and a cinch to throw together - and the finishing touches of nuttiness, spice, freshness and acidity elevate it from ordinary to outstanding.
If you’re looking for another reason to love this dish, it comes from a chapter all about repurposing leftovers. Living up to the cookbook’s title, it includes a companion recipe that instructs you to blend the chickpeas and vegetables with tahini, olive oil and lemon juice to make a hummus-like spread; top it with some of the chicken that has been pulled from the bones and shredded; and then serve with vegetable sticks and warm pita bread. I’d bet even the anti-leftovers crowd could get on board with this reinvention - if there are any leftovers to begin with.
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Sheet Pan Chicken and Chickpeas
This sheet pan supper from "Great British Baking Show” winner and cookbook author Nadiya Hussain features chicken drumsticks, chickpeas, eggplant, red onion, lemon and a flavorful array of spices. Tahini, chili crisp, cilantro and more lemon add an extra boost of flavor at the table. To feed a crowd, serve it alongside warm flatbreads.
4-8 servings
Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes.
Storage note: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
INGREDIENTS
-- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
-- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
-- 8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds total)
-- Two (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, preferably no-salt-added, rinsed and drained
-- 2 medium red onions (1 1/4 pounds total), cut into 1-inch pieces
-- 1 medium eggplant (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
-- 4 garlic cloves, minced
-- 1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded, plus wedges for serving
-- 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as peanut or vegetable
-- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
-- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
-- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
-- Chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, for serving
-- Well-stirred tahini, for serving
-- Chili crisp or oil, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
Lightly crush the coriander and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle. (If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can chop them with a knife, pulse them in a spice grinder, or put them in a bag and lightly crush them with a rolling pin or skillet.) On a large sheet pan, combine the chicken, chickpeas, onions, eggplant, garlic, lemon, oil, paprika, salt, turmeric, coriander and cumin, and gently toss with your hands until everything is evenly mixed together.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the drumstick away from the bone registers at least 165 degrees. Remove from the oven.
Carefully raise the rack to 5 or 6 inches from the broiling element and preheat the broiler to HIGH. Return the sheet pan to the oven and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken is browned in spots. (If your broiler is on the bottom, transfer the sheet pan to the broiler drawer.) Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with cilantro, drizzle with tahini and chili crisp or oil, and serve hot with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Substitutions: 2 teaspoons coriander seeds >> 1 teaspoon ground coriander. 2 teaspoons cumin seeds >> 1 teaspoon ground cumin. Chicken drumsticks >> bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, with an adjustment to the cooking time. Red onion >> any type of onion. Eggplant >> zucchini or summer squash. Neutral oil >> olive oil. Cilantro >> other tender herbs.
Nutritional information per serving (1 drumstick, plus chickpeas and vegetables), based on 8 | 349 Calories: 25g Carbohydrates, 115 mg Cholesterol, 16g Fat, 7g Fiber, 27g Protein, 3g Saturated Fat, 420mg Sodium, 7g Sugar
This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.
Adapted from "Cook Once, Eat Twice” by Nadiya Hussain (Sourcebooks, 2025).
