Easy oven-bake dinners for delicious midweek meal
The ideal solution when you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen but still want something delicious, traybake dinners serve as true midweek saviours. Our ideas suit busy cooks perfectly: simply toss everything into a tray or roasting dish and let the oven do the hard work for you. Whether you want a vegetarian main, an easy twist on roast chicken, or even a dinner-party starter, our collection has you covered.
Sticky sausage and potato traybake
Perfect for a hearty evening meal, this traybake packs full of punchy flavours. To serve four, preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Arrange a packet of sausages in a large baking dish along with some halved new potatoes, a few rosemary sprigs and some red onion wedges. Add a generous glug of olive oil and toss. Roast for around 40 minutes, giving it all a good stir – and turning the sausages over – halfway through. Drizzle with a little runny honey and grainy mustard, mix well and cook for five minutes more.
You may also read :- High-Protein Soya Chunks Recipe for Gym Diet
Chicken with lime, orange and red chilli
This fragrant, spicy, sweet and sour chicken dish is fantastic with fluffy white rice. To serve four, place 2.2lbs (1kg) chicken drumsticks or wings in a roasting dish. Mix the juice and zest of two oranges, a deseeded red chilli, three finely chopped garlic cloves, 2 tsp runny honey, 2 tbsp vegetable oil and the juice of a lime together. Brush this mix over the chicken wings, then bake in a 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6 oven for 40-45 minutes, basting every so often, until the chicken is cooked through and nicely glazed.
Sticky soy and honey–roasted salmon with greens
This easy, flavourful dish is perfect for a quick midweek dinner. Place 7oz (200g) Tender stem broccoli into a bowl, cover it with boiling water, leave it to stand for one minute, then drain well. Mix the broccoli with 4oz (125g) asparagus, 7oz (200g) sugar snap peas, 7oz (200g) frozen peas and 1 tbsp sesame oil in a roasting tin. Arrange four salmon fillets around the vegetables. Mix together 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp honey, then brush it over the salmon.
Sticky soy and honey–roasted salmon with greens
Transfer the mixture to an oven preheated to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6 and roast for 20-25 minutes, until the salmon cooks through. Meanwhile, whisk together 1 tbsp grated ginger, the juice of a lime, 1 tbsp sesame oil, and three finely chopped spring onions. Once the salmon cooks, pour the dressing over the vegetables. Scatter a handful of chopped peanuts and a finely sliced red chilli over them. Taste and adjust the lime juice and salt as needed, then serve hot.
Aubergine chilli traybake
Finished with bubbling melted cheese, this hearty aubergine dish will go down a treat at dinner. To serve four, roughly chop an aubergine and place the chunks in a large ovenproof dish. Add a finely chopped onion, three finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp mild chilli powder and 3 tbsp tomato purée, then mix really well. Tip in a 14oz (400g) tin of drained and rinsed chickpeas, a 14oz (400g) tin of drained and rinsed kidney beans and a 14oz (400g) tin of chopped tomatoes.
Roasted spicy squash, nuts and beans
This simple dish is ideal when you fancy an exciting meat-free meal. Peel and chop 11oz (300g) butternut squash into bite sized pieces. Tip the pieces into a roasting dish and add a thickly sliced red onion, a diced aubergine, 1.5oz (40g) roughly chopped mixed nuts, and 7oz (200g) drained and rinsed butter beans. Mix well, then stir in a 12oz (350g) tub of tomato and chilli sauce. Bake the dish in a 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6 oven for 25-30 minutes, until the squash becomes tender. Serve the dish sprinkled with chopped chives.
Honey-roasted vegetables
These honey-tossed vegetables make an excellent side to serve with roasted meat. Toss 11oz (300g) halved baby potatoes, 11oz (300g) sliced butternut squash, four halved red onions, and a halved bulb of garlic with 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp honey. Tip the mixture onto a baking tray and roast it in a 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6 oven for 20 minutes, then stir well and add a sliced lemon. Roast it for another 20 minutes. Cut 9oz (250g) cooked beetroot into wedges and add them to the tray. Drizzle the vegetables with 1 tbsp each oil and runny honey, cook for 10 minutes more, then serve.
Baked frittata
A frittata in a baking tray or dish might sound odd, but it’s the easiest breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner dish you could make. The idea is to cook it the same way as you would in a pan – roast any combination of vegetables you like (tomatoes, peppers, and asparagus, for example) until they’re just cooked, wilt spinach for a minute, pour over an egg whisked with a touch of milk and seasoning, then bake in a medium oven until the frittata is set. You could add cheese to the egg mixture or top your frittata with crumbled blue cheese or feta and serve it with a side salad for a more substantial meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why bother with a traybake anyway?
A: Less chopping, fewer dishes, and zero stress. You basically chuck everything onto a single baking tray, shove it in the oven, and walk away until it’s done.
Q: Can I swap the veggies around in the frittata or roasted sides?
A: For sure. They're perfect fridge-clearing meals. Throw whatever's rolling around your vegetable drawer into the frittata—like old peppers or spinach. For the roasted side, just swap the squash for carrots, parsnips, or whatever you like.
Q: Got any side ideas for the sticky citrus chicken?
A: Just plain old white rice. The chicken creates this killer sweet and tangy glaze in the pan, and you’ll want the rice to mop all of that up.
Q: Any of these good for vegetarians?
A: Yeah, the aubergine chilli, the spicy squash, and the roasted veg tray are all totally meat-free. If you want the aubergine chilli to be vegan, just don't put the cheese on top.
Q: What's the temp for the sausage bake?
A: Crank the oven to 220°C (200°C fan / 425°F / gas mark 7). Don't turn it down or the sausages won't brown properly and the spuds won't get crunchy.
