I’ve been on a summer veggie kick lately, as you can see. It’s just so convenient being able to pluck fresh veggies straight from my garden and make delicious and healthful dinners! And even if you aren’t growing a vegetable garden, in-season vegetables have so much more flavor than their off-season counterparts. Should I go on about corn again? There’s just nothing better than fresh summer corn… until I mention my next favorite thing 😜.
So, today’s recipe doesn’t keep the heat out of the kitchen, but it does make for a super easy dinner because it’s all on one pan… or oven rack. I mentioned in my pizza post the other day how I’ve started taking a different approach with corn on the cob. In the past, I’ve shucked the corn and boiled it for about 5 minutes. But, I’m swearing by roasting corn this year! For oven dishes, I place the corn, un-shucked, directly on an oven rack and let it roast. For grilling dishes, I place the corn on the grill, cover it, and let it do it’s thing!
Now, there are a ton of theories out there on the best way to do corn this way, and I’ve tested them. I will tell you, you do NOT need to soak your corn before grilling/roasting it. My husband and I almost got into an argument over it when I told him I was not going to soak the corn… that I wanted to try it my way. But he argued that he “has read that you have to soak it beforehand.” Well, let’s try it my way!
So, I’ve tried all of the methods. Soaked. Un-shucked and directly on the grill. Leaves pulled back, hair removed, buttered, and leaves replaced. Listen, I’ve tried all the methods, and honestly, I think it’s just a personal thing! I can tell you that for me, I am 100% happy with just placing the corn directly on the grill or in my oven without fussing with it. And the less fuss, the better, in my book. The most work is peeling back the leaves, removing the hair, and buttering it before folding the leaves back and grilling/roasting it. It’s just a lot of time and effort when adding butter at the end is just as sufficient!
This recipe, as I said, is not on the grill. Everything, but the corn, cooks on a sheet pan. Chicken thighs cook much more quickly than whole chicken legs, so if you opt for whole chicken legs, factor in a longer cooking time. But either way, about 20 to 25 minutes before the chicken is done cooking, sprinkle the vegetables and gnocchi around the chicken onto the sheet pan and place the corn on the cob directly on the oven rack next to the sheet pan. By the time the chicken is up to temperature, the tomatoes have burst, the gnocchi has toasted, and the corn has steamed.
For the gnocchi, I prefer buying fresh gnocchi, but this recipe should work for any gnocchi that calls for “toasting” it. Some gnocchi has you boil it, but the good ones will have you cook it in a pan to toast it until tender. This brings out all the best flavors! But, adding it to a sheet pan of chicken to roast?? The gnocchi is perfectly cooked but also coated in the chicken juices… it’s divine!
After everything is done, very carefully shuck the corn and cut off the kernels! Place the chicken aside and gently toss the vegetables and gnocchi with a light, homemade vinaigrette. And that’s it! You have a super healthful and super easy dinner with only one pan for clean up! What could be better!?
Enjoy!
One Sheet Pan Roast Lemon Pepper Chicken & Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients
Chicken
4 pieces skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
lemon pepper seasoning, homemade or store-bought (about 1 to 2 TBs)
Gnocchi & Summer Vegetables
24 oz skillet gnocchi
2 corn on the cob, husk left intact
1 yellow squash, cut in half and sliced
10 oz cherry tomatoes
6 garlic cloves
3 cups arugula
Dressing
2 TB olive oil
1 TB red wine vinegar
2 oz crumbled goat cheese
2 TBs sun-dried tomatoes, drained from the oil
½ cup fresh basil
1 TB fresh thyme
1 TB fresh oregano
1 lemon, zested & juiced
pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Generously sprinkle the chicken on both sides with lemon pepper seasoning. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes.
After ten minutes, add the gnocchi, squash, tomatoes, and garlic cloves to the sheet pan around but not on top of the chicken. Carefully stir to mix with the chicken juices. Place the corn on the cob directly on the rack below the sheet pan. Bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove from the oven. Remove the garlic cloves and to a food processor with the olive oil, red wine vinegar, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, thyme, oregano, lemon zest and juice, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt & pepper. Process until smooth.
Scoop the gnocchi and vegetables into a large bowl. Carefully remove the husk from the corn on the cob and cut the kernels off. Add the corn kernels to the bowl of gnocchi and vegetables. Add the vinaigrette to the bowl of gnocchi and vegetables and gently stir to coat in the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide arugula among the plates and scoop the gnocchi and vegetables on top. Place a chicken thigh on each plate and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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