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Sheet Pan Ranch Chicken & Veggies :: Gluten & Dairy Free, PLUS a DIY Ranch Seasoning Mix!

February 28, 2023

Mix up your own easy DIY Ranch Seasoning Mix, and make a fast, weeknight Sheet Pan Ranch Chicken & Veggie dinner!

Sheet Pan Ranch Chicken & Veggies :: Gluten & Dairy Free, PLUS a DIY Ranch Seasoning Mix!

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Michigan kids…

The second it hits 45 degrees and these people are shedding coats and pretending it’s warm outside! We have had teases of warmer weather this month, and if it means sun, I’ll take it…even if momma still has her coat and hat on! I’m dreaming of warmer weather as we look ahead toward Spring Break, but we have a lot of *busy* to work through before we make it there…

Sheet pan dinners to the rescue!

We are in the hustle and bustle of the push to Spring Break, and I have a brand new *easy* and *fast* sheet pan dinner to help you get through these crazy weeknights! Literally every component of dinner, all on 2 sheet pans, cooking at the same time? Sign. Me. Up!

Ranch chicken…with a healthy twist!

Not long ago, a friend told me about a favorite dinner she used to make before the real food switch, and before she was dairy free. A “Ranch Chicken” using those packets of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning. It sounded easy enough, and I loved the idea, so I set out to make a junk free version, with great ingredients, and also a pile of veggies to round out the dinner plate.

So let’s talk about Ranch seasoning mixes…

I have been making my own Ranch seasoning for years and years, but I just knew that I wanted to try to find a seasoning packet to use for those of you that don’t want to mix up your own seasoning blend. Let me tell you, it was tough to find. There are plenty of Ranch packet blends out there, but most of them have dried milk…and not the organic kind of milk. If it doesn’t say organic or non-GMO, you can bet those cows are fed GMO feed, which means the milk is not great either. For a seasoning blend to make Ranch dip that your kids are going to use on the weekly, and for yummy dinners like this that you want on a frequent rotation in your dinner menu, having consistent GMO milk in your seasoning is just not ideal. So here is the solution!

I found this cleaner ingredient, gluten & dairy free Ranch Seasoning Mix on Amazon that you can try! I’m sure there are brands and packets that are clean too, so if you have a favorite, please feel free to share in the comments below so that others might have some to choose from!
Or you can make your own! I’m pretty sure most of you already have the ingredients right in your spice rack, and it takes minutes to whisk up. It is a big batch, so you can keep it in your pantry or spice cupboard for easy use. It is also penny’s on the dollar to make your own. I will share how I make my Ranch blend in the next section!

DIY Ranch Seasoning Blend

This is as easy as it gets! I’ll share my blend below, and you can keep it in your pantry or spice cupboard to use for not only this recipe, but for your own Ranch dressing, anytime!

Print Recipe

DIY Ranch Seasoning Mix

Author: Renee Kohley – Raising Generation Nourished

Ingredients

2 tbsp dried parsley
1 1/2 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp organic cane sugar, turbinado sugar, or coconut sugar
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Whisk everything together in a jar or container that has a lid. Store at room temp in an airtight container.

Notes

To make Ranch dressing with your Ranch seasoning mix, whisk about 3-4 teaspoons of the Ranch seasoning mix with 1 cup of sour cream, Greek yogurt, mayo, or coconut yogurt and add splashes of raw milk or coconut milk to thin it out to the consistency you like. You can keep it thick like a dip, or drippier for dressing.

Sheet Pan Dinner Method :: The Roasted Ranch Potatoes

Now, let’s get started with the sheet pan dinner. First, you’ll want to pre-heat your oven with your 2 sheet pans inside the oven. Pre-heating the pans will make for crispier potatoes, and the chicken will cook better too. You’ll start with seasoning the potatoes and roasting them for 15 minutes. They take longer to cook than the rest of the dinner, so while those are roasting, you will be able to prepare the chicken and brussels sprouts.

Sheet Pan Dinner Method :: The Brussels Sprouts

Roasted is by far my kids’ favorite way to eat brussels sprouts, and I think you’ll be surprised at how many kids will go for this veggie prepped this way. If you don’t have brussels sprouts around, or your crew doesn’t like them, you can swap for broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, or something similar in size to those. I just toss the veg with olive oil and salt and pepper, but you could absolutely Ranch season your veggies too! The brussels sprouts will go onto the same sheet pan as the chicken once the potatoes finish their first 15 minutes of roasting. The next section will show you how to prepare your chicken.

Sheet Pan Dinner Method :: Ranch Chicken

We *love* this crispy Ranch coated chicken! If you want to skip the gluten free panko, you can do that, or you can swap for more almond flour if you are grain free. Coat your chicken in mayonnaise and then dredge it in the Ranch seasoned panko using tongs. If you can’t have mayo because of the egg, or you don’t have any around, you could use olive oil. The extra fat from the mayo or olive oil helps the chicken stay moist, and it makes a very flavorful crust!

Sheet Pan Dinner Method :: Roasting everything together!

Once your potatoes have roasted for 15 minutes, and you have your chicken and brussels sprouts prepped, you can can stir the potatoes around, and take the second pre-heated sheet pan out of the oven. Place the chicken and brussels sprouts on the pre-heated sheet pan, and return the potatoes, along with the sheet pan chicken and brussels sprouts to the oven for 15 minutes. Thirty minutes total roasting time, and you will have a full dinner ready for the family!

Print Recipe

Sheet Pan Ranch Chicken & Veggies {Gluten & Dairy Free!}

Author: Renee Kohley – Raising Generation Nourished

Ingredients

For the Roasted Ranch Potatoes ::

2 tbsp olive oil
8-10 small/medium yellow potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tsp Ranch Seasoning Mix You can use my DIY Ranch Blend in the recipe card above, or this is a good, clean ingredient packet Ranch seasoning blend.
1 tsp Nutritional Yeast or grated parm if you can have the dairy

For the Crispy Ranch Chicken & Brussels Sprouts ::

1/2 cup GF Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast or grated parm if you can have the dairy
1/4 cup blanched almond flour or more panko
3 tbsp Ranch Seasoning Mix You can use my DIY Ranch Blend in the recipe card above, or this is a good, clean ingredient packet Ranch seasoning blend.
2-3 tbsp mayo or olive oil
4 boneless chicken breasts pound the tops to match the thickness of the bottoms, about an inch
1 lb brussels sprouts quartered
2 tbsp olive oil for the brussels sprouts
Sea salt and pepper to taste for the brussel sprouts

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees, and put 2 large sheet pans in the oven while it is pre-heating. This will pre-heat the pans and make for crispier potatoes and better cooking on the chicken.

Get the Roasted Ranch Potatoes going first ::

In a medium mixing bowl, toss all of the Roasted Ranch Potatoes ingredients until combined.
Once the oven is pre-heated to 425 degrees, take one of the sheet pans out of the oven, and spread the seasoned potatoes out onto the hot sheet pan. It will sizzle! That is ok and good! It will make for crispy potatoes!
Roast the potatoes for 15 minutes while you prep the chicken and brussels sprouts

Prep the Ranch Chicken & Brussels Sprouts ::

In a shallow dish, whisk the panko crumbs, nutritional yeast, almond flour, and Ranch seasoning.
Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with mayo. I use my hands but you could use a brush if you want. Wash your hands, and then use a tongs to dip each mayo coated chicken breast into the Ranch seasoned panko crumbs, flipping the chicken breasts so they are covered on both sides.
In the same mixing bowl that you tossed the seasoned potatoes, you can toss the brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. You could potentially Ranch season these too if you want!

Finish the Ranch Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner ::

Take out the empty hot sheet pan from the oven, and put the Ranch Seasoned Chicken and the seasoned brussels sprouts on this pan.
Once the potatoes have finished the first 15 minutes of roasting, remove the pan, stir the potatoes around, and put them back in the oven along with the sheet pan of Ranch Chicken & Brussels Sprouts.
Cook the Ranch Chicken & Brussels Sprouts as well as the sheet pan of Roasted Ranch Potatoes for 15 minutes. You can place the chicken under the broiler at the end for color if you want. The chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

More real food SHEET PAN DINNER recipes you might like!

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Dinner Ideas Healthy Kids and Teens Real Food 101 Real Food Tips

One Skillet Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Pasta & Chicken

August 28, 2021

Get dinner done in one shot with this easy one skillet creamy tomato basil spinach pasta and chicken!

One Skillet Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Pasta & Chicken

Birthday girl dinner requests!

The youngest member of our crew turns 8 this week! EIGHT! I have no idea how this is even possible, but she is just the kindest little spunk you ever did meet. The most perfect blend of sweet and spice! She is my rainbow after the storm, and without getting to emotional on you, our household is truly complete with her. In honor of her birthday, I wanted to share her dinner request! In true third kid form, she is incredibly go-with-the-flow, and while I would have made her just about anything, I’m *super* pumped that she picked this easy, one skillet dinner considering her birthday is 2 days before the new school year starts!

One skillet mealtime perfection!

Is there really ever a time of year where a one pot meal doesn’t work? I think not! Whether its the on-the-go summer days, or busy school routine winter weeks, having a dinner that can be done in one skillet is really a game changer! You may even want to use a larger skillet, or 2 of them to double up so that there are leftovers for lunch the next day – this skillet is sure to disappear fast!

Veggie packed, and macro-nutrient balanced

Because we’re doing a whole dinner in one skillet, I usually try to get every meal component into the skillet. Side salads are nice, but a truly one skillet dinner has it all. This also makes it much easier to get a load of nutrient packed veggies into smaller children without the fuss of a salad. Once the spinach wilts down, the kids will never know its there – and there is a lot of it! Protein from the chicken, healthy fats all around, and some slow burning, fiber rich carbohydrates – a balanced one pot meal!

A note on the protein

You really can change this up to your family’s preferences. If your crew prefers chicken breasts, by all means change that up! If you only have beef in the house, that would taste amazing as well. I think the flavor that chicken thighs lend into the pan is life changing – if you have some around give it a try!

Let’s talk about the pasta!

There are so many gluten free pasta choices around these days! If you don’t need to be gluten free, you can use whatever pasta you like to use. I prefer a brown rice pasta for gluten free versions and you can find them both at the grocery stores, as well as online now. The pasta will cook right in the liquid of the skillet, so there is no need to get a pot of water boiling. The starches from the pasta will give the sauce a creaminess that is so comforting, and once again, everything is done all in one pan!

Veggie change ups, and leftovers!

There is a myriad of ways to get even more veggies into this skillet. One of my favorites is to add finely chopped cauliflower. They take on the color of the sauce, and don’t change the flavor at all. My crew also loves when I add mushrooms. You can add both of these into step 3 where you are sautéing the sundried tomatoes and garlic. And speaking of sundried tomatoes! Costco has a great jar of them packed in olive oil! You can find them just about anywhere, but really be careful to take note of what they are packed in – either a really good healthy oil, or just dried in a package is best. You can also leave them out if you don’t have access. Leftovers taste amazing warmed up with a splash of water or bone broth. You can pack it in a thermos for work or school too!

Print Recipe

One Skillet Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Pasta & Chicken

Author: Renee Kohley – Raising Generation Nourished

Ingredients

1 – 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs rinsed and pat dry
1 tsp sea salt
¼ – ½ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
1 tbsp coconut oil to cook in butter, olive oil, or avocado oil will work too
½ cup red wine
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/3 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil or 1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
1 – 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup full fat coconut milk
½ – 1 cup water or bone broth depending on how saucy you want the skillet – start with ½ cup, and after the pasta cooks you can add more if you want!
3 cups dry pasta of choice I used the Jovial GF spirals
1 – 5-ounce box of baby spinach chopped and divided

Instructions

Whisk the sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl and sprinkle over the chicken thighs, seasoning each side. I use my hands to get the rub onto both sides of the chicken.
Heat a large skillet over high heat, and melt the coconut oil. You will want the pan screaming hot so that it gives the chicken a good sear. Place the chicken into the oiled pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. You want a golden sear on both sides. Set the chicken aside to rest.
Turn the skillet temperature down to medium heat and add the red wine to deglaze the pan. Stir the wine around, and then add the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and tomato paste. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until everything is fragrant.
Add the basil, tomato sauce, coconut milk, water, and dried pasta and stir to combine. Stir in half of the chopped baby spinach and cover the skillet with a lid.
Let the pasta simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes before stirring. Once you stir the pasta, add the chicken back into the skillet, along with the rest of the spinach, and put the lid back on. Cook on medium heat until the pasta is al dente – check your box of pasta to see how long it takes to cook and follow that.
Once the pasta is cooked, you can serve with grated cheese, fresh basil, or a dollop of coconut cream!

Notes

You can swap the wine for broth or water if you can’t have the wine – the flavor depth it brings is fantastic though so if you have it, use it! The alcohol cooks off so it is safe for children.
I get my sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil at Costco. If you don’t have access to a good sun dried tomato in safe packaging or oil, you can cook down some halved cherry tomatoes with the red wine and garlic at the beginning of the recipe, or leave them out completely.
If you can’t have the pasta, you can leave out the extra water and serve your creamy tomato basil and spinach sauce and chicken over spaghetti squash, or a baked potato or sweet potato.

More real food recipes you might like ::

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