Sheet pan chicken Parmesan tenders and Brussels sprouts

And 4 protein-packed breakfasts (that go beyond eggs)

Hello and happy Thursday! It’s officially May, can you believe it?! Our weather is playing tricks on us, is it for you too? I’ve anticipated hot temps the last few weeks but we’ve been very pleasantly surprised with cool, spring weather that has meant extra time outdoors.

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I have hundreds of recipes in the “low-carb”, “gluten/grain-free” and “ketogenic diet” niche on my blog, Stem and Spoon, but this space is where I focus on creating easy dinners that are less focused on diet labels and are free of ads, too! Every recipe generally falls in the low-carb and low-glycemic niche, so I hope you browse the Recipe Index and find something you like.

Since this is the first Thursday of the month, today’s recipe is free to all subscribers! I’m sharing a really awesome sheet pan dinner that marries three of my favorite things: roasted Brussels sprouts, cozy Italian food, and chicken tenders.

If you were here last summer, you might remember my sheet pan eggplant Parmesan. It was somewhat of an obsession of mine for the duration of eggplant season (along with this Mediterranean roasted eggplant!) and it inspired today’s recipe.

We’re using chicken tenderloins because they cook quickly, they’re tender, and they won’t release too much excess water, which means you can cook the chicken and veggies on one sheet pan.

Both are tossed in a Parmesan cheese and spice mixture, which creates a wonderful flavor and a cheesy coating that gets golden and crisp during the bake time.

This is a new family favorite and I think you’ll love it as much as we do!

The recipe, printable PDF, and nutritional information is all available below. If you enjoyed it, please give it a share, a like, or forward it to a foodie friend who might also appreciate low-glycemic meals. Thank you so much for your support!

I’m a big breakfast person and it’s one area I’ve been challenging myself to get creative with. We all have our meal go-tos, and as my kiddos get older, I’m trying to reinforce the importance of balanced, protein-forward meals to kick off our day.

So in my effort to create breakfasts they like and we all enjoy, I have a roundup of some of our favorites that I hope are inspiring and useful for you as well.

Here are four ways we like to get protein in the morning:

High-protein blueberry muffins; warm chia seed pudding; savory cottage cheese bowls; high-protein breakfast biscuits.

High-protein blueberry muffins: These are so great for meal prep and the texture is really on point. Not dry or crumbly, but they are equally tender and hefty. Each muffin offers 12 grams of protein and is also low carb, gluten and grain free. Recently, I adapted this recipe to make three other variations which I shared here.

Warm chia seed pudding: Chia seeds offer a good amount of protein per serving, and this recipe throws eggs into the equation (which makes it extra rich, creamy, and tapioca-like). Each large serving will give you at least 10 grams of protein. One way to up the protein even more is by stirring in some plain Greek yogurt at the very end. You can also mix in a scoop of whey protein powder, peanut or almond butter, or top it with my vanilla almond butter grain-free granola.

Savory cottage cheese bowls: If you prefer savory over sweet, you’ll love these bright and springy cottage cheese bowls. One large serving boasts 30 grams of protein, and it’s packed with healthy fats from the smoked salmon and walnuts. Prefer sweet? Try these simple cottage cheese bowls with fruit.

High-protein breakfast biscuits: Two of these biscuits will give you 18 grams of protein with only 4 net carbs! They’re hearty and flavorful, with crumbled breakfast sausage, cheese, and veggies.

Looking for more protein-forward recipes? You might like these:

• High protein pasta salad

• 25 high-protein keto recipes

• Cookie dough protein balls

• Banana chocolate protein muffins

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Chicken tenders are always fun and in this version, you’ll coat the tenderloins in a delicious Parmesan/seasoning mixture which creates a sort of cheesy “breading.”

You’ll toss the Brussels in that same mixture to make perfectly-roasted Brussels sprouts with yummy, crispy bits that stick to the veggies and toast on the sheet pan.

Tip: cook this all directly on the sheet pan, and skip adding a baking mat or parchment paper. The Brussels sprouts will have a slightly crispier exterior this way, and a thin metal spatula will help you lift them (and any stuck-on Parmesan bits) from the pan. Also know that it’s hard to stop snacking on these— they may not even make it to your plate, they’re so good.

Yield: ~4 servings

Prep time: ~30 minutes

• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (you will need ¾ cup once it’s finely chopped)

• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

• ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• 1-½ tablespoons Italian seasoning

• 1 to 1-¼ pounds chicken tenderloins (approx. 10 pieces)

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved

• 2-½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• ¾ cup marinara sauce

• 3-4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn

• Red pepper flakes or fresh basil (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add the grated Parmesan cheese to a food processor and pulse several times to turn it into Parmesan crumbs. If you prefer, you can also do this by finely-chopping it on a cutting board (but the food processor is quicker). Add the salt pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning to the cheese and pulse to mix. (Or, add the cheese and spices to a bowl and whisk to combine.)

   

2. Pat dry the chicken tenders with a paper towel and place them on one side of a large sheet pan. On the other side, add the halved Brussels sprouts. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the chicken and use your hands to spread it around and evenly coat the tenderloins. Drizzle the remaining 1-½ tablespoons of olive oil on the Brussels sprouts, then toss to coat. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese/spice mixture over the chicken and Brussels sprouts and toss, but keep the veggies and the chicken each on their own side of the pan. You can press the cheese mixture firmly onto all sides of the chicken and Brussels– it’s okay if there is loose Parmesan on the pan (this will give you deliciously yummy crispy bits).

3. Push the chicken pieces close together on one side of the pan, and arrange the Brussels sprouts cut side down on the other side, being careful not to overcrowd them (you can crowd the chicken pieces to make more room for the Brussels sprouts).

4. Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and cook for 16-18 minutes. Remove and use a metal spatula to lift the Brussels sprouts and toss them (the cut sides should be a nice golden brown). Spoon the marinara over the chicken pieces and top them with torn fresh mozzarella. Return the pan to the oven and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until the mozzarella has melted and the chicken tenders are a light golden brown.

5. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 3-5 minutes, then serve with red pepper flakes or basil, if desired.

• You can crowd the chicken tenderloins together, but try to give the Brussels sprouts a little breathing room on the pan. If they are too close, they will steam each other instead of roasting. I’ve found that exactly one pound of Brussels sprouts can fit on the pan with the chicken so if you have a little more than that, you can transfer them to a separate sheet pan to roast.

• The chicken will release some water as it cooks, and there will be a little more water released from the marinara and mozzarella. It should all stay on the chicken side of the pan. Make sure to pat dry your chicken tenderloins before you begin, to remove as much excess water as possible.

• I like Raos’ marinara sauce for its ingredients and taste but any marinara works.

• Chicken: Tenderloins are a great cut for this recipe because they cook quickly, they don’t release too much excess water, and they won’t dry out as easily as other lean cuts. You can substitute them for thin-sliced chicken breast or small boneless/skinless chicken thighs if preferred.

• Brussels sprouts: These roast beautifully with the Parmesan cheese and require the same amount of time to cook as the chicken. However, you can substitute them with diced sweet potatoes or small cauliflower/broccoli florets. If you’d like to use asparagus or green beans instead, I recommend cooking the chicken for 10 minutes first, then adding the veggies to the pan and letting them cook for the next 10 minutes with the chicken.

• Parmesan cheese/dairy-free version: Since this is a chicken Parmesan recipe, the Parmesan plays a big role in the textures and flavors of the meal. I haven’t tried any plant-based Parmesan cheeses but I imagine you could substitute a vegan Parmesan and omit the mozzarella to make this dairy-free. You could also toss the chicken and Brussels sprouts in the spices on their own – I’d add about ½ teaspoon of extra salt.

Nutrition

Nutritional information is calculated by MyFitnessPal, based on an estimate of 4 servings.

Calories: 427

Total fat: 22 g

Total carbohydrate: 15 g

Dietary fiber: 4 g

Total sugar: 5 g

Protein: 46 g

Total net carbs: 11 g

Sheet Pan Chicken Parmesan Tenders With Brussels Sprouts

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If you give this recipe a try, let me know how it went! I always appreciate hearing from you, whether it’s a recipe review/comment or a recipe request.

Thank you for reading, and happy cooking!

Until next week,

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