I’ve personally been in my “what can I roast and call dinner” era and maybe you’re feeling the same way as the holidays ramp up. At the same time, I’m trying my best to get plenty of nourishing ingredients on my plates, and today’s recipe perfectly marries easy, plant-packed, and delish. Honey balsamic sweet potato lentil bowls are equal parts cozy and practical—the recipe requires chopping a few veggies, turning on the oven, and letting the sheet pan do the heavy lifting. Plus an insanely tasty sauce!!
These bowls are cozy without being heavy, packed with fiber and plant-based protein, and drizzled with a balsamic-tahini sauce I’ve made approximately six times in the past two weeks. Basically, this dinner checks every box: meal-preppable, protein-packed, great leftover energy, and completely customizable. I hope it becomes a weeknight staple you don’t even have to think about, just grab a sheet pan and go 🫶🏻
In addition to the bonus recipe, today’s post also includes: a full dinner plan for next week, a color-coded grocery list, swaps and subs, & a prep day plan to get ahead on the week of meals. You’re also getting week 3 of the December meal prep plan at the bottom of today’s post so you’re covered for all meals this week!
My goal with every recipe is to create a plant-forward dish that utilizes a variety of ingredients and sources of protein. Today’s bonus recipe is vegetarian-friendly as-written but as always there are many ways to adapt it to your preferences or dietary needs! Here are my tips for incorporating meat or protein into plant based recipes:
1. If a sheet pan is involved… add diced chicken breast or chicken sausage to it. I usually opt for a simple flavor like garlic and herb or spinach and feta.
2. For tacos or bowls… add a ground meat like turkey, chicken, or beef, or go the easy route and shred a rotisserie chicken.
3. If a sauce is involved… double up and use it as a marinade for meat or fish. Lots of this happening within last week’s meal plan!
4. Use the plant based recipe as a base… veggie-based meals give more volume per serving, so you can add in what you have on hand or in the freezer to make it stretch even further—great way to save money on your weekly shop! This tip also works the other way around, if you have a stir fry or skillet dish that needs more to it, adding in steamed or roasted veggies give it bulk which means it can stretch further.
5. Swap and sub… if cauliflower isn’t your thing (or your family’s), I get it! The reason I especially love sheet pan meals, stir frys, or bowls is because doing swaps is simple. Take out a starchy or bulky veggie and add in your animal protein of choice. Just make sure it’s fully cooked (like 165F for chicken).
honey balsamic sweet potato lentil bowls
serves 4 | prep time: 25 minutes | cook time: 50 minutes
Gluten-free, vegetarian, nut-free, dairy-free option, vegan option
