Root Beer chicken is a quick, easy recipe that changes up weeknight dinner

We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links.

The countdown to school is under way, with a week or two left of summer. While this summer has been a bore, try to make the most of the remaining days with quick and easy meals that make way for more time spent with the family.

Most home cooks get stuck in the kitchen while family members relax inside or enjoy the sunshine outdoors. These cooks need to make haste with dinner preparations so they can join in the fun.

Sheet pan meals are one way to go. I enjoy making these one-dish meals now. I bought a countertop oven/convection oven that has room for 13-by-9-inch pans, which means no more heating the whole kitchen.

I like putting all the ingredients in one baking dish or sheet pan, setting the timer and taking a break.

I have a few well-known chefs that I follow and use their recipes because of the seasonings they use and because the recipes do not require much time.

The late Art Ginsburg (Mr. Food) gained popularity for his easy recipes. As a Type II diabetic, I enjoyed his “Quick & Easy Diabetic Cooking” and also his “Quick & Easy Recipes.” His diabetic cookbook gave me hope that diabetic meals did not have to be boring and could taste good.

I include one of his recipes today that is anything but boring: a root beer chicken. A salad and fresh corn on the cob make good side dishes.

Where Mr. Food’s recipe calls for a whole chicken, I only use boneless, skinless chicken breasts because that is what my family eats. No sense wasting food.

Make dinner burst with flavor with this easy, unique sheet-pan chicken.