Help! There’s No Sheet Pan at My Vacation Rental.

published Jul 8, 2016
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(Image credit: Samantha Bolton)

Summer cooking should be low-key and fuss-free, especially when you’re on vacation, which is why I’m such a fan of the sheet-pan supper. Throw everything on one sheet pan, bake it in the oven, and voila! Dinner is served. Sheet-pan suppers mean less prep and cleanup time, so you can get back to lounging on the deck with a cold beer in hand.

But what if, despite all your careful planning, you forget to ask your host about the kitchen’s amenities and arrive only to discover there’s nary a sheet pan in sight? Don’t worry — we’ve got three helpful hacks for you.

3 Ways to Hack a Sheet Pan

If you arrive at your vacation rental with high hopes of making sheet-pan suppers every night, only to find there are no sheet pans on the premises, here are a few other ways to make your one-pan dreams come true.

1. Large Pan

If there’s a large cast iron pan or casserole dish at your rental, you can make your meal in there instead.

2. Broiler Pan

Open the oven to see if there’s a broiler pan lurking inside. At our Kitchn retreat this past spring, we improvised a sheet pan by lining the built-in broiler pan with foil.

3. Aluminum Foil

When in doubt, turn to aluminum foil. You can either cover the entire oven rack with foil, or fold up the sides of a large piece of foil to create a little makeshift tray.

Recipes to Make Once You’ve Hacked Your Sheet Pan

Have you ever arrived at a vacation rental, only to find there was no sheet pan? What did you do?