Sheet Pan Catfish Dinner

/
SheetPan_angle.jpeg

*sponsored post

When time is tight and I just don’t feel like stirring and sautéing my way to dinner—and I really don’t feel like washing pots and pans—thank goodness I can rely on a good sheet pan dinner. Everything cooks together on a lined sheet pan (that I don’t have to wash), and I bring that pan out to the table as the “platter” we serve ourselves from. It feels fun and casual, and I feel good knowing that, even with minimal effort, I’ve put a healthy dinner on the table for my family. 

I created this Sheet Pan Catfish Dinner because I knew it would be a surefire hit with my family, boasting our favorite veggies, our most-loved fish, and a lovely assortment of textures. Sweet potato “fries” get a head start on cooking so that they’ll be buttery tender inside, with some caramelized crunchy bits outside. The broccoli goes on later so that it ends up with a crisp-tender texture and some frizzled parts, too. But the real star of this dinner is the oven-fried catfish. It bakes up crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside, and perfectly seasoned bite after bite. And, with U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish, I know the flavor will be reliably mild and buttery, and the fish will be sustainably raised. It’s a dinner that makes me feel good for so many reasons.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 catfish fillet and about 1 cup vegetables)
Author:

Sheet Pan Catfish Dinner

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 25 Mtotal time: 35 M
They key to this dinner is to add the food in stages—the sweet potatoes take the longest to cook, so they go into the oven first. Then, after a few minutes, you add the breaded catfish and broccoli florets. At the end, you get tender potatoes, moist fish, and crisp-frizzled broccoli. I like to brush a little olive oil onto the fish to help the breading stick, and then sprinkle my spice blend directly onto the fish—instead of putting in the breading. That way, I know that all of it goes where I want it (on the fish) and doesn’t get tossed out with excess breading.

ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato (about 14 ounces), unpeeled and cut into 1/3-inch-thick “fries”
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
  • 3/4 tsp. black pepper, divided
  • 4 cups small broccoli florets
  • 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 4 (6-ounce) catfish fillets
  • 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
  • Cooking spray

instructions:

How to cook Sheet Pan Catfish Dinner

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2.  Combine sweet potato, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl, tossing well to coat. Arrange in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, combine broccoli, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in bowl, tossing well to coat.
  4. Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Brush catfish fillets with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle evenly with spice mixture. Place cornmeal in a pie plate or shallow bowl; dredge catfish in cornmeal and shake off excess.
  5. Remove baking sheet from oven; turn sweet potato pieces over and push to outer edges of pan. Arrange catfish across middle of pan and coat tops with cooking spray. Scatter broccoli over sweet potato pieces. Bake at 425°F until fish and sweet potatoes are tender and broccoli is crisp-tender, about 15 minutes.

NOTES:

Calories 458; Fat 20g (sat 4g); Protein 29g; Carb 34g; Fiber 4g; Sugars 5g (added sugars 0g); Sodium 421mg
Created using The Recipes Generator