While we’ll never give up our half sheet pans, don’t forget about quarter sheet pans! These smaller-sized pans are perfect for small-batch cooking and prep.
Half sheet pans get all the glory. They’re the go-to for roasted vegetables, chocolate chip cookies, and sheet pan dinners.
And while I would never be without at least two of those pans (I currently have three), not enough love goes out to the half sheet’s smaller sibling, the quarter sheet pan ($22/2 pack).
This is the sheet pan for small batch cooking and for cooking for 1-2 people. This is the pan I pull out when I want to toast some nuts in the oven or roast just a couple sweet potatoes or beets.
It’s what I use when I want to cook a bunch of different things at one time, but individually. I can fit four of these pans in my oven, two side by side, which lets me pull out the vegetables or chicken thighs or salmon filets when they’re done, and let the rest keep cooking.
A quarter sheet pan is also terrific for prep and storage.
I use it for seasoning pieces of meat (the high lip contains juices much better than a cutting board or plate), breading, and for holding anything I need to freeze first: balls of cookie dough, a large bag of chicken broth. I can actually maneuver a quarter sheet pan into my freezer, which I cannot do with a half sheet pan!
As for cleaning? I can submerge a quarter sheet pan entirely under water in my sink! Big fan.
