One sheet-pan chicken a triple threat

With many of us back in the office or back in school, there will be no stopping for a minute to run to the kitchen and stir that pot of beans (or toss the laundry into the washing machine, for that matter). Add in commuting time and, for many of us, the late summer will probably mean a return to dinner as that daily task awaiting us when we get home.

So when I saw this ohso-simple idea in “The Fit Foodie Meal Prep Plan” (Tiller Press, 2020) by Sally O’Neil, the self-described “fit foodie,” I decided flipping through it might help reboot my brain into afterwork cooking mode.

O’Neil is a big advocate of working ahead on food, and her efficient cookbook is all about making smart, simple choices to get the job done.

“If you want fine-dining options to wow your highbrow guests, you’ve picked up the wrong book,” she writes. Her focus is cutting down on cooking time and making meals that you can prepare in advance, then assemble with little effort. She dishes out shortcut ideas, such as turning your refrigerator into your own personal salad bar by prepping various ingredients and gathering an arsenal of simple vinaigrette and sauce recipes you can whip up into a tempting bowl. And she encourages buying microwaveable grains and stocking up on your favorite spice blends.

One of her tips is to cook once and eat twice — or, as was the case with this

Sheet Pan Chicken 3 Ways, three times.

For this dish, you divide a sheet pan into three compartments with foil — or just use three separate small pans, if you prefer. In each compartment, you place boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces. Then you cover each with its own spice rub or flavorful paste.

The chicken bakes quickly and leaves you with three flavors to play with in the days to come.

If you have the time and imagination, you can go beyond her suggested flavoring suggestions, make your own spice blends or pull out your favorite storebought condiments or mixes. Try chicken thighs in place of the breast or sample proteins, such as quick-cooking shrimp or sliced pork. You could add thinly sliced onion, minced garlic or diced carrots to the chicken before you bake it, but I tried it just the way she suggested.

It took just under 20 minutes to throw together and 20 minutes to bake.

The first night, I turned the barbecue-flavored chicken into tacos by tucking them in microwave-steamed corn tortillas and adding jarred salsa and avocado. On the second night, I put the maple-sesame flavored protein on top of room temperature soba noodles tossed with toasted sesame seed oil, peanuts and scallions, with lime and sriracha on the side. For the third night, I reheated the rosemary-and-lemon chicken and its drippings and complemented it with warm pita and a green salad.

Each was satisfying and allowed me to make dinner on each subsequent night in about 20 minutes.

Laura Chase de Formigny / For the Washington Post