This $27 Sheet-Pan Salad Kept Me Fed For Three Days
Produced by Aimee Nishitoba. Photo, Christie Vuong. Food Styling, Eshun Mott. Prop styling, Madeleine Johari.
Last week I was craving something cozy, so I made Chatelaine's roasted sweet potato, halloumi and kale salad—a sheet pan dinner by Jillian Barreca. It’s a hearty dish that also doesn't leave you feeling heavy, and crucially, doesn't get boring when eaten as a next-day meal. The four servings this recipe makes lasted me for three days.
My condo has a small, European-sized oven, so instead of using one sheet pan, I split everything between two smaller ones. The chickpeas and sweet potatoes went on one, and the kale, onion and halloumi on the other. One benefit to this regardless of what oven size you have at home is it lets the sweet potatoes and chickpeas roast longer while the rest of the ingredients cook through just enough. The dressing also really brings the dish together, adding a brightness to the cooked ingredients and helping it still feel like a salad.
This recipe did, however, take longer than the suggested 45 minutes. Prep time alone—the washing, chopping, measuring—took about that much time before I got to cooking. Still, once it came together, it was worth it. it’s an easy, satisfying meal that’s worth the time. If you want to add more protein, a salmon fillet on the side would be great.
As for cost: my grocery total came to just over $27, though much of that budget was taken up by pomegranate seeds and halloumi, which turned out to be big-ticket items at the Sobeys where I shop. Also, I omitted the pistachios and mint. Next time I make this, I’ll wait for pomegranate season and pick up the halloumi on sale. Still, this recipe made four generous servings, which worked out to $6.79 each.
Here's the cost breakdown
On-hand pantry items: vinegar, sugar, sumac, salt, coriander, cumin, black pepper
- ½ can chickpeas, 0.99
- 1 lemon, $1
- 1 large sweet potato $1.76
- 1 bunch kale, $2.99
- 1 white onion, $1.15
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds, $5.99
- 1 pkg halloumi, $9.29
- 1 425-g pkg pita bread, $3.49
Grand total: $27.16
Ready to make this sweet potato, kale and halloumi salad? Get the recipe.
