Sheet-Pan Veggie and Halloumi Bake

One tray, no meat, and nothing that needs watching. Halloumi is the trick — it browns instead of melting, so it holds its own as the main event rather than disappearing into the vegetables. Staggering what goes in when is the only thing standing between this and a pan of mush.

Ingredients

• 1 lb baby potatoes, halved
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 zucchini, cut into half-moons
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 8 oz halloumi, cut into ½-inch slabs
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil or parsley

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F.
2. Toss the potatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp salt. Spread on a large sheet pan and roast 15 minutes alone — they need a head start on everything else.
3. Meanwhile, toss the peppers, onion, and zucchini with 2 tbsp oil, the remaining 1 tsp salt, oregano, and black pepper.
4. Add the vegetables to the pan with the potatoes, spreading everything into a single layer. Use two pans if it's crowded. Roast 15 minutes.
5. Pat the halloumi slabs dry and toss with the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add them to the pan along with the cherry tomatoes, nestling the cheese directly against the hot metal where possible. Roast 10–12 minutes more, until the halloumi is golden and the tomatoes have burst.
6. Whisk the honey and vinegar together and drizzle over the hot pan. Scatter with herbs and serve directly from the tray.

Substitutions

• No halloumi: thick slices of feta work but will soften rather than brown, or use paneer, which behaves almost identically.
• Chicken thighs can replace or join the halloumi; add them with the potatoes at the start and cook to 165°F.
• Sweet potatoes for the baby potatoes; cut them the same size and start them at the same time.
• Whatever's in the drawer: broccoli, eggplant, fennel, and carrots all work. Match cook times to density.
• Vegan: skip the halloumi, add a can of drained chickpeas in the last 15 minutes, and use maple syrup instead of honey.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat on a sheet pan at 400°F for 10 minutes; the halloumi re-crisps surprisingly well. Skip the microwave, which turns halloumi squeaky. Leftovers are excellent cold, chopped into a grain bowl with a lemony dressing. Doesn't freeze well — the zucchini and potatoes go grainy.

Serving suggestions

Warm flatbread and a bowl of yogurt with lemon and garlic. Couscous or farro if you want to stretch it further. A green salad if you want to pretend the honey drizzle didn't happen.