In the busyness of weekday life, finding a dinner solution that checks all the boxes — quick, nutritious, and universally pleasing — can often feel like seeking a culinary unicorn. That’s where the magic of AI comes into play. With the power of AI from Ollie, we found a perfect weeknight meal: Sheet Pan Roasted Lemon Herb Chicken.
The Quest for the Perfect Dinner
The challenge was clear: create a meal that could satisfy the diverse palates of a busy family, including the picky eaters, the health-conscious, and those of us perpetually short on time. We challenged Ollie with specific needs:
- No red meat
- No refined carbs
- Quick prep time
- Minimal cleanup
- Flavorful
- Nutritious
Instantly, it generated this slam dunk of a recipe.
Sheet Pan Roasted Lemon Herb Chicken
Ingredients (serves 6):
- 8 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
- 2 lemons (1 zested and juiced, 1 sliced)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1.5 lbs baby potatoes, halved
- 1 lb green beans, trimmed
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- In a bowl, mix the lemon zest, juice, garlic, rosemary, thyme, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss the chicken thighs in this mixture to coat.
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a roasting pan. Scatter the baby potatoes around the chicken.
- Roast for about 40 minutes. Then add green beans and lemon slices to the pan. Roast for another 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.
- Serve hot, garnished with additional fresh herbs if desired.
A few notes
We will admit that we were skeptical about adding the green beans and lemon slices on top of the chicken while roasting, but they turned out just right (crisp yet tender) and the dish was full of flavor. The best part was that it cooked while I finished up homework with the kids. Easy peasy.
Ollie does the work for you
Ollie’s mission is to help you feed your family healthy meals without having to think about it. Here’s a little of what you can expect from Ollie:
- Recipe Customization: Swap ingredients, tailor portion sizes, and adjust seasonings. Ollie can instantly update recipes to your specific taste or needs.
- Instant Meal Plans: Before you can even think of it, Ollie will generate a meal plan based on your family’s preferences complete with a ready-to-go grocery list so you can cross this job off your list.
- Real-life flexibility: Ollie knows that you may not want to cook five new meals a week. More often than not, you want to cook something familiar and easy to please. Ollie adjusts its meal plans to your schedule and incorporates your tried-and-true meals into the weekly schedule so you have a plan that you can really use.
We’re just getting started. Ollie will be released soon. If you’d like early access, join the waitlist.
