This post was developed in partnership with the Florida Department of Citrus.

Sheet pan meals (or in my case, iron skillet meals) are great options for batch cooking everything at once – meat and protein – while only getting one pan dirty. I love being able to just pop everything into the oven and then go and do something else while it all cooks. When you’re a busy parent like I am, every little bit of time you free up for something else is valuable!

My sheet pan meals in fall and winter take advantage of heartier proteins like pork, while using gorgeous seasonal produce like squash, turnip, and Brussels sprouts. The sun-kissed taste of Florida Orange Juice sparkles as a glaze to add sweetness and flavour to it all!

Florida Orange Juice is an excellent source of vitamin C, a good source of potassium, contains folate and thiamin, and 100% orange juice does not contain added sugars, only those that naturally occur in the orange. It’s one of my favorite ingredients to use in marinades and glazes because it goes with so many proteins, from fish to beef. 

The one thing about sheet pan meals that can be tricky is the timing, so here’s some tips.

I used thick-cut, bone-in pork chops for this sheet pan pork recipe for two reasons: first off, I only buy bone-in chops because I find they taste better and are less dry than boneless chops. Second, the thick-cut chops allowed me more time to cook the hearty fall vegetables, which are fairly slow-cooking.

Cut the vegetables into small pieces – around 1-inch square, as much as possible, to ensure even cooking. If you use thinner chops, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time to allow the vegetables to basically par-cook before you put the chops in.

Put it this way: I’d rather have slightly overcooked vegetables than overcooked pork. Soft vegetables will absorb more of the glaze and become luscious and caramelized. 

So the priority here is to ensure that the vegetables are slightly soft when you put the pork in. 

Serves 4

4 bone-in pork chops, around 1-inch thick

Salt and pepper

4 cups of winter vegetables – Brussels sprouts, rutabaga, turnip, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, carrots, squash – cut into 1-inch pieces 

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

Glaze:

1/2 cup Florida Orange Juice

1/2 cup chunky orange marmalade

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 400F.

Make the glaze by combining all of the ingredients into a small saucepan and bringing to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer briskly until the glaze thickens.

Combine the vegetables, olive oil, and salt in a large bowl and toss to coat.

Spread the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large cast iron pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Salt and pepper the chops and put them into the pan amongst the vegetables, tossing the vegetables while you do this.

Return pan to the oven for 20-30 minutes, turning and basting the pork with the glaze every 10 minutes.

Pour the rest of the glaze over the pork and vegetables near the end of cooking. 

For more Florida Orange Juice recipes, go to www.floridacitrus.ca/oj