What juggling home cook doesn’t like one-pot cooking? Not juggling as in raw eggs or knives, but managing daily demands — job, kids’ soccer practice, caring for Grandma. Whether you like to plan ahead — think the "low and slow" concept of the slow cooker — or the speedy process of throwing together a beef stew in the pressure cooker, one piece of equipment streamlines not just the cooking process, but clean-up as well.

Still, fast and slow cooking delivers primarily soupy dishes. How much chili, stew, or braised foods can one consume before boredom sets in?

This is the dilemma Molly Gilbert addresses with her cookbook "Sheet Pan Suppers" ($15.95, Workman Publishing), a collection of 120 recipes released last December.

Gilbert, 30, a cooking instructor, food blogger and former private chef, says sheet-pan cooking delivers foods with intense flavor, something lacking in many dishes that come out of the crock pot or pressure cooker. This is thanks to the dry heat of the oven, which draws out the natural sugars in a food to produce a crisp exterior and tender interior.

"Flavor is improved by the air circulation in the oven. It produces nice texture and concentrated flavor," she said.

Sheet-pan cooking involves baking, roasting and broiling food in what’s technically a half-sheet pan, about 18-by-13 inches, with sizes up to 2 inches high. (Larger sheet pans won’t fit in a home oven.) According to Gilbert, a decent sheet pan is relatively inexpensive, running as low as about $15 online and at kitchen supply stores.

Gilbert says that though cooks can substitute a cookie sheet or cake pan in a pinch, these alternatives could deliver less-ideal results. Take care, for instance, if the cookie sheet is unrimmed; juices and other items could spill off. A 9-by-13-inch pan, with its high sides, will compromise air circulation and cause foods to steam more, impacting their roasted, crispy qualities.

But Gilbert does encourage improvisation, saying the recipes are meant to be friendly for the home cook.

"Don’t be afraid to experiment," she said. "Swap ingredients, use what you have. Adapt recipes to your own taste."

Gilbert, who lives in Seattle, spent two years putting together the book, not just creating and testing recipes, but photographing her own pictures as well. She says she found inspiration for her recipes everywhere — from old family recipes, food blogs, at restaurants and other cookbooks.

"The more and more I tested the recipes, the more I realized that you can do a lot on sheet pans," she said. "It was really fun to experiment, so I cast a wide net."

Her collection features recipes for dinner entrees; lunchable salads, sandwiches and pizza; appetizers; sides; dessert — and even brunch.

And they all keep it simple.

"Sheet-pan cooking is hands-off," she said. "It doesn’t require stirring or standing over a stove. You arrange your food then let the oven do the work."

GREENS & EGGS & HAM

» Olive oil cooking spray
» 1 boneless ham steak (about 7 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
» 4 to 5 cups packed chopped kale
» 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
» Kosher salt
» 8 to 12 large eggs
» 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ounces)
» Freshly ground black pepper
» Crusty bread, for serving

Heat oven to 375 degrees with rack in center position. Line sheet pan with aluminum foil and mist with cooking spray. Spread ham on prepared pan and bake, using spatula to mix and turn occasionally, until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to plate and set aside. Do not wipe up any grease from the bottom of the pan.

Place kale on pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to coat. Spread out kale evenly. Bake 5 minutes.

Remove pan from oven but leave oven on. Using wooden spoon, make 8 to 12 evenly spaced divots in the kale to accommodate eggs. Crack an egg into each divot. Sprinkle feta, reserved ham cubes and top with salt and pepper. Return to oven. Bake until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve immediately with crusty bread to soak up yolks. Serves 4 to 6.

Approximate nutritional information (based on 4 servings and 8 eggs; not including crusty bread): 320 calories, 30 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 420 mg cholesterol, 1,200 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 26 g protein

LEMON-HERB SOLE ON CRISPY POTATO RAFTS

» 1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 2 medium), unpeeled and scrubbed, then sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
» 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
» 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
» 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
» 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
» 4 (5-ounce) skinless fillets sole or other firm white fish (about 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick)
» 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
» 1 lemon, thinly sliced
» 8 sprigs fresh thyme
» 2 tablespoons capers, drained

Heat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in center position. Line sheet pan with parchment. In large bowl, toss potatoes with oil, garlic, salt and pepper until thoroughly coated.

Assemble four potato rafts by overlapping slices on prepared pan in rectangular mounds. Each raft should consist of 3 to 4 shingled rows and be roughly 4 by 6 inches; use 3 to 4 slices potato per row.

Roast potatoes, rotating pan halfway through, until golden brown and beginning to crisp, about 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven.

Blot fish dry with paper towel and place one fillet, skinned side down, on each raft. Top each fillet with 1 tablespoon butter, 2 lemon slices and 2 sprigs thyme. Scatter capers atop fish and around pan.

Return pan to oven and roast until fish is cooked, roughly 15 minutes.

Transfer rafts and fillets to individual plates with big spatula, and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 430 calories, 21 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 800 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 23 g protein

This recipe is extremely customizable — use this as a base, but make the bark using any kind of chocolate (or multiple kinds, all at once). The toppings are pretty much limitless. Some ideas: dried cranberries, candied orange peel and chopped roasted cashews; miniature marshmallows, crushed graham crackers and peanut M&M’s; chopped Reese’s Pieces and crushed potato chips; chopped spiced almonds and dried sour cherries.

CHOCOLATE CANDY BARK

» 3 cups chocolate chips
» About 2 cups toppings

Heat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in center position. Line sheet pan with parchment. Spread out chocolate chips in even layer in center of pan; leave edges bare. Bake until chips have started to melt but still hold their shape, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove pan and use rubber spatula to spread melting chocolate evenly around pan. If using more than one type of chocolate and don’t want them to mix, wipe spatula between spreadings. Immediately sprinkle topping evenly over chocolate, gently pressing it in.

Refrigerate uncovered until chocolate is firm and toppings have set, about 1 hour.

Use hands to gently break bark into 2- or 3-inch pieces, working quickly so the chocolate doesn’t melt.

Keep in airtight container in fridge for up to 5 days with absorbent toppings such as chips, cookies and pretzels; up to 2 weeks with hard candies, nuts and dried fruit. Makes about 4 cups.

Nutritional information unavailable.