This roasted vegetables and sausage sheet pan meal is a fan favorite! And it’s easy to see why. After all, one sheet pan meals are the easiest dinner option for busy parents like you.
In fact, just the other day I asked my Facebook fans about their favorite easy weeknight meals and here’s what they had to say:
But don’t take my word for it! Below I share some of the reasons that you should be making one sheet pan meals and how to make them work for your family.
Want to skip to seeing how the recipe is made? Check it out here:
How and Why to Make One Sheet Pan Meals
Have you ever tried making one sheet pan meals? If not, you’re missing out. They’re even better than one pot meals because they’re a fast and hands-off way to make a complete dinner. Plus, clean-up is super easy if you line your sheet pan with parchment paper or tinfoil.
These are my go-to on busy nights when the witching hour, dinner time, and everything else collides. In fact, if I’m really in a pinch (aka home solo with the kids for dinner), I’ll even chop everything up and make the dressing/sauce ahead of time. It’ll all keep at least 2 days in the fridge and then making dinner is as simple as tossing everything together on a sheet pan and throwing it in the oven.
The other great thing about one sheet pan meals? They require almost no thought or creativity. That’s why these meals are a go-to in our house. You can think of this recipe as a base that you can use in all different ways! Here are some ideas:
- Use andouille sausage and add some hot sauce to the dressing for a Southern-style sheet pan meal. Serve over rice
- Use chicken and apple sausage and serve with fried eggs for breakfast or breakfast for dinner
- Use Italian sausage and balsamic vinegar and serve tossed with pasta
- Use caramelized onion meatballs and add a pinch of curry to the dressing to make an Indian version. Serve with yogurt on top
The possibilities are endless!
Picking a Healthier Chicken Sausage
The main thing you’ll need for this roasted vegetables and sausage sheet pan meal is pre-cooked sausage. The reason for this is two-fold:
- It allows you to slice it up before roasting
- It makes the cooking time of the sausage equal to the veggies – key for one pan meals
There are tons of great options out there now, but you’ll want to look out for hidden icky stuff. Here are my criteria (though yours may be different of course):
- No funky stuff like added MSG, nitrates or nitrites: The fastest way to see that they DON’T have this is by checking the label. Most companies that don’t include them will tell you that!
- Low or no added sugar (e.g. these Aidells Smoked Chicken Apple Sausages are only sweetened with fruit juice)
- Organic if possible: This one isn’t always possible or a priority, but in our house we do try to buy organic meat when possible
Here are some of the brands that I often buy:
The Benefits of Using Frozen Vegetables
When you get to the recipe, you may notice that I’ve subbed frozen cauliflower for fresh. And you’ll probably wonder why…
Good question! I have been playing around with substituting frozen vegetables for fresh ones in these one sheet pan meals because I find that they’re much easier to work with. As a busy mom, I don’t always have time to buy fresh vegetables, clean, and chop them. So since frozen ones keep longer and are already cut and cleaned, they can be a great alternative!
This doesn’t work with all veggies, and you’ll get a little less “roastiness” on your frozen cauliflower in this recipe, but what you lose out on you’ll make up for in saved time.
Plus, I’ve always told people that the kale that goes bad in your fridge doesn’t make you any healthier. And it’s true! You only get the benefit from what you actually eat and I find that removing the “prep” barrier makes you more likely to prepare and eat something!
The moral of the story here? Don’t be afraid to lean on frozen vegetables when cleaning and chopping are a barrier to including them in your meals on busy nights. Frozen cauliflower works just fine here and in many other recipes. Just experiment to find out!
Roasted Vegetables and Sausage Sheet Pan Meal
The preparation for this meal is really laughably easy, but I’ve included some pictures of the process here in case that helps!
And here’s what it looks like when you’re all done:
Ready to make it?
Ingredients
- 1 package chicken or favorite fully cooked sausage (12 oz)
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange)
- 1 zucchini
- 1 package frozen cauliflower
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil
- Slice sausage into bite sized chunks
- Cut onion, bell pepper, zucchini into bite sized chunks
- Spread sausage, veggies, and bag of cauliflower on baking sheet
- In a small mason jar, pour all dressing ingredients and shake to combine. Pour the dressing over everything and stir to coat well
- Roast for 25-35 minutes until everything is fully cooked and veggies are starting to brown at the edges
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
Want more inspiration for one sheet pan meals? Here are some ideas from around the interwebs:
Or how about another fast, family-friendly meal? This Cauliflower Rice Paella is a one pot meal that comes together really quickly.
