Sheet Pan Sausage and Vegetables
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This healthy and delicious sheet pan meal is made with chicken sausage, butternut squash, kale, and onions. It’s a Whole30 compatible recipe that comes together quickly using just one pan! Make sheet pan sausage and vegetables for dinner tonight, or for your weekly meal prep.
Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies Recipes
When dinner needs to be healthy, delicious, and super easy, this sheet pan meal is what I make! It’s super simple meal prep and has so much protein and nutritional benefits from the veggies.
You only need five ingredients in total and a large sheet pan. Best of all, it comes together in about 40 minutes, and most of that time is hands-off. It’s the perfect meal for busy weeknights and something that the whole family will love.
Made with tender chicken and apple sausage and hearty, filling vegetables like kale, butternut squash, and onions, this recipe is a family favorite! And did I mention it’s Whole30 and Paleo compatible?
It’s also great way to get your kiddos to eat their veggies. The roasted sausage adds great flavor to the fresh vegetables. No matter what variety of vegetables you choose to use, they’ll be so so tasty! Pair this meal with some quick Instant Pot rice, some fluffy dinner rolls, or all on its own.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
This sheet pan sausage dinner is so easy and a great healthy meal option when you need something quick and protein packed:
- My favorite thing about healthy sheet pan sausage and vegetables is that it uses minimal dishes. Clean-up is so fast and then I can enjoy the rest of my evenings.
- This is a fabulous make-ahead dish for meal prep. It stores and reheats really well, even if you choose to use different veggies.
- Easily change this recipe up and use different veggies, a different type of sausage, and lots of fun seasonings. It’s a great recipe to make all your own.
Ingredients
Healthy sheet pan sausage and veggies only requires a few simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to grab:
- chicken sausage
- butternut squash
- kale
- red onion
- olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- garlic powder
Substitutions and Variations
I use Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausage, but feel free to substitute with a different type of link sausage.
If you don’t like butternut squash, feel free to substitute sweet potatoes instead. There’s a variety of vegetables you can add to this meal too. Some baby carrots, bell peppers, brussels sprouts, broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes, red potatoes, and other root vegetables would all be tasty.
Don’t have extra virgin olive oil on hand? Then you can use some avocado oil instead!
Feel free to add some extra seasoning to this super easy dinner recipe. Add some kick with red pepper flakes, and you can also elevate the flavor with a bit of onion powder.
How to Make Healthy Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
Ready to make dinner in lickity split time? Then here’s the step-by-step instructions you need to follow:
While the oven is preheating, wash and tear the kale into 3-4 inch long pieces, removing any large stems. Chop the onion into 2 inch pieces.
Peel, de-seed, and dice the butternut squash. I always use a grapefruit spoon to scrape out the seeds. Then slice the sausages into 1 inch wide rounds.
The squash and onions need the most time to cook, so we start by cooking the squash and onions, then adding the kale and sausage after.
Toss the squash and onions with half of the oil and season lightly with salt and pepper and then pread them out on a large baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, stopping halfway to turn the pieces with a spatula.
Toss the sausage and kale with the remaining oil and then season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Spread the sausages and kale on the baking sheet. Cook in the oven for about 8-10 more minutes, stopping halfway through to turn all the pieces with a spatula.
Once the kale is crispy and the sausage is heated through, remove the sheetpan from the oven. Serve immediately!
How to Store Leftover Chicken Sausage and Veggies
This easy sheet pan sausage recipe is great meal prep option because it stores so well. Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also store these leftovers in a freezer safe container for a few months.
Serving Suggestions
The beauty in this dish is that the entire meal is all there on the pan! But, you could make some jasmine rice or Instant Pot cauliflower mashed potatoes.
Cheesy garlic bread is also tasty with this dinner.
Tips for Success
To make sure this healthy meal turns out perfect, just check out these few simple tips and tricks:
- I used pre-cooked sausage, so it doesn’t need to cook as long as raw sausage links. You can definitely use any other kind of sausage. However, if you’re using uncooked (raw) sausages, be sure to follow the small change in the recipe notes below!
- Make sure that all of your veggies get coated in oil and seasonings before baking in the oven. And if you use different veggies, then keep in mind that your bake time may need to be adjusted.
- Slice sausage into even slices so that they all cook through completely and no slices overcook.
FAQ
Yes! Uncooked sausage links weighing approximately 1/4 lb. each will work wonderfully with this recipe. Poke each sausage with a fork or knife a few times (this keeps them from popping open in the oven while they cook).
Set the sausages on the sheet pan with the butternut squash and onions in Step 2. When you turn the vegetables halfway through cooking, flip the sausages over. Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the sausage links. For beef and pork sausages should be cooked to 160°, and chicken and turkey sausages should be cooked to 165°F.
Yes, you can safely cook sausage on a baking sheet in the oven. If you are cooking raw sausage, then make sure that it reaches a safe internal temperature to ensure it’s fully cooked.
Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Meal
Video
Ingredients
- 24 oz. chicken sausage or pork sausage
- 1 small bunch kale
- 1 medium butternut squash about 2-3 lbs.
- 1 medium red onion
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil divided
- 1 teaspoon sea salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Wash and tear the 1 small bunch kale into 3-4 inch long pieces, removing any large stems. Peel and chop 1 medium red onion into 2-inch pieces. Peel, de-seed, and dice 1 medium butternut squash. Slice the 24 oz. chicken sausage into 1 inch wide rounds.
- Toss the squash cubes and onions with 2 tablespoons avocado oil and season lightly with ½ teaspoon sea salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Spread the veggies out in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, stopping halfway to turn the pieces over with a spatula.
- Toss the sliced sausage and kale with the remaining 2 tablespoons avocado oil. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon sea salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Spread the chicken sausage and kale into a single layer on the baking sheet with the squash and onions. Return to the oven and cook for 8-10 more minutes.
- When the kale is crispy and the sausage is heated through, remove the sheet pan meal from the oven, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Poke each sausage with a fork or knife a few times (this keeps them from popping open in the oven while they cook).
- Set the sausages on the sheet pan with the butternut squash and onions in Step 2. When you turn the vegetables halfway through cooking, flip the sausages over.
- Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the sausage links. For beef and pork sausages should be cooked to 160°, and chicken and turkey sausages should be cooked to 165°F, per USDA.
