I make this sheet pan chicken sausage and veggies recipe when I need a quick dinner or an easy meal-prepped lunch that's balanced and filling. To take it up a notch, I drizzle the finished dish with homemade creamy balsamic dressing. The dressing ties the ingredients together and sets this recipe apart from the rest.
Now, does the internet really need another sausage and veggie sheet pan recipe? Probably not, but I thought this one was still worth sharing because I make it several times a month.
- I love it because this meal gives me protein, fiber, and flavor in one pan with minimal cleanup.
- It's also versatile; if I don't have one of the vegetables on hand, it's easy to swap in broccoli, carrots, or baby potatoes.
When it's ready, I like to serve the sausage and veggies over garlic basmati rice. It makes the meal feel more hearty and complete.
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Key Ingredient Notes
- Veggies - This recipe calls for a combo of bell peppers, onions, cauliflower, and sweet potato. The flavors and textures in these vegetables work well together, and they all have similar cooking times.
- Chicken sausage - I like using chicken sausage instead of pork because it's lighter, still packed with flavor, and comes in so many varieties. Make sure you use sausage links that are already fully-cooked (not raw ground sausage in casing).
- Creamy balsamic dressing - I provide ingredients in the recipe card for my homemade dressing. But of course, store-bought is fine, or you could just skip it. I like to include it alongside my sheet pan chicken sausage and veggies because it's so good at marrying the ingredients together.
*See the recipe card below for a detailed list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Sheet pan veggie bakes are super versatile, that's why we love them, right!? However, not all substitutions are created equal. If you're switching veggies, choose ones with a similar texture and cooking time so everything roasts evenly and nothing ends up undercooked or mushy.
- Good subs: Broccoli for cauliflower, baby potatoes or butternut squash for sweet potatoes, and asparagus for bell peppers.
- Bad subs: For this recipe, not-so-great substitutes include tomatoes, zucchini, and green beans.
- Use a different dressing. If you aren't feeling the creamy balsamic, try creamy dill dressing or maple Dijon dressing.
Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos
Step 1: Spread your chopped vegetables out onto a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then give everything a good stir. Place in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes.
Step 2: Meanwhile, add all of the dressing ingredients to a mixing bowl or glass jar and whisk until smooth.
Step 3: After 20 minutes, remove the vegetables from the oven, stir, and add the chopped chicken sausages.
Step 4: Return the tray to the oven and continue cooking the chicken sausage and veggie mixture for another 20 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
Right before serving, add a drizzle of creamy balsamic and dig in!
Serving Suggestions
Once your sheet pan chicken sausage and veggies are roasted, you can serve them in a variety of different ways. Here are a few of my go-tos:
- Grains - Served over rice is my favorite, but quinoa and couscous are great options, too.
- Greens - Pile them onto fresh salad greens, arugula, or over lightly sauteed kale.
- With cheese - I'll never turn down a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese!
What I've Learned
I've cooked sheet pan recipes a time or two before... okay, more like 2000 times, but who's counting!? Needless to say, I've learned a few tips and tricks to make sure they come out perfectly every single time!
- Use a large sheet pan. More surface area = more browning and crisp edges. For most of my sheet pan recipes, I use this Nordic Ware XL Sheet Pan (it's a must for my sheet pan chicken with peppers). But two half-size pans work as well!
- Don't overcrowd. It's important to give veggies and proteins space so they roast, not steam.
- Stagger cooking times. You'll want to add faster-cooking ingredients later to prevent anything from burning. That's why I wait to add the chicken sausage! I use this method in my roasted asparagus and brussels sprouts recipe.
- Skip the raw, fresh sausage links. I initially tested this recipe with fresh sausages, but they ended up releasing too much moisture and cooking unevenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can chop the veggies (except for the sweet potatoes) a day or two in advance and keep them in the fridge. When it's time to cook, simply season and roast. However, sweet potatoes turn brown shortly after they're peeled and chopped, so I recommend preparing those when you're ready to complete the recipe.
No. When I first tested this recipe, I used fresh chicken sausages. The fresh sausages became dry and shriveled up. This caused their flavor, texture, and overall appearance to become pretty unappetizing.
More Recipes Worth Trying
If you've tried this sheet pan chicken sausage and veggies recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and share your thoughts in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 large bell peppers
- 1 large onion
- 1 large sweet potato
- 8 ready-to-eat chicken sausages Mild or Sweet Italian
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Prepare your veggies: Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized florets, slice the bell peppers into thin strips, slice the onion into wedges, and peel and chop the sweet potato into bite-sized pieces.
- Transfer all of the chopped vegetables onto a large baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Roast the vegetables in your preheated oven for 20 minutes. While the vegetables are roasting, slice the chicken sausages into small rounds.
- After 20 minutes, remove the veggies from the oven, give them a good stir, and add the sliced sausages to the pan. Place the tray back in the oven and continue roasting for an additional 20 minutes.
- While the chicken sausages and veggies are roasting, make the creamy balsamic dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
- After 40 minutes, the sausage and veggies should be cooked through and slightly caramelized. Feel free to keep roasting them to your liking, though.
- After they're finished cooking, scoop portions onto plates, drizzle with the creamy balsamic dressing, and serve! I like to serve them bowl-style over basmati rice.
Nutrition
Notes
- I recommend using a large sheet pan so that you don't overcrowd the veggies and sausage. I use this Nordic Ware XL Sheet Pan.
- The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.
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