This root veggie and sausage recipe is a favorite sheet pan dinner around here! The combo of the potatoes and beets pairs SO well with the ground sausage and the earthiness of the thyme and rosemary. There is even a slight hint of sweetness added by using a bit of honey. It all just makes for such a delicious and SIMPLE dinner meal.
Simple sheet pan dinners
This dish is hardy, healthy, nutritious and filling. It’s the perfect meal to just throw together quickly – I’m always on the hunt for recipes that I can easily add into my busy day. There is something about chopping some ingredients, tossing in some spices, and putting a simple sheet pan dinner into the oven that just seems to make life easier for me 🙌🏻
Throw together a quick toss salad on the side, maybe prep some homemade bread too if you have time. You could also toss some chopped broccoli with the same spices into the oven for a roasted broccoli side dish, or serve some easy fermented Sauerkraut on the side for a good flavor balance and some gut health. YUM!
Hash or sheet pan recipe?
When I originally started making this recipe it was more of a hash style, which is a yummy meal in itself, but it’s slowly morphed into a sheet pan dinner instead. I just make sure to cook the root veggies covered so you still get that softer hash texture, instead of a crispy oven baked potato.
A hash is usually created as a single skillet on the stove, but I’m not someone who loves the process of cooking potatoes in a skillet – call me impatient.😉 Plus, making my recipe this way uses only TWO dishes, instead of one. So thats not bad – right?
I love coming to the end of my afternoon after a busy day, the girls are playing in the living room, I’m chopping in the kitchen. It feels so right, and fulfills me more then I EVER thought it would.
Nowadays as we wait on better spring weather, I’m dreaming of sunshine and my veggie garden, and bringing in all the fresh veggies to utilize this summer! Exciting days to come!
Is your family beet eaters? I bet even a pickier eater might try beets in this dish!
Tips for making this dish-
- You could technically still make this in a skillet. Simply cook the ground sausage, remove and add the rest of the veggies into the same pan, cook till tender, then add the sausage back in. Whatever your preference!
- You could swap out the ground sausage for a sausage link. Just slice and throw onto the sheet pan with the veggies. This recipe IS tastier with the ground sausage, in my opinion.
- Make sure to buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself! There is something about grated cheese that is oh so much creamier and melty-er and just so much better than buying shredded cheese. It’s something I learned in my years of cooking – buy the block. If you like the convenience of having shredded cheese to grab when you need it, take a few minutes to grate a block or two and store it in the fridge in an airtight container. I promise, it makes a difference.
- Cut your fresh herbs with a pizza cutter 🤯 Place your fresh herbs on your cutting board and roll it back and forth, cutting those herbs up. I can’t tell you how much time and effort this hack has saved me!
Tools you will need-
- Chopping knife
- Cutting board
- Cookie sheet. Make sure your cookie sheets are stainless if you can. Stay faaaaar away from nonstick pans. They are so bad for you. Here is a link for some stainless pans I love.
- Cast iron skillet
- Cheese grater.
Sheet Pan Dinner Ingredients
- Potatoes. I usually opt for a Russet or Idaho potato. I like how they hold up baking as opposed to a gold potato. Those end up being too mushy for me.
- Sweet potato. I’ve made this recipe with both the Garnet sweet potato, the orange flesh kind that’s more commonly found at the store, and the Japanese, or tan flesh kind. Both are sweet and delicious, but I do love the orange color of the Garnet and the contrast it brings to the dish.
- Beets. Anybody else love beets?! I love them, and I hadn’t used or cooked with them for the majority of my adult life. I was missing out! They are soooo good, and so good for you. Grab that fresh beet, make sure to peel and then slice it up for the recipe. I will warn you, you may end up with red fingers and a red counter – beets stain! But it’s worth the slight hassle they present, I promise!
- Ground sausage. Ground sausage may not be the leanest meat ever? But I try to shop for as healthy an option as possible. Plus, animal fat doesn’t scare me, as long as I am consuming grass fed or organic pork. Know your meat source if you possibly can, ask questions, shop local!
- Seasonings. You can absolutely customize the seasonings in this dish, and change them up. I do think that the thyme and rosemary pair super well with the earthiness of the root veggies and the hint of honey.
- Cheese. Again, any cheese could be used that you love. I love a sharp cheddar or a white cheddar when cooking because I can use less cheese for that cheesy flavor, since these cheeses pack a punch of flavor.
Recipe
Preheat oven to 425.
Begin by chopping all potatoes and peeling and chopping beets. Remember, the size of the root veggies will determine cook time. I generally start with slices, and then cut the slice into 4-6 pieces, depending on the size of the veggies.
Add root veggies to a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle fresh herbs and seasoning, and drizzle with honey. Toss well to coat. I use pink sea salt and generally use about 3/4 teaspoon. Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper. Season according to your taste preference.
Cover with foil or a separate cookie sheet and place into the oven. Cook for 40-50 minutes, stirring half way through (replace foil). Cook until fork tender.
While root veggies are cooking, cook the ground sausage in a skillet. Set aside.
Grate your cheese.
When root veggies are done, toss with sausage gently, and sprinkle with cheese. You can replace cover for a minute or two to help melt the cheese. And walla! You have a delicious sheet pan dinner!
Enjoy!
