Just about every Wednesday is sheet pan dinner night at our house! There’s something magical about throwing a few nutrient-dense real food ingredients on a pan together and letting the oven do the rest — especially mid-week!
Our family likes all kinds of combinations, but this Sausage Apple Sheet Pan Dinner always seems to be a favorite. Personally, I think it’s the apples that make this dish a winner. Warm, caramelized sweetness complements the savory sausage and veggies perfectly.
Not only do sheet pan dinners make cooking a little easier, but cleaning up is a breeze!! If you are working on teaching your kids to cook, or teaching them kitchen safety and how to help with the dishes, this Sausage Apple Sheet Pan meal is an awesome recipe with the simplicity it offers.
Real food ingredients for this sheet pan dinner
Quality ingredients always boost the level of nourishment. Topping these sweet and savory foods with melted coconut or avocado oil and a dash of salt and pepper will seal the deal.
1. Sausage
Quality sausage can be hard to find, but all you need to look for is a simple ingredient list: real meat (ideally grass-fed or pasture-raised), spices, and herbs. Avoid meat raised with antibiotics, and look out for preservatives, MSG, and fillers. Also, watch for wheat flour if you are following a gluten-free diet.
For sheet pan meals, raw or cooked sausage links work well, and you could opt for beef, pork, chicken, or lamb sausage. Play around with your favorite flavors.
2. Apples
Tart, sweet, crisp, and nutritious — apples add a special flare to this Sausage Apple Sheet Pan recipe. You could use red, green, or yellow varieties, and the best are in-season apples you pick yourself if you get the opportunity.
Core the apples and cut into eighths before adding them to your sheet pan. If you are using large apples, you may also want to cut the sections in half crosswise.
Check out more surprising ways to include apples in your main meal with these apple recipes for kids!
3. Potatoes
I usually use fingerling potatoes for this dish, but really, you could use any delicately skinned variety. This whole food starch offers texture, taste, and a serving of healthy carbs.
While I love the apples best, my youngest son looks forward to the potatoes most!
4. Broccoli
Roasted broccoli is delicious! There’s no way around it. If you have a picky eater at home who turns up their nose at these green trees, give roasting a try!
I usually use fresh broccoli crowns for this sheet pan meal, but roasting frozen broccoli works incredibly well! It’s a great way to pull together an easy dinner if you have a bag of florets in the freezer.
How kids can help
There are many ways that kids can help with this Sausage Apple Sheet Pan Dinner recipe. Whether you are cooking with toddlers or cooking with teens, you can find age-appropriate options from this list:
- Cut properly sized parchment to line the pan
- Gather ingredients and necessary kitchen tools
- Preheat the oven
- Wash produce
- Scrub potatoes with a veggie brush
- Core and slice apples
- Chop broccoli and potatoes
- Cut sausage
- Toss ingredients with oil
- Spread ingredients in a single layer
- Season with sea salt and pepper
- Carefully place in the oven and set a timer
Oftentimes my pre-teen completes this recipe from start to finish all on his own — helping me immensely on busy days, and getting a boost of confidence in the process.
We hope you enjoy this simple dinner as much as we do! For more sheet pan options, and plenty of other delicious recipes that your kids can help with, be sure to check out the Kids in the Kitchen ebook!
Sausage Apple Sheet Pan Dinner
Print
Sausage Apple Sheet Pan Dinner
- Yield: 4–6 1x
Ingredients
- 8 sausage links of choice (we love a good brat)
- 2 large (or 4 small) apples, cored and sliced in eighths
- 2 large heads of broccoli, chopped
- 1 lb fingerling potatoes, halved or quartered
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted (or avocado oil)
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425ºF. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Slice sausage links into bite-sized pieces.
- Divide all ingredients evenly amongst the two pans and spread in a single layer.
- Toss with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place in the oven for 35 minutes, or until sausage is cooked through and potatoes are fork-tender. You may want to switch the placement of the pans halfway through to ensure even cooking.
