Why This Recipe Matters
Once the kids are back in school and the days start getting shorter, it can feel like there is barely enough time to make dinner, get it on the table and clean everything up before the night is over.
With our two oldest, dinner looks different around here these days. More often than not, it’s Gordon, Cooper and I sitting at the kitchen bar while the older two are at activities or work. I’ve been trying to come up with easier weeknight meals that we can eat together when we can, while still leaving something really good for them to reheat when they get home.
Maybe it’s the changing of the seasons, but I’m feeling that shift in more ways than one this year. My daughter is now in her junior year of high school and suddenly the end of having all three kids at home doesn’t feel quite so far away. I keep thinking about how intentional I want to be with these last couple of years and food is part of that for me.
I want to keep making the kinds of meals they remember. The ones that feel like home long after they leave it. This sheet pan dinner is exactly that kind of meal…simple enough for a busy weeknight, but good enough that everyone asked me to make it again.
Prepare Your Taste Buds
The first bite has everything I want in a fall dinner. Smoky sausage with crisp, browned edges. Sweet red onion that softens and caramelizes in the oven. Tender bites of sweet potato and Brussels sprouts with those deeply roasted edges that make them so good.
Then comes the rice.
It’s savory, but with a subtle sweetness from the apple juice and little tart bites of Granny Smith apple tucked throughout. When you get a forkful with sausage, a caramelized Brussels sprout, some sweet potato and one of those tender pieces of apple, it all just works.
This is a quick weeknight meal, but it does not lack flavor. I need more dinners like this in my life and I have a feeling you might too.
I hope you’ll give this one a try this fall.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
- Smoked sausage: Use your favorite fully cooked smoked sausage. Turkey smoked sausage works well too.
- Brussels sprouts: Halved Brussels sprouts get browned and caramelized in the oven.
- Sweet potato: Adds a little sweetness and makes the sheet pan hearty enough for dinner.
- Red onion: Roasts until tender with slightly crisp, caramelized edges.
- Granny Smith apple: Adds tart little bites to the rice and keeps the apple flavor from becoming too sweet.
- Apple juice: I use Simply Apple because it has a richer, more fresh-pressed apple flavor that’s almost cider-like. A standard shelf-stable apple juice will work, but the apple flavor may be a little more subtle. Apple cider would also be a good option when it’s in season.
- Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar: Add tang and balance to the roasted sausage and vegetables.
Simple Ways to Serve This
This smoked sausage and apple rice is a complete meal on its own, but a simple green salad is an easy addition if you want something fresh alongside it. For dessert, my Easy Pumpkin Spice Cake gives you a richer, sweeter finish, while the Pumpkin Muffins are a little less sweet and still fit perfectly with the flavors of the meal.
Sheet Pan Smoked Sausage & Vegetables with Apple Rice
Smoky sausage, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and red onion are served over lightly sweet apple rice for an easy weeknight dinner with plenty of savory fall flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sheet Pan
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Apple Rice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons shallot, finely diced
- 1 small Granny Smith apple, finely diced
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 cup apple juice, preferably Simply Apple or fresh-pressed style
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Sheet Pan Smoked Sausage & Vegetables
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 1 red onion, cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1–2 tablespoons water, as needed
- 14 ounces smoked sausage, sliced into thick rounds
Instructions
Apple Rice
- Start the apple rice: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and diced apple and cook for 2–3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Toast the rice: Stir in the jasmine rice and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the grains are lightly toasted.
- Cook the rice: Add the apple juice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Sheet Pan Smoked Sausage & Vegetables
- Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.
- Make the seasoning mixture: Whisk together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of water to loosen the mixture, adding the second tablespoon if needed.
- Season the vegetables: Add the sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, and red onion to the sheet pan. Drizzle with the seasoning mixture and toss until evenly coated. Spread everything into a single layer.
- Roast the vegetables: Roast for 15 minutes.
- Add the sausage: Remove the pan from the oven, add the sliced smoked sausage, and toss everything lightly. Return to the oven and roast for another 15–20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender, the Brussels sprouts are browned, and the sausage is caramelized around the edges.
- Serve: Fluff the apple rice and divide among bowls. Spoon the roasted sausage and vegetables over the top and serve warm.
Notes
- Give the vegetables room: The vegetables and sausage should have plenty of space on the sheet pan so they can brown and caramelize. If your vegetables are cut a little larger, you end up with more than the recipe calls for, or your sheet pan is smaller, divide everything between two pans rather than crowding it.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 369
- Sugar: 13.9 g
- Sodium: 483.8 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 59.6 g
- Fiber: 6.4 g
- Protein: 9.2 g
- Cholesterol: 26.3 mg
Substitutions & Variations
- Use turkey sausage: Turkey smoked sausage works well in place of traditional smoked sausage.
- Swap the apple: Another firm, tart apple can stand in for Granny Smith.
Handy Hints
- Cut evenly: Cut the sweet potato into small, even cubes so it cooks at the same pace as the Brussels sprouts.
- Give them space: Spread the vegetables out on the sheet pan so they roast instead of steam.
- Loosen the mixture: If the Dijon mixture seems too thick, whisk in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it’s easy to drizzle and coat the vegetables.
Make-Ahead Tips
- Prep the vegetables: Cut the sweet potato, trim the Brussels sprouts, and chop the onion ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to roast.
- Make the rice early: The apple rice can be made earlier in the day and gently reheated with a splash of water if needed.
- Save the leftovers: This reheats especially well in the microwave, making it great for nights when everyone is eating at different times.
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