Fast family-friendly weeknight meals like this simple One Pan Roasted Squash, Apple and Sausage Dinner are so helpful to have on hand!

one pan dinner

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Why You’ll Love This One-Pan Squash, Apple and Sausage Dinner

At this time of year, sheet pan dinners, one pan meals and all-in-one recipes are my saving grace. Easy doesn’t mean they have to fall flat on flavor.

You all have been giving me lots of feedback that you agree! You loved my Roasted Potatoes with Apples, Sausage, and Maple Mustard Glaze and this One Pan Chicken, Squash and Mushrooms so much I came up with another variation today.

Trust me, you are going to LOVE the taste of this sausage sheet pan dinner! The sweet, savory and tart combination of maple, apple and squash paired with the rich Chicken Apple Sausage is unbeatable!

It is simple to prepare, but just needs a little trick of timing to get everything to perfect tenderness. The butternut squash gets roasted for a little bit, because it takes longer than everything else. After that, add in fresh kale, apples and sliced organic Chicken Apple Sausage to make it a complete meal.

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Ingredient Notes

Chicken Apple Sausage

The lightly sweet flavor of chicken apple sausage is a great pairing with the squash, kale and apples. If you cannot find it, sub in sweet Italian chicken sausage or pork sausage. Breakfast sausage links also work and the spices in it are also good with this combo.

Apples

For the best texture look for crisp, sweet apples such as Ginger Gold, Honey Crisp, Mutsu or Gala. Hard apples such as Pink Lady, Jazz and Pinata are too firm to soften well. Softer apples such as Paula Reds or Macintosh are best suited for applesauce as they break down too much and get mushy. Read more about apple varieties for cooking in my apple guide.

Butternut Squash

You’ll need a small butternut squash about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. You can also substitute cubed raw butternut squash found in the produce section in plastic trays wrapped in clear plastic. (You’ll need about 1 pound of prepared squash.)

Kale

To make this a complete meal we added in shredded fresh kale leaves. Curly, Russian or lacinato work equally well. Remove the ribs and then finely shred the leaves. Add them to a salad spinner to rinse well. Drain and spin dry.

For The Sauce

The sauce is a combination of 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard. If you cannot find sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar is a good substitute. And honey can be used in place of the maple.

How to Make This Sheet Pan Squash and Sausage Dinner

Step 1: Preheat oven and make sauce

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Shake vinegar, maple syrup and mustard in a small jar.

Step 2: Season and Roast squash

Meanwhile, toss squash, oil, smoked paprika, salt, nutmeg and pepper in a large bowl to coat. Spread out on a large rimmed baking sheet.

Transfer squash to the oven and roast 10 minutes.

Step 3: Add Kale, Sausage and Apples

Add apples, sausage and kale and toss to coat. Return to the oven and roast, stirring once or twice until the apples are softened and the squash is tender, about 18 to 22 minutes longer. Remove from the oven.

Step 4: Add Sauce and Serve

Drizzle the vinegar mixture over the roasted mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

roasted squash dinner on an oval platter

FAQs and Expert Tips

Can this be made ahead?

This sausage dinner is best enjoyed right away, but leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to three days. You can also meal prep this recipe by chopping the ingredients ahead of time. Store the squash separately and keep the sauce in a jar. Refrigerate up to two days.

Can I use baby spinach instead of kale?

Baby spinach can be used instead of the kale but only add it in the last minute or two of roasting.

Menu Pairing Ideas

For an easy fall appetizer, you could make this Pumpkin Pie Dip with apple slices. 

This is pretty much a one pan meal recipe, but you could serve it with some Simple Skillet Green Beans if you want to fill out the plate with more veggies. 

For dessert, you could make Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Swirl, or if you are following a gluten-free diet you could make Gluten-free Apple Pie. 

More Recipes To Try

Friends, I’m in love with the whole one-pan dinner concept! They’re so easy to make and clean up! So check out this Lemon Butter Chicken from Veggie Balance. It’s another awesome one-pan dinner featuring chicken. I also have been loving this sheet pan salmon dinner with Moroccan Spice and this Chicken Sheet Pan dinner with Broccoli and Honey Sriracha Sauce.

Cranberry Sausage Stuffing and this Apple, Cheddar and Sausage Breakfast Strata are two recipes to keep on hand for the holiday season.

For a lower carb dinner try this Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Sausage Ragu.

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Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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roasted squash dinner on an oval platter

One Pan Roasted Squash, Apple and Sausage Dinner

★★★★★

5 from 15 reviews
Print Recipe

Description

Fall means busier schedules, so this one pan roasted squash, apple and sausage dinner is a perfect fast family-friendly weeknight meal!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, dark or amber
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 medium-small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 ½-inch chunks (1 ½ to 2 pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 3 small apples, cored and cut into 1 ½-inch chunks
  • 4 links chicken apple sausages, sliced
  • 4 cups finely shredded kale

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Shake vinegar, maple syrup and mustard in a small jar.
  2. Meanwhile, toss squash, oil, smoked paprika, salt, nutmeg and pepper in a large bowl to coat. Spread out on a large rimmed baking sheet. Transfer squash to the oven and roast 10 minutes.
  3. Add apples, sausage and kale and toss to coat. Return to the oven and roast, stirring once or twice until the apples are softened and the squash is tender, about 18 to 22 minutes longer. Remove from the oven.
  4. Drizzle the vinegar mixture over the roasted mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Roasted
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 1/4 cups
  • Calories: 365
  • Sugar: 15 g
  • Sodium: 905 mg
  • Fat: 13 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 22 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 13 g

Keywords: sausage dinner

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