Squash & Sausage Sheet Pan with Crispy Kale Recipe
This sheet pan dinner strikes the perfect balance of savoury and sweet, featuring seasonal winter squash. Plus, prep-ahead steps to make your weeknight a breeze.
This week, I’m thrilled to share this Sheet Pan Acorn Squash, Sausage, and Crispy Kale recipe. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe below to get all future editions of The Grocery Edit straight to your inbox.
When it comes to weeknight meals, simplicity, flavour, and minimal cleanup are my top priorities. I love a sheet pan dinner because everything cooks in one pan, creating less mess and requiring less hands-on time.
For this recipe, you’ll roast squash and sausage tossed in a Dijon-maple dressing. Then you’ll add kale to the pan for the last few minutes of cooking. This dish can be made in an hour from start to finish - 30 minutes of active cooking time plus prep. But if you’re short on time in the evening, I’ve included some prep-ahead steps to help make this recipe come together even quicker at mealtime.
Recipe Notes
Protein:
We’re using chicken sausage as our protein source. You can typically find this in the meat section of the grocery store made from ground chicken and spices. The benefit of using chicken sausage here is it adds a ton of flavour (since it’s pre-seasoned) without increasing the cooking or prep time. We’re cutting the sausage into thirds to reduce the overall cooking time of the recipe.
Vegetables:
Acorn Squash: Acorn squash is a small, round or oval-shaped winter squash with deep green skin and a ribbed texture. It typically has a pale orange or yellow interior with a slightly sweet, nutty flavour.
Kale: We’re topping our recipe with crispy roasted kale. I suggest purchasing pre-washed and torn kale, so there’s no added prep. Otherwise, wash and tear your kale ahead of time to easily add to your meals throughout the week. Store in a sealed container with a paper towel to absorb additional water.
Dressing:
The dressing for this recipe is made of avocado oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, herbs and spices. I love using avocado oil for this recipe as it has a healthy fat profile, a mild flavour, and holds up well at high cooking temperatures.
Equipment needed:
Large sheet pan
Parchment paper (optional, but makes clean-up easier)
Chef knife and cutting board
Measuring spoons
Small bowl to whisk the dressing
Measuring cup (for optional rice)
Pot to cook rice (optional)
Grocery List:
Fresh items:
Chicken sausages (4)
Small acorn squash (1)
Kale (4 cups total, I recommend a bag of pre-washed and torn kale)
Pantry items you may already have on hand:
Avocado oil
Avocado oil spray (optional)*
Maple syrup
Apple cider vinegar
Dijon mustard
Garlic powder
Dried thyme
Dried rosemary
Salt
Pepper
Basmati rice (optional)
I don’t know about you, but my weeknights are pure chaos. Between daycare pickup, getting home, getting dinner on the table, and putting young kids to bed, it’s a sprint. To help make dinner less stressful (and ready at a reasonable time), I try to prep what I can ahead of time. If you’re short on time most weeknights, you can follow these prep-ahead tips the night before. Even though these are extra steps in the moment, they will make your life so much easier at mealtime and be completely worth it!
Prep-ahead steps:
Cut 4 chicken sausages into thirds. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Cut a small acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Slice each half into 1-inch strips, then cut each strip in half again. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Whisk together 1.5 tbsp avocado oil, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 1/4 tsp of each: garlic powder, thyme, ground rosemary, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until you’re ready to cook.
Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
When it’s time to cook, add the chicken sausage and acorn squash to the sheet pan. Pour the dressing over the sheet pan and toss until everything is evenly coated. Then, skip to step 5 in the recipe below.
Sheet Pan Acorn Squash & Sausage with Crispy Kale
Ingredients:
4 x chicken sausage
1 x small acorn squash
1 1/2 tbsp avocado oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried ground rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup dry basmati rice (optional for serving)
4 cups of washed and torn kale leaves
Avocado oil spray*
How to make it:
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
Cut 4 chicken sausages into thirds and place on the pan.
Cut a small acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Slice each half into 1-inch strips, then cut each strip in half again. Place on the pan with the sausage.
Whisk together 1.5 tbsp avocado oil, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 1/4 tsp of each: garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Pour over the pan and toss the sausage and squash until well combined.
Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the rice according to package instructions (if serving).
After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and flip the sausage and squash (they should be lightly browned on one side at this point) Place the pan back into the oven and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and top with 4 cups of kale. Give kale a light spray with oil (*see the note below if you don’t have oil spray) and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until the kale is brown on the edges and crispy.
Enjoy!
*Avocado oil spray allows you to easily coat the kale in a small amount of oil. If you don’t have oil spray, add your kale to a bowl and toss with 1/2 a tbsp of oil before you add it to the pan.
I would love to hear from you! Let me know if you tried the recipe - you can message me using the button below or via the Substack app chat.
Chat soon,
~Brittany
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