I interrrupt all of the holiday-themed posting to bring you the best thing I'm putting on the table for dinner these days. It's a hit with everyone, especially me, the cook, who doesn't have a lot of time on her hands for fancy feasting these days.
I’m still behind in my holiday shopping, but for some reason I don’t feel overly concerned or stressed about it. Should I be? We’re fortunate enough that I can give Rob a list of what I need and where to buy it and he can take care of it over his lunch hour, but even that seems to be too time consuming these days, so in all honestly I imagine that one night this week, I’ll curl up with my laptop and do most of it online in the comfort of my own home.
It could be that the idea of moving my burgeoning belly through throngs of people and their armfuls of holiday packages holds little appeal at this point, or it’s possible that this year I’m seeing the holidays as a time to relax for the first time since the beginning of October, and all I really have on my wishlist is the desire to have some fun with my family. Regardless of what’s holding me back, I do have to eventually get some of it done, and I suspect that’s how I’ll be spending any free time between now and the 19th, when school and work are finished for 2014.
For those nights when I head out shopping, or the ones when I’m feeling too busy/tired to get dinner on the table (like last night) this is what I’m making: a one-pan sausage and veggie bake. It takes less than 10 minutes to assemble, about an hour to bake, and is so easy my teenager is now going to be in charge of making this once a week. The kids LOVE it, and so do we, and it’s a great way to get a ton of veggies into them without thinking too much about how to do so.
I shared an idea like this last year, but didn’t turn it into an official post. I’ve also decided that the secret to making this extra flavourful is to toss the veggies with a mix of olive oil, salt and pepper and good mustard before baking. It doesn’t matter what type of sausages you use; we go for spicy ones because the kids can totally handle the heat, but you can opt for regular Italian, honey garlic, and even turkey, if you’re looking to keep things extra healthy.
Sausage and Veggie Bake
- 1 ½ lb. sausages (approx. 6-8)
- 10 cups of assorted chopped vegetables cut into one-inch thick pieces (potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, parsnips, red onions, Brussels sprouts)
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. grainy Dijon mustard
- 2 thyme sprigs, leaves removed
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the chopped vegetables into a large bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, mustard, and thyme leaves and pour over the vegetables. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon (or your hands) so the veg are evenly covered with the seasoning.
2. Toss the vegetables onto a large sheet pan; season well with salt and pepper. Arrange the sausages on top and bake for 30 minutes. Flip the sausages, stir the veg, then bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are golden brown and crisp.
