What's for Dinner? Sheet Pan Italian Sausage & Peppers

Despite a few set backs over spring break, the hubbs and I are eating lower carb these days in an effort to lose 30 pounds of, let's call it, baby weight. So far, so good. Matthew's down about 10 pounds and I'm almost down 20.

Meat and veggie dishes are my go to's during this slimming down season. Also, I am all about the one pan oven dishes. With homeschooling, and a baby girl, and a house that won't clean itself (as hard as I wish) one pan wonders are the best.

When making one pan dishes you want to make sure that everything cooks evenly and that it's all done at the same time. Otherwise, you'll have to remove the done items from your pan and stick it back in the oven to continue cooking whatever isn't cooked. Not the end of the world, but why make more work for yourself than you have to. Also, whatever you take out will be sitting there getting cold without efforts on your part to keep it warm while it's waiting for its roasting compadres. Again, more work.



In this dish, the Italian sausages need about 40 minutes to roast. Taking that into account I quarter my onion leaving it in huge chunks so they don't burn while the sausages are get'n done.



Same with the bell peppers. They should be quartered or cut into really big chunks so they don't end up mushy (unless you like mushy). The pepper pieces pictured here could have been a little bigger.



I let the sausages roast for 30 minutes, then turn them and roast another 10 minutes. Perfection.

On a side note, if you aren't trying to eat low carb, go ahead and scoop this dish into beautifully toasted and buttered hoagie rolls, top with provolone cheese, and melt under the broiler for 2 minutes or so. 😉

Sheet Pan Italian Sausages & Peppers

INGREDIENTS

2 19 oz packages Italian sausages

3 large bell peppers

1 large red onion

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil to coat

olive oil spray

foil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Line a large baking sheet with foil for easy clean up and spray with oil spray.

3. Quarter bell peppers. Toss in a medium bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and add salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss to coat and dump onto your baking sheet.

4. Nestle the sausages into the baking pan as well.

5. Spray your onion chunks with olive oil on both sides and salt and pepper them. Nestle them gently onto your pan so that each chunk stays together.

6. Roast for 30 minutes. Then flip sausages over and roast another 10 minutes.

What's for Dinner? Sheet Pan Kielbasa and Potatoes

I'm always on the look out for quick dinners - especially one pot or one pan recipes. I love cooking, but it can add a lot of stress to my daily life while homeschooling two rambunctious boys and caring for a little miss lovely who doesn't like to stay asleep. 



Sometimes I just make up recipes. Here's one I made up when I had kielbasa and golden potatoes on hand. I served this one pan dish with one of those store-bought salad bags where everything is included in the bag. I love those things!



The trick to one pan dishes is to make sure everything cooks at the same time. I cut my potatoes into quarters and leave the onion in big chunks that won't burn during the 30 minutes or so it takes my potatoes to cook through. The kielbasa is forgiving, but if I was using something like chicken, I would need to take that into consideration too.



You wanna see browned meat and potatoes with onions that aren't little black shards. You also want your fork to slide easily into both the potatoes and the onions.

Sheet Pan Kielbasa & Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

1 13 oz package Kielbasa, cut into big chunks (use 2 packs for a big family)
1 1/2 lbs golden potatoes, quartered
1 onion, quartered or cut into really big chunks
Olive oil to coat
Olive oil spray
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Spray a large foil-lined baking tray with oil spray. (foil makes for easy clean up)
3. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle in a little olive oil and toss to coat.
4. Add the kielbasa in with the potatoes and toss together. Pour out onto your prepared sheet pan.
5. Spray your onion pieces with oil spray on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Nestle them gently onto your pan among the sausage and potatoes.
6. Roast about 30 minutes until meat and potatoes are browned and potatoes and onions are tender.