Words Joan Saunders
Photos Sarah Hartley Photography
When I first tried making a sheet pan meal, it was a revelation. It’s everything you need all on one pan; it’s a glorious dinner option. And for March, as you know I love an appropriately seasonally-themed meal, I’ve got another recipe that you could use for St. Patrick’s Day or, happily, for any day.
If you’ve kept stock of my March articles for the past few years, you should be able to create a great celebratory spread for the 17th. There’s been Dublin coddle, Guinness stew and Irish soda bread, a savoury pie made with hot water pastry that’s packed with stuffing, sausage and chicken (yum!), and a veggie shepherd’s pie. Then you could finish the meal with the chocolate stout cake from June 2022.
So here’s another to add to the repertoire. What’s a bit different about this sheet pan meal is that near the end of the roasting time you add a jam and grainy mustard mixture that just brings the flavours together. There’s something about the sweet, mustardy combination that, while it sounds a bit strange, works so well. If you don’t want to use jam, a fruit chutney would be a great substitution.
This dish also incorporates some apples and when you’re choosing which type to use, try a Granny Smith, Macintosh or Fuji. What you don’t want is an apple that is reduced to mush as it roasts, so something with a bit more substance is the key here. As well, if you’re avoiding carbs and don’t want to use potatoes, add in other veggies you prefer to roast, like cauliflower. I often cut up more carrots than are called for, as leftovers are always a good option. I usually serve this with a slaw or salad, as then you have some tasty crispness to accompany the roasted vegetables.
The type of sausage you add is also up to personal preference. I like to choose one with a bit of flavour, like a leek and onion mix that’s added to the meat filling. If you like a bit of spice, check out what’s on offer. Peruse the case at your local butcher’s and see what appeals to you. If you can’t decide, try a mixture of flavours and do a taste test. Whatever you choose will definitely work.
And that’s what I love about this type of recipe: it’s adaptable. If you’re worried about having too many leftovers, cut the recipe in half and use a smaller roasting pan. But whatever you decide to add or subtract from this meal, make sure you end with the mustard and jam mixture, as that’s what elevates this sausage sheet pan meal to being, as I say, a keeper of a recipe.
Jammy Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies (serves 4 generously)
600 g baby potatoes, cut in half (about 4-5 cups)
500 g carrots, cut into chunks (about 4 cups)
2 leeks, white and light green parts, cut into rounds
1 onion, cut into chunks
6 garlic cloves, peeled and bruised (smashed a little with knife)
fresh rosemary and thyme
olive oil
1/3 cup chicken stock
salt, pepper
2 apples skin on, cut into chunks (good options: Granny Smith, Macintosh, Fuji)
8 good quality sausages (your choice)
3 tbsp fruity jam (I used blackberry, but substitute any fruit jam you like or a nice fruit chutney)
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a roasting tray or large sheet pan with sides, add potatoes, carrots, leek rounds, onion, garlic. Add as much rosemary and thyme as you like. Season with salt, pepper, then drizzle a good amount of olive oil (2-3 tbsp) over veggies. Pour stock over everything; mix all together well and spread out in pan. Roast for 30 minutes.
Remove pan from oven.
Add in apple chunks; toss veggies and apple together. Prick sausages with a fork all over; nestle sausages on top of vegetables. Do not cover sausages with veggies. Drizzle sausages and veggies with olive oil again (about 1-2 tbsp) and put back in 350°F oven. Roast 20 minutes, then turn sausages over; roast for another 20 minutes.
While dish is cooking, mix together mustard and jam in a small bowl.
Remove pan from oven, then remove sausages from pan (put on plate nearby). Drizzle jam/mustard combo over veggies; mix veggies with jam/mustard to coat everything well.
Position sausages back on top of veggies.
Roast another 30 minutes at 350°F, until sausages are cooked through and veggies are roasted.
