Pesto Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan
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Add this pesto chicken sausage sheet pan meal to your arsenal for nights when you want to make homemade dinner as simple as possible. A tried-and-true mix of lean chicken sausage, crisp baby potatoes, colorful bell peppers, and tender broccoli roasts beautifully together and is the perfect canvas for dollops of fresh basil pesto and grated Parmesan.
Some nights, you just need dinner to be extra simple, and of course still delicious and satisfying. This is one of those meals you can count on for such occasions, and it just feels so good having straightforward yet vibrant menu ideas like this in your back pocket.
Why You’ll Love a Pesto Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan
- As simple and straightforward as it gets, with almost no prep or clean-up
- Everyday ingredients are easy to keep in the fridge for dinners on the fly
- A full meal on one pan—protein, starchy potatoes, and veggies all roast together
- Vibrant, flavorful basil pesto makes everything sing!
The end result is a one pan wonder you can feel terrific digging into for family dinner or packaging up for nourishing lunches all week long.
This recipe is lightly adapted from my own long-time favorite chicken sausage with broccoli, potatoes, and peppers.
Ingredient Notes
Pick Your Pesto
With such a simple dinner, homemade pesto really does shine. If you have an abundance of fresh basil, this classic pesto recipe incorporates a hint of lemon zest for extra zip. I also sneak in a little zucchini or spinach sometimes. Both blitz right in without changing the taste—even my kids agree!
There’s also no reason to shy away from store-bought to save time when it counts. After all, this is an ultra-fast meal! Grab fresh, refrigerated pesto, which may be sold near the deli or fresh cheese. This outperforms jarred pesto time and again.
Toss and Roast
Assembling this sheet pan dinner is every bit as simple as you would hope. The key is to give the potatoes a head start of about 10 minutes in the oven, which should be set to a toasty 425°F.
While the potatoes start, use those few minutes to slice the sausages into coins, remove any thick stems from the broccoli florets, and chop the pepper into bite-sized chunks. Add these to the pan right along with the potatoes, then roast for another 18-20 minutes.
When done, the sausage will have beautifully crisp golden edges and everything else will be pleasantly fork tender.
Remove from the oven, spoon pesto on top, and toss to coat if desired. A little Parmesan and extra black or red pepper finish things off, if you like.
Pro Tip
Why not add the pesto before roasting? As I’ve tested this and many other recipes using pesto, I’ve learned that adding it earlier in the cooking process introduces a trade-off. The pesto seasons everything else, yes, but loses considerable vibrancy and flavor as it’s exposed to heat. In the case of this recipe, I find the best results from seasoning everything separately, then roasting, and finishing with the pesto. This way the pesto keeps its most gorgeous emerald hue and most radiant flavor.
Prep and Storage Tips
- To Prep Ahead: Chop all ingredients and store tightly-covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Store the potatoes in a prep bowl to which you can easily add seasonings, followed by the sausage + peppers + broccoli + squash. Season, roast, and garnish as directed.
- To Store: This will keep in an airtight storage container in the fridge for at least 3 days. These tightly-sealing glass storage containers hold a perfect lunch portion.
More Sheet Pan Meal Ideas
- Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Veggies
- Sheet Pan Pierogies with Brussels Sprouts
- Asian-Inspired Beef and Broccoli Sheet Pan
- Sheet Pan Chicken Gyros
Pesto Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby potatoes
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 links chicken sausage smoked or pre-cooked
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 or 2 bell peppers any color
- 1 small zucchini or yellow squash optional
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- Parmesan or fresh basil leaves optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the potatoes into pieces that are roughly 3/4” wide and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Toss to coat, then spread potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet, leaving space in between them. Roast for 10 minutes.1 pound baby potatoes, 2 teaspoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, kosher salt and black pepper
- While the potatoes start roasting, slice the sausages into 1” coins, cut any thick stems from the broccoli florets, and chop the bell pepper and zucchini, if using, into 1” chunks. Combine these ingredients in the same bowl you used for the potatoes.4 links chicken sausage, 2 cups broccoli florets, 1 or 2 bell peppers, 1 small zucchini or yellow squash
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, another 1/2 teaspoon salt, and another few cracks of pepper. If the veggies look too dry, add another small drizzle of olive oil. Toss well to combine.
- After the potatoes have been in for about 10 minutes, take out the pan, push potatoes to the outer edge, and add the sausage-veggie mixture to the empty space in the middle. Return to the oven and roast another 18-20 minutes, until the sausage is crisp and the veggies are tender.
- Remove from the oven, spoon pesto on top, and toss to coat if desired. Top with grated Parmesan, fresh basil leaves, and extra black pepper to taste. Serve right away. Enjoy!1/4 cup basil pesto, Parmesan or fresh basil leaves
