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A Sausage Bake Packed With Healthy Ingredients For Fueling Your Busy Day
The only thing better than a two pan meal is a one pan meal.
We’re talking easy cleanup, hands-off cooking, and simple preparation with a one-pan meal like this baked sausages recipe with kale, apple, and onion. Just set it and forget it (aka toss everything into a dish and bake it in the oven while you go take a shower).
Those are all great things for a busy person like you.
Your eaters will be like: “Sausages, kale, apple and onions? Wow, such a complex combination that tastes perfect together. How’d you think of that?”
This healthy sausage recipe is a great change up to your weeknight meals. For one, it’s not chicken stir-fry, an unsatisfying salad, or unhealthy-ish takeout. You know, the typical weeknight meals.
For another, the effort to flavor ratio is off the charts for this health sausage recipe. I talk a lot about this ratio because for you to sustain a healthy cooking routine, the food you cook must be simple to make and satisfying to eat.
So, that’s what we focus on here: uncomplicated healthy dishes that taste delicious. And make you look like a pro.
Let’s check out how to cook sausages in the oven while nestled between a bunch of healthy goodies.
Baked Sausages Ingredients
Let’s take a look at the ingredients in this healthy baked sausage dish:
- Kale – You can use any type of kale. I used Lacinato / Dino / Tuscan kale which worked great. This type of kale is tender and easier to eat than other types. Look for bunches with bright, sturdy, and rigid leaves without wilting. Stay away from bunches with slimy, yellow, brown, or bruised leaves.
- Onion – Look for heavy bulbs that are firm without soft spots or bruises.
- Apple – I always stick to apples that have some tartness like Pink Lady (my preference for everything), Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith. Look for apples that are firm to the touch. Avoid ones with soft spots or that feel mushy.
- Sausage – You can use any type turkey, chicken, or pork sausage. Chicken and turkey sausage are more lean and healthier options. I used a spicy chicken sausage.
- White wine vinegar – In an effort to simplify life and cooking, I use white wine vinegar in most dishes that need a splash of vinegar. Apple cider or red wine vinegar are also great options here.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin is best. This oil from California Olive Ranch offers the best price, taste, and availability combination. It is what I use every day.
- Kosher salt– Diamond Crystal kosher salt was used for this recipe and all other recipes on this site. It is the gold standard. Use this conversion table from The Spruce Eats if you only have another type of salt.
How to Cook Baked Sausages With Kale, Apple, and Onions
Preheat oven to 400F and gather your ingredients.
Slice kale, apple, and onions. Then add to a 9×13″ baking dish. Alternatively, you can use a baking sheet.
Toss the pan contents with olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Then top with sausage, pricking them a few times with a knife, and nestling them into the pan.
Bake at 400F 25-30 minutes until sausages are cooked through.
How Long Do These Baked Sausages Keep?
This dish will keep 3-4 days covered in the refrigerator in containers like these leakproof ones.
This recipe uses a pound of sausage which is typically 3 or 4 links depending on how it’s packed. So, it’s perfect for 3 or 4 meals with a side of grain or can of beans.
How Long to Bake Sausages in the Oven at 400F
Depending on the size of your sausages, it will take between 25 and 30 minutes to bake them in the oven at 400F.
Baked Sausages With Kale, Apple, and Onion
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale, thinly sliced crosswise
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 apple, core removed, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 pound sausage of your choice, pricked a few times with a knife (spicy chicken was used here)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Add sliced kale, onions, and apple to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, white wine vinegar and kosher salt.
- Lay the sausages on top of the dish and nestle into the contents a bit. Pour remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over the dish.
- Transfer dish to oven and bake until sausages are cooked through 25-30 minutes. Serve with a grain or beans.
Notes
Nutrition
One-Pan Sausage Baked For the Win
Did you spend less than 10 minutes “cooking” and deliver a delicious meal like this baked sausage? Then you won the weeknight.
The great thing about cooking your own healthy food is that any time you make a dish, you get a little win in your life. You win because you provided for yourself and maybe loved ones. And you win because you contributed to being a healthier, happier, higher performing version of yourself.
I think we can agree that winning feels awesome.
Plus, it’s great for your confidence. After a few small wins (aka delicious, healthy homemade meals), you can see how that can cascade into boatload of pride and self-confidence.
Just don’t get too cocky about it.
Download the free cookbook of simple dinner recipes below to keep winning at weeknights.
More Articles From Our Kale Series
Everything you need to know about eating, buying, storing, cooking, and using kale. Plus, why you should.
- Kale 101: Everything You Need to Know to Buy, Store, Cook, and Eat Kale
- 12 Health Benefits of Kale: Why You Should Eat More Kale
- Everyday Simple Kale Salad
- Quick Sauteed Kale With Garlic and Sesame
- Anchovy and Garlic Braised Kale
- Roasted Kale Chips In the Oven
- Simple Chickpea and Kale Salad With Avocado
- Red Pepper, Potato, and Ricotta Frittata
- Healthy Kale and Egg Fried Rice
- Creamy Vegan Kale and Cauliflower Soup
