One-Pan Sausage and Sweet Potato Bake with Green Beans

One-Pan Sausage & Sweet Potato Bake

Whole sweet Italian sausage links roast with sweet potato cubes and red onion until the links are browned and the potatoes are tender. Fresh green beans join halfway through, leaving them tender with some green color. A cool sour cream and whole-grain mustard sauce is served in a small bowl on the finished pan, not roasted with the food.

Cutting the potatoes into even 3/4-inch cubes helps them finish alongside the raw sausage. Give everything room on the pan so the vegetables can brown instead of steam.

Ingredients

Serves 4. Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: about 30–35 minutes. Total time: about 45–50 minutes.

• 4 raw sweet Italian pork sausage links, about 1 to 1 1/4 pounds total (450–565g)
• About 1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 575g)
• 10 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and dried (about 285g)
• 1 medium red onion, cut into thick wedges (about 180g)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus a pinch for the sauce
• 1/2 cup sour cream (120g)
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard (15g)

How to Make the Sausage and Sweet Potato Bake

1. Preheat the oven: Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F (205°C). Line a large rimmed half-sheet pan, about 18 x 13 inches, with parchment rated for that temperature.
2. Start the roast: Toss the sweet potatoes and onion with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic powder, paprika, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Spread them on the pan and place the whole raw sausage links among them. Keep the vegetables in a mostly single layer rather than piling them beneath the links. Roast uncovered for 15 minutes.
3. Turn and add the beans: Turn the sausage links and stir the potatoes and onion. Toss the dry green beans with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, then spread them into open spaces on the pan.
4. Finish roasting: Roast for another 15–20 minutes, beginning to check at about 28 minutes total. The sweet potatoes should be fork-tender with some browned edges, the onion soft, and the beans tender with some green color remaining. Check the center of a pork sausage with an instant-read thermometer; it must reach 160°F (70°C). If the sausage finishes before the potatoes, remove the links to rest and continue roasting the vegetables until tender.
5. Make the sauce and serve: While the pan finishes, stir the sour cream, whole-grain mustard, and a pinch of black pepper together in a small bowl. Let the sausages rest briefly after roasting. Clear a space on the finished pan and set the cold sauce bowl there for serving.

Why Add the Green Beans Halfway Through?

Raw sausage links and dense sweet potatoes need more oven time than green beans. Adding the beans after 15 minutes keeps them from spending the entire roast in the oven. Dry them first: extra moisture makes browning harder.

If the ingredients cannot fit in a mostly single layer, use a second pan or reduce the amount of vegetables. Crowding leaves moisture with nowhere to escape.

Using a Different Sausage or Frozen Beans

The method above is for raw pork links. For fully cooked chicken or smoked sausage, give the potatoes and onion a head start, then add the links long enough to heat and brown them, following the package directions. Do not use the raw-link timing unchanged.

If using raw poultry sausage, check its center for 165°F (75°C); its cooking time may differ from the pork links. Frozen green beans can be added midway, but they release more moisture and will finish softer, with less browning.

For another sweet potato dinner, try the Sweet Potato Taco Bowl with Ground Beef. For a skillet dinner, see the Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus Skillet.

Leftovers and Make-Ahead Prep

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in covered containers, keeping the sauce separate. Warm the sausage and vegetables until thoroughly hot, then add the cold sauce.

The sweet potatoes and onion can be cut ahead and refrigerated separately from the raw sausage. Dry the green beans before they go on the pan.

Nutrition

Approximate per serving, including sauce (1/4 of the recipe): 680 calories, 27g protein, 47g fat, and 41g carbohydrates. Approximate per 100g of ingredients before roasting: 155 calories, 6g protein, 11g fat, and 9g carbohydrates. Values vary with sausage size and brand and with moisture lost during roasting.