Tray baking is the perfect dinner solution when you can’t or don’t want to spend time on the stove. In this mostly manual technique, he mixes the ingredients on one baking sheet and roasts them in the oven.
This recipe from our book Cook What You Have uses pantry staples to put together an easy weeknight meal. Potatoes, onions, and peppers are topped with flavorful Italian sausage, cooked so that the juices bring out the flavors of the vegetables.
First, mix the potatoes, onions, and peppers with oil, oregano or rosemary, salt and pepper, spread them in an even layer, and roast until they start to soften. Then puncture the sausages and arrange them over the semi-cooked vegetables and return the baking sheet to the oven until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
To finish cooking, pour a mixture of vinegar and honey over the warm vegetables to remove any browned bits on the baking sheet and form a tangy-sweet glaze. Slice the sausage diagonally and toss with the vegetables, or serve whole sausage with vegetables. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Sausage, potato and pepper traybake
1 pound Yukon gold or russet or red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 medium red or yellow onion, halved and sliced about 1/2 inch thick
1 medium red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced about 1/2 inch thick
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano or dried rosemary
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Prick 1.5 pounds of sweet sausage, warm Italian sausage, or other fresh sausage in several places with a paring knife.
1/4 cup white or red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons washed and drained capers or 1/4 cup pitted green or black olives, coarsely chopped
Place rack in center position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
On a rimmed baking sheet, combine potatoes, onion, bell pepper, oil, oregano, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and spread in an even layer. Roast for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown.
Remove from the oven, stir the vegetables again and arrange the sausages on top.
Continue roasting for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the sausage reaches 160 degrees in the center and the vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Meanwhile, combine vinegar and honey in a small bowl.
Once the sausage is done, transfer it to a cutting board, leaving the vegetables in the pot.
Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables, stir, and scrape up any browned bits. Stir in the capers and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving plate.
Cut sausage diagonally into 1-inch pieces and mix with vegetables.
Alternatively, you can serve whole sausages with vegetables.
Optional garnish: chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.
Editor’s note: This article was distributed by The Associated Press.
