How To Cook Sausage in the Oven

Learning How to Cook Sausage in the Oven is a game-changer in the kitchen! Using this sausage and vegetable recipe you'll find out how to cook sausage and veggies in the oven the easy way and end up with a fantastic dinner meal in about 40 minutes.

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I just love this recipe! There's something about smoked sausage, fluffy potato gnocchi, bell peppers, onion, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and cheese all roasted together that is just so incredibly comforting.

Plus, this meal doesn't dirty up the entire kitchen. You only need a prepping station to prep the ingredients, a lined baking tray, and a mixing bowl. Super simple and oh, so satisfying! You'll be cooking everything on a baking sheet, no frying pan or large skillet required! Baked sausage is the perfect sheet pan meal.

If you love recipes with sausage and veggies, you should also check out more our tasty sausage recipes with Easy Baked Ziti and Brats in Beer recipes.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love Cooking Sausage in the Oven
• Ingredients
• How to Cook Sausage in the Oven
• Ingredient Substitutions and Variations
• Cook's Tips
• Storage and Leftovers
• Make Ahead Method
• 📋 Recipe

Why You'll Love Cooking Sausage in the Oven

• You'll create a whole meal in under an hour!
• No standing over the hot stovetop, it's an easy sheet pan dinner to the rescue!
• Toss it in the oven to work its magic while you get other things done.
• Super simple recipe using delicious sausages and a great way to get veggies in your diet.
• Preparing sausage and veggies in the oven is one of the healthiest ways to make it, especially compared to deep frying!
• Great way to use up your favorite vegetables before they go bad.

Ingredients

• Smoked sausage rings. We prefer Johnsonville Sausage, but you can use any brand you prefer.
• Ready-to-use potato gnocchi.
• Cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets, bell peppers, and red onions
• Italian dressing
• Shredded parmesan cheese

You will find the exact measurements of these ingredients for this sausage recipe in the recipe card.

How to Cook Sausage in the Oven

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil. I really like this rimmed baking sheet with the grid. (A jelly roll pan also works well.)
2. In a large bowl, combine the smoked sausage, gnocchi, tomatoes, broccoli florets, red bell pepper, yellow pepper and red onion. Pour Italian dressing over mixture and toss gently to coat evenly with the dressing.
3. Spread mixture evenly in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets.
4. Cook sausage in oven for 15 minutes. Remove sheets pans from the oven and stir ingredients. Spread sausage mixture out evenly and return to the oven. Continue cooking sausage in oven for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the sausages registers 165°F and the vegetables are tender.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle the shredded parmesan evenly over the top of each pan.
6. Serve this easy meal immediately.

Ingredient Substitutions and Variations

Sausage Substitution:  Replace the smoked sausage ropes, which is a combination of beef and pork, with other sausages of your choosing such as Italian sausage, Kielbasa, Bratwurst, Chorizo, Turkey sausage, Chicken sausages, or a pure beef sausage. When cooking sausage in the oven, the sausage you use needs to be precooked and not fresh sausage.

Vegetable Variations: 

• Replace the gnocchi with baby red or gold potatoes, Yukon gold or even sweet potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 1-½ inch chunks so they get done at the same time as the sausage and vegetables.
• Use frozen sliced pepper blends in place of the fresh pepper.
• Use frozen broccoli florets in place of fresh broccoli.
• Use frozen sweet potato chunks and omit the gnocchi. You can also keep the gnocchi if you prefer for a dish loaded with more vegetables.

Homemade Italian Dressing: In place of ready-made Italian dressing, add ⅜ cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 2-½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper to a jar. Cover the jar and shake vigorously until dressing is emulsified.

Cook's Tips

Always use a meat thermometer. You want to ensure that your sausage cooked in the oven is cooked evenly throughout before serving. The internal temperature of the sausage should be 165°F. This is my favorite instant read thermometer.

Make ahead. You can knock out quite a bit of prep for this recipe ahead of time. See our suggestions below for cooking sausage in the oven even faster.

Broiler help. If you want your sausage to really brown up, you may need to use the broiler for a few minutes.

Clean up help. Don't skip lining your roasting pan with foil or parchment paper. The sausages release oil as they cook and will make a mess of the bottom of the pan without it.

Add more flavor. Feel free to add your favorite spices, such as garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, or kosher salt and black pepper.

Storage and Leftovers

Leftover vegetables and sausage cooked in the oven can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze leftovers in a freezer bag or container in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.

Make Ahead Method

You can cut the bell pepper, onions, broccoli, and sausage ahead of time. Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When you are ready to finish the dish, add the gnocchi, and tomatoes and toss in the Italian dressing. Preheat the oven, prepare the sheet pans, and cook sausage in oven according to the directions. It really is one of the easiest dinner recipes.

If you're looking for more delicious and easy oven roasted recipes, we have you covered! Just like this cooked sausage recipe, they're easy recipes that are so filling. I hope learning how to cook sausage in the oven with this tasty recipe has your tastebuds ready for this dinner tonight. Cooking sausage in the oven really is the best way.

📋 Recipe