Italian Tray Bake (Easy Sheet Pan Meal)

Create a great dinner in minutes with this delicious Italian tray bake where dinner is literally on one sheet and the workload is minimal.

A few years back I was a part of a local CSA that would choose your veggie boxes for you and leave them at your door. Many times I would open the door and find the cutest little bundles of veggies tied in bundles. Many of which I had never even seen before let alone knew how to cook. Not one to waste food or money, I would slather those veggies with olive oil and bake them together as a side dish.

One lazy even when I had no desire to throw a dish together, I added a few extras to the veggies and the Italian tray bake was born. Now there are many different ways you can make a tray bake, as it doesn’t necessarily need to be Italian. However, this version is perfectly seasoned and so simple to throw together whether you are up for cooking or not.

Italian Tray Bake Is…

• A simple to dinner that takes minimal effort.
• Versatile, you can switch out or omit items and even swap out the sausage types if you like.
• Almost a completely hands-off dinner, the oven does most of the work.
• A complete meal in one.
• Flavorful and a healthy dinner option.

Ingredients

Sausages- I like to use pork mild Italian sausages for this, but you can use hot Italian sausage, or chicken sausages if you like.

Potatoes- I like to use russet potatoes as they tend to crisp up better than other types of potatoes.

Bell Pepper- a combo of red bell pepper and a yellow bell pepper or orange bell pepper add a nice color to the tray bake. But you can use any type of bell peppers you like for this.

Eggplant- I use globe eggplant but any type of eggplant will work.

Onion- red onion works great to add a touch of sweet onion flavor and color but yellow onion or white onion will work fine for this.

Garlic- use whole large garlic cloves for this. Leave them in their skins while roasting so they develop a delicious sweet flavor and don’t burn.

Zucchini- the perfect Italian tray bake veggie, use a medium to large zucchini.

Lemon– use a regular lemon not a Meyer lemon for this. I add a few lemon slices to the tray bake as it bakes for both flavor and presentation and I like to finish the tray bake off with a good squeeze of lemon juice.

Olive Oil- the very best oil for any Italian cooking is olive oil. I prefer to use extra-virgin olive oil over pure olive oil but either will do fine.

Seasoning- a blend of sea salt, cracked black pepper and dried Italian seasoning. You can also use fresh herbs if you like.

Tools

Baking Sheet

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Cut up the veggies into bite-sized chunks. Dice the potatoes slightly smaller so they cook at the same rate as the veggies. Mix them around on a baking sheet. Add the cloves of garlic still in their skin.

Slice half the lemon and reserve the rest for after the tray bake comes out of the oven. Add the lemon slices to the tray.

Drizzle the tray bake with the olive oil. Add the salt, Italian seasoning, and cracked black pepper.

Toss the veggies in the seasoning and oil with your hands or use a large slotted spoon.

Place the sheet pan inside the oven and cook for about 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven. Use a large spoon to toss the veggies around and then lay the sausages on top. Brush the sausages with a little olive oil.

Pop the pan back inside the oven to allow the potatoes to crisp up and the sausages to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are golden.

Remove the tray from the oven. Place the sausages on a platter and squeeze the lemon juice over the cooked veggies. Remove the garlic skins if desired and serve.

Cooking Notes

• Cutting the potatoes into small pieces helps them cook at the same rate as the other veggies.
• For easier clean-up, place a large piece of parchment paper onto the baking sheet before adding the veggies and sausages.
• Use good quality Italian Sausages. You can use either hot or mild for this recipe.
• Leaving the skin on the garlic allows it to roast instead of burn. Remove the skin and mix into the veggies with the lemon juice for a finishing touch.

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Baking Sheet

Olive Oil Dispenser

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Other Recipes To Try…

• Classic Carbonara
• Bacon and Mushroom Risotto
• Best Eggplant Parmesan

If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars!