Sheet Pan Sausage, Mushrooms and Fennel
Sheet Pan Sausage, Mushrooms and Fennel is the Italian-inspired, Thanksgiving side dish that you didn’t know was missing from your holiday menu. It’s abundant with incredible flavors and textures from roasted Italian sausage, earthy mushrooms and fragrant fennel and herbs. Best of all, it can be cooked easily on one sheet pan . . . a simple dish with big flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on size (See NOTE.)
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, in bite-sized chunks
- 1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced (about ¾ to 1 pound sliced)
- 10 garlic cloves, smashed with the back of a knife
- 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as sage, marjoram, thyme, flat-leaf parsley and/or rosemary
- Pinch salt and black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F and arrange a rack in the center of the oven.
- Gather all ingredients. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry paper towel. Unless the mushrooms are very small, cut them down into small, bite-sized pieces of approximately the same size.
- Combine the mushrooms, sausage, fennel, garlic and half the herbs in a large bowl and toss them with the oil. Then, arrange them in a single-layer on a large parchment-lined, rimmed sheet pan (or two sheet pans).
- Roast uncovered for about 30-35 minutes, or until all items are tender and slightly caramelized. Rotate the sheet pan once about halfway through the cooking process.
- Sprinkle the roasted vegetables with salt and black pepper, then toss them with the remaining fresh herbs until all ingredients are well-combined. Serve immediately.
Notes
- White and cremini are the best mushrooms for this dish, but you can also use a variety of different types of mushrooms. If the mushrooms are large, cut them down into small, bite-sized pieces of equal size so that they will all cook at the same length of time.
- Either hot or sweet Italian sausage can be used, based on your personal preference. And, other sausages work well in this dish, such as breakfast sausage, sage sausage, and even chorizo!
- I suggest NOT salting this dish until after it is done cooking. Salt tends to bring out liquid in vegetables, and this could cause the vegetables to steam rather than brown. Instead, toss the finished, roasted vegetables with salt and black pepper at the same time that you are combining the mixture with the remaining fresh herbs.
- This recipe can be prepped one day in advance of roasting. In addition, it can be fully-roasted up to two days prior to serving and can be reheated just before dinner. Cover and reheat at 350˚F until it reaches a 165˚F internal temperature