Next weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving or as we call it here up North… Thanksgiving. So if you too are Canadian, or just an eager beaver, I’ve bundled up all my Thanksgiving recipes to date here for you! And the rest of you will be getting new TG recipes all November long!
But until then and cause you loved them so much last year we are back with my ONE PAN FALL DINNERS series!
This week’s is my first recipe back after our honeymoon! After 2.5 weeks straight of pasta, pizza, geloto and sandwiches, I was craving something a bit cozy, a bit healthy and a bit fresh. This started as a “fall harvest bowl” but quickly evolved into something more my speed. I’m just not a grain bowl girl.
The slaw can be SUPER simplified if you can’t be fussed to slice cabbage or make dressing (see below). But in Kyle’s words, “the pretzels are what ties everything together.” So don’t skip them.
The key here is the process. The sweet potatoes cook down in the pan and they purposely do NOT crisp. Then the browned sausage goes back in and kind of squishes them into something between a mash and chunks. That’s the glue that keeps every bite moist and craveable. Kyle swears the pretzels tie it all together, so don’t skip them. And you might think honey mustard pretzels are the move but I have tried so you don’t have to and regular IS the move.
I’ve ALSO got ALLLLL of my one pan dinners all bundled up for you here (and I’ll keep adding to it) so if you need inspo for dinner for the next like.. 2 months!?
chicken sausage & smashed sweet potato bowls
with honey mustard apple slaw & pretzel crunch
SERVES: 2-4
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
tools i use.
plastic spatula
tips.
make it GF: ✅ make sure your sausage is GF and use GF pretzels
make it DF: ✅ omit cheddar
Make it easier
simplify: use bagged slaw or broccoli slaw in place of the cabbage and slice the apple and celery however you want. For the dressing, if you have a honey mustard sauce you love that’s nice and tangy, use it!
riff: do it on a sheet tray. The potatoes will be firmer and crispier, so things may feel a bit drier but still delicious. Toss diced sweet potatoes on a lined tray with 2 tbsp oil and ½ tsp salt. Bake at 400F until almost cooked through and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Drop the sausage onto the tray in chunks and bake another 12–15 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Toss with the reserved dressing right on the tray.
You might be wondering
can I use precooked chicken sausage? yes, just slice it into coins and brown well. You’ll lose some of that crumbly, craggy texture but it still works.
can I use pork sausage instead of chicken? yes, just drain the excess fat after browning. Use a lightly seasoned brat or something simple so it doesn’t compete with the slaw.
can I use butternut squash? yes, it cooks a bit faster, so start checking at 10 minutes.
can I make it spicy? add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the dressing or finish with a drizzle of hot honey.
can I double it? yes, but use two pans. One pan won’t hold a double batch.
storing: store the sausage and potatoes in one container and the slaw and dressing separately, all for up to 4 days. The slaw is best within a day or two, and it’s best to dress it just before serving.
make ahead/prep: cook the sausage and potatoes, make the dressing and shred your cabbage. To serve, reheat the sausage + potatoes (see below), then slice the apple and toss the slaw.
reheating:
the best way: gently warm the sausage and potatoes in a skillet over medium-low heat just until warmed through. OR pop into the air fryer if you want to crisp things up a bit
the easy way: microwave sausage and potatoes in short bursts until heated through.
ingredients.
For the base:
2 tbsp avocado oil, divided
2 large sweet potatoes
½ tsp kosher salt
1 lb raw chicken sausage (I love these ones)
For the honey-mustard slaw:
½ green cabbage (about 3 cups)
1 large pink lady apple
2 celery stalks
For the dressing:
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 ½ tbsp honey
1 tbsp mayonnaise
½ tsp celery seed
1 tbsp avocado oil
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
To finish:
1 ½ cups pretzels
3 oz aged white cheddar
chives, for garnish
steps.
Start your base:
peel (optional) and chop 2 sweet potatoes into ½-inch cubes (you should have about 4 cups).
heat 1 tbsp avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Squeeze the chicken sausage out of its casings and drop it into the hot pan in large chunks. Cook until deeply golden on a couple sides, about 7 minutes. It won’t be cooked through yet, and that’s ok. Transfer to a plate.
add the remaining 1 tbsp avocado oil to the same pan. Once hot, add the sweet potatoes and ½ tsp salt and toss to coat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 10 minutes until fork-tender, stirring gently once or twice to prevent sticking. Remove lid and cook an additional 5 minutes to get some more color.
Make your slaw (while the potatoes cook):
make your dressing: in a small bowl whisk together 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 ½ tbsp honey, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, ½ tsp celery seed, 1 tbsp avocado oil, ½ tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
using a mandoline or sharp knife, finely shred the cabbage.
cut the apple into matchsticks, thinly slice the celery on a bias and finely chop your chives.
add the cabbage, apple and celery to a large bowl and pour over half the dressing. Toss and taste. Add more if you like, but save at least 2 tbsp for the potatoes.
Finish your sausage and potatoes:
once the potatoes are ready, return the sausage to the pan and cook about 3 minutes roughly stirring to break up some of the sweet potatoes until the sausage is cooked through. The potatoes will partially mash, and that’s exactly what you want. In the final minute, pour in the reserved dressing and stir to coat. Finely grate as much cheddar as you want over top, so it gets a bit melty.
Serve:
divide the sausage and potatoes between bowls and top with slaw, fluffing it up a bit for some height. Finish with more cheddar, lots of pretzels, and chives.
substitutions.
For the base:
avocado oil → any neutral oil
chicken sausage → pork sausage will work, just drain excess fat from pan after browning, and use a neutral seasoned one.
For the honey-mustard slaw:
green cabbage → napa cabbage, broccoli slaw
pink lady apple → any sweet, crisp apple works
chives → scallions
For the dressing:
celery seed → use 1/2 tsp celery salt and omit the salt in the dressing, or skip
mayo → greek yogurt
avocado oil → any neutral oil
To finish:
sharp aged cheddar → any cheddar will work, or really any cheese you like
Okay, it’s good to be home. As much as I’ll miss eating my body weight in gelato every day, this bowl made coming back to real life a whole lot easier. If you make it, let me know. And tell Kyle he was right about the pretzels, because he’ll want to hear it.
Thank you this was delicious!!!
Do you think there’d be a way to do with ground chicken (I’m assuming I’d have to add some spices to it, but not sure what exactly would make sense in the context of the rest of the ingredients/flavours here)?