This hearty Sausage Meatballs and Kale Sheet Pan Meal is chock full of deep, tangy flavors and succulent textures! It’s perfect for those days when you don’t feel like cooking. And if you’re at the point where you can’t bring yourself to make a meatball, just slice sausage in its casing to get this meal in the oven even faster. PS This sheet pan dinner meal preps excellently. Quick cooking, super filling, no fuss, and you can make it for the week! What’s not to love?
What You’ll Need
This Italian Sausage Meatball and Kale Sheet Pan Meal is quick, easy, and endlessly versatile! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Italian Sausage– I use ground spicy Italian sausage but you can use sweet Italian or any of your favorite ground sausages, including plant-based ones. You can also remove the sausage from its casing or skip making meatballs altogether and just slice it in its casing. Fat adds flavor and delivers a tender meatball, so skip low-fat sausages or ground meats.
- Milk– adds moisture to the sausage and helps create depth of flavor. If you are cooking dairy-free, try using almond milk or coconut milk. If you’re really watching your pennies, just use water.
- Panko Breadcrumbs– add texture and keep the meatballs from drying out (after a soak in milk). You can substitute Panko with regular breadcrumbs or crushed crackers.
- Egg – helps to bind the meatballs so they keep their shape. Substitute the egg with 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt, 1/4 ricotta cheese, or 1/3 cup of unsweetened apple sauce.
- Kale– is hearty and can stand up to a high-heat roast. You can substitute it with other hearty greens like Collards or Swiss Chard.
- Cherry Tomatoes– deepen in flavor when roasted, but feel free to sub with other fresh elements like bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions. In a pinch, used canned tomatoes. Just make sure to drain them and give them a rough chop.
- Potatoes– add bulk to this easy meal and soak up all the flavors from the drippings—sub with sweet potatoes or other root vegetables like carrots, radishes, or parsnips.
- Spices and Seasonings– smoked paprika, chili flakes, garlic powder, brown sugar, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and olive oil dress the veggies and greens in robust flavors.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese– is the chef’s kiss in this dish. The cheese adds umami (AKA savoriness) and a touch of creamy saltiness. Omit it if you like, or substitute it with nutritional yeast.
What Can I Serve With It?
Make this Italian Sausage Meatball and Kale Sheet Pan Meal even more filling by serving it with Homemade Garlic Bread, Easy Soda Bread, or Hot Honey Cornbread. You can also pair it with a light dessert like Chocolate Mousse, Vanilla Pudding, or No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream.
How To Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days. If meal prepping, add fresh kale on top of the roasted ingredients to keep it from wilting. You can freeze in an airtight container for up to a month with a sheet of plastic or parchment on the surface to prevent frostbite. Thaw in your fridge overnight. You can eat leftovers cold or warm them in a microwave until steaming.
Sausage Meatball and Kale Sheet Pan Meal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb red potatoes, quartered $1.25
- 3/4 cup olive oil, divided $1.44
- 1 tsp smoked paprika $0.10
- 3 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided $0.28
- 1/4 tsp black pepper $0.02
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes $0.08
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes $3.49
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs $0.50
- 1/4 cup milk $0.06
- 1 lb Italian Ground Sausage $4.99
- 1 large egg, beaten $0.17
- 1 1b kale, chopped $2.49
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar $0.42
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard $0.06
- 1 tsp brown sugar $0.02
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder $0.08
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated $0.12
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 450°F. Place quartered red potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons of salt, black pepper, and chili flakes. Sprinkle over the potatoes and toss. Place the potatoes in a sheet pan.
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In the same bowl, add the cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Scatter them over the potatoes.
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Soak the breadcrumbs in milk. Break up Italian sausage in a large bowl. Mix in breadcrumbs and egg. Wet your fingers with a bit of leftover oil from the bowl the tomatoes were in. Roll 16 meatballs and place them on the sheet pan between the potatoes and tomatoes.
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Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes.
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While the meatballs bake, add 1/2 lb of the kale to the same bowl the potatoes and tomatoes were in. Mix red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss the kale in the dressing, massaging it into the leaves.
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Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and scatter kale all over.
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Roast for 3 to 4 minutes until the kale has charred in spots. To serve, split raw kale between 4 bowls. Top with charred kale and tomatoes and mix. Finally, top with meatballs and potatoes. Garnish with parmesan cheese.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
How to Make Sausage Meatballs And Kale Sheet Pan MeAL – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place 1 pound of quartered red potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes. Sprinkle over the potatoes and toss. Place the potatoes in a sheet pan.
In the same bowl that you dressed the potatoes, add the sliced pint of cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Scatter them over the potatoes.
Soak the breadcrumbs in milk. Break up Italian sausage in a large bowl. Mix in breadcrumbs and egg. Wet your fingers with a bit of leftover oil from the bowl the tomatoes were in. Roll a 1-ounce meatball and place it on the sheet pan between the potatoes and tomatoes. Repeat with the remaining sausage until you have 16 meatballs.
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes.
While the meatballs bake, add 1/2 pound of kale to the same bowl the potatoes and tomatoes were in. Mix 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss the kale in the dressing, massaging it into the leaves.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and scatter kale all over.
Roast for 3 to 4 minutes until the kale has wilted and charred in spots. To serve, split the 1/2 pound of leftover raw kale between 4 bowls. Top with charred kale and tomatoes and mix. Finally, top with meatballs and potatoes. Garnish with parmesan cheese and chow down!
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