This Sausage And Veggie Skillet is unbelievably easy (thanks to frozen veggies) while being loaded with flavor (thanks to an incredible spice blend)!
Sausage And Veggie Skillet
Frozen veggies are a total time-saver and the perfect addition to these lifesaver recipes — we’re saving so much time by not having to be at the cutting board chopping all kinds of veggies to specified sizes. Thanks to the packages of frozen and pre-chopped veggies, we’re still getting in all kinds of important nutrients with minimal work required.
This meal is a hearty “meat and potatoes” meal that is loaded with veggies, while it is still sure to be a hit with the kiddos. Because of the sausage and all the flavor in it, plus the herbs, the veggies are nothing short of addicting! No mushy steamed broccoli for kids to complain about here!
Sausage And Veggie Skillet Ingredients
A few ingredients worth going into detail about:
- Italian-style ground sausage: Depending on personal preference, use mild or spicy sausage — either works. (When making for my kids, we use mild.) Sausage can come in different-sized packages — as long as you’re in the general ballpark, this recipe will work just fine. We use 1 pound, but if you have a 19-ounce package, throw it all in if you like. You’ll just have a slightly meatier meal. If using Italian sausages with casings, remove the casings before cooking.
- Parmesan cheese: Finely grated Parmesan (off a block) is the perfect finishing touch — it adds a nice final seasoning (Parmesan is salty) and melts nicely into the veggies and sausage. For the perfect super-fine texture, we like to use a microplane and grate it right over the serving plates.
- Frozen veggies: This blend of veggies is our absolute favorite in this Sausage and Veggie Skillet! It has red potatoes, bell peppers, sweet corn, broccoli, and carrots. So much flavor and texture with practically no work on your end. Occasionally we’ll get a bag that has especially large broccoli florets which do need a quick chop to make them more bite-sized. If you can’t find this specific blend, grab a similar one!
Shortcuts
Sausage And Veggie Skillet Recipe Shortcuts
- Garlic. We love frozen garlic Dorot® cubes. You can keep the packages handy in the freezer and pop them into this (and other) recipes when needed. Another option is to use refrigerated minced garlic.
- Frozen veggies. Instead of chopping the veggies, we use pre-chopped and frozen produce.
Serving Suggestions
This Sausage And Veggie Skillet is surprisingly filling, but if you’d like to round it out a bit more, we like it with a salad. In true lifesaver recipe form, we’d recommend a salad kit at the store. If you have some extra time or are feeling ambitious, here are our favorite salad recipes to pair with this recipe:
We also love this crusty No-Knead Bread on the side — so good still warm from the oven! Plus it’s totally a lifesaver-type recipe — minimal ingredients and hardly any hands-on time! Rip off some warm bread and scoop up every bit of this Sausage and Veggie Skillet meal!
Seasoning blend. Not a shortcut per se, but when I make this Sausage And Veggie Skillet, I’ll typically make 5 or 6 more “packets” of the seasoning blend. Since all the spices are out and I’m measuring anyway, it takes just a few extra minutes. Measure out the spices, put them in labeled individual snack-size bags, and store those packets with your spices. Next time this dish will come together even that much quicker. Quick Tip
More Recipes That Use Italian Sausage
- Italian Sausage Orzo Soup with baby spinach
- Sausage Rigatoni with a rich tomato sauce
- White Bean and Sausage Soup with carrots
- Creamy Sausage Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes
- Sausage Tortellini Soup with 3-cheese tortellini
Sausage and Veggie Skillet
Equipment
- Large cast-iron pan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage mild or spicy, see note 1
- 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen veggies see note 2
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1-1/2 cups frozen kale
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat both packages of frozen veggies in the microwave for 2 minutes. Let them thaw while browning the sausage. Open the packages, chop any large broccoli or potato pieces into bite-sized chunks, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large, cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, sear, then crumble and cook through. Season with salt and pepper.
- Once the sausage is browned, drain excess grease, leaving 1 tablespoon in the pan. Add veggies and cook for 3–5 minutes until heated through. Add frozen kale, seasonings, and garlic. Cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat, serve with grated Parmesan, and enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
