Some of the best suppers come from plain ingredients and a dependable casserole dish, and this 5-Ingredient Oven Chicken is just that kind of meal. It is the sort of practical, hearty baking-dish dinner that fits right into a busy weeknight, with juicy chicken sausage links roasted together with tender sweet potatoes in a savory-sweet glaze. There is a little Midwestern wisdom in meals like this: use what is in the pantry, let the oven do the work, and bring a warm dish to the table that tastes like far more effort than it took.
This dish is especially good with a crisp green salad, buttered green beans, or simple steamed broccoli to balance the sweetness of the roasted vegetables. If you want to stretch the meal a bit further, serve it with hot cooked rice, egg noodles, or a piece of crusty bread to catch the flavorful juices from the casserole.
5-Ingredient Oven Chicken Sausage Bake
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds raw chicken sausage links
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunky pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a deep glass casserole dish if needed, then add the sweet potato chunks and raw chicken sausage links in an even layer.
2. Drizzle the olive oil and maple syrup over the top, then sprinkle with the garlic powder. Turn everything gently to coat the sweet potatoes and sausage as evenly as you can.
3. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the dish and turn the sweet potatoes. Roll the sausage links a bit as well so they brown evenly.
4. Return the dish to the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the sausage is fully cooked through and browned and the sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Let it rest 5 minutes before serving.
5. Serve hot straight from the casserole dish, spooning the pan juices over each portion for extra flavor.
Variations & Tips
Add an onion: If you have one sitting in the pantry basket, add a sliced yellow onion to the casserole. It roasts down sweet and soft and gives the whole dish more depth without making it any fancier than it needs to be.
Use butternut squash: Butternut squash works nicely in place of sweet potatoes and gives the same cozy orange color. Cut it into similar-sized chunks so it cooks at the same pace as the sausage.
Check sausage doneness: Raw chicken sausage must be cooked through, so if the links are especially thick, give them a few extra minutes in the oven. They should be firm, browned, and no longer pink in the center.
Easy cleanup tip: Because the maple syrup can caramelize around the edges, let the casserole dish soak in warm soapy water after supper. That little bit of patience saves a lot of scrubbing later on.