There is something so comforting about a good tray bake dinner. Minimal prep, hardly any washing up, and a delicious, hearty meal at the end of it. This Sausage Tray Bake with Butternut Squash is one of my absolute favourites for busy weeknights and cosy autumn evenings. It is simple, full of flavour, and so easy to customise to suit your family’s tastes. This one is definitely fussy eater approved.
An Easy One-Pan Dinner
If you love quick and easy meals with barely any fuss, this sausage tray bake is perfect. Everything cooks together on one baking tray – the sausages become golden and caramelised, while the butternut squash roasts until tender and slightly sweet. Add in some onions, peppers, or your favourite seasonal vegetables, and you have a colourful, balanced meal that is as satisfying as it is simple.
And the very best part? Cleanup takes minutes. Just toss everything on a baking tray, pop it in the oven, and you are free to get on with your evening while dinner takes care of itself.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One-pan wonder: Minimal prep, minimal washing up.
- Perfect for busy nights: Pop it in the oven and relax.
- Packed with flavour: The caramelised edges of the roasted squash pair beautifully with juicy sausages.
- Customisable: Use whatever vegetables you have on hand — sweet potatoes, courgettes, parsnips or carrots all work beautifully.
- Meal prep friendly: Leftovers taste great the next day for lunch.
Seasonal Comfort Food
Butternut squash is one of my go-to ingredients once the weather starts to cool. It adds natural sweetness and a lovely, creamy texture to savoury dishes like this. Pairing it with sausages makes for the ultimate comfort food — filling, warming and full of autumnal flavours.
This recipe works just as well with pork sausages as it does with chicken or vegetarian ones, so it is easy to adapt for your family’s preferences. You can even switch things up by adding a drizzle of honey and mustard, a sprinkle of Italian herbs, or whatever veggies you have to hand.
Ingredients
Full ingredients list with quantities is included in the recipe card below. These are some helpful notes about the main ingredients including some swaps and substitutes where applicable.
- Sausages – My preference is for good quality pork sausages, but chicken or veggie sausages work just as well. I have written the recipe to use pork sausages, so adjust cooking times as needed for other varieties.
- Butternut Squash – cut into bite-sized cubes. Chop yourself or most supermakrets now sell bags of pre-cut squash. Use fresh or frozen.
- Vegetables – I like a mix of sliced red onion and cherry tomatoes but almost any vegetable works well. Try carrot slices or cauliflower florets.
- Potatoes – baby potatoes sliced in half (or quarters if particularly large) work best with this cooking time. You can use large potatoes but I would recommend parboiling them first (or zap in the microwave for 5 minutes to get a head start on cooking).
- Chicken Stock – can be replaced with vegetable stock. The liquid helps to form delicious pan juices, cook the potatoes and add flavour to the vegetables. I use half a chicken stock cube dissolved in boiling water.
- Herbs and Garlic – I like a blend of dried basil, oregano and garlic for flavour, but you can easily switch it up to suit your tastes. Use a pre-mixed blend like Italian Seasoning.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your sausage and butternut squash tray bake straight from the oven — it is delicious on its own and makes a complete meal, or you can add a side of crusty bread, rice, or a fresh green salad for a lighter option.
If you are cooking for a crowd, double the recipe and spread everything across two trays so the veggies can roast properly and stay crisp around the edges.
You can prepare this Sausage Tray Bake in an air fryer, just omit the chicken stock. Add all the ingredients except the sausages to the air fryer basket, toss well to combine then nestle the sausages on top. Cook at 200c for 20 to 30 minutes, until done (air fryers vary, so adjust timings and temperatures as needed), tossing at least once halfway through cooking.
More Easy Tray Bake Recipes
If you love this kind of easy, hands-off dinner, you might also enjoy:
- Greek Chicken Tray Bake – full of Mediterranean inspired flavour.
- Lemon Chicken Tray Bake – my go-to Sunday dinner, I call it a cheat’s roast.
- Cod and Chorizo Tray Bake – deliciously smoky and sweet comfort food.
The Perfect Weeknight Dinner
Whether you are feeding the family or just want something simple and comforting after a long day, this Sausage Tray Bake with Butternut Squash is sure to become a regular on your meal plan. It is hearty, colourful and full of seasonal goodness — everything you want in a weeknight dinner.
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!
Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment if you make it.
Your feedback is really important and helps me keep making recipes you love!
Sausage and Butternut Squash Tray Bake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 sausages - or about 125g/4.4oz sausage per person
- 2 red onions - cut into wedges
- 500 grams Butternut squash - cut into bite sized pieces
- 200 grams Cherry tomatoes
- 400 grams baby potatoes - sliced in half
- 250 ml chicken stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp each basil and oregano and garlic
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F
- Add the squash, potatoes and onion to a large baking tray and sprinkle over the seasonings and olive oil.
- Toss to coat and arrange in one layer on the tray.
- Place the sausages on top and pop in the oven.
- Roast for 20 minutes then flip the sausages, add the tomatoes and pour over the stock.
- Return to the oven and roast for another 20-25 minutes until the sausages are cooked through and vegetables done to your liking.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply