Sweet apples, crispy pieces of sausage, sweet potato and crunchy kale come together to make the most versatile and yummy bowl. It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it’s free from the major allergens. This is my go to when I want something that feels super nourishing and filling, without being heavy.
I’ve really been enjoying sweet potato bowls that work for anything from breakfast to dinner. It feels like the ultimate prep hack because I can cook once and have food ready for any meal time that feels to rushed to cook anything. For another sweet potato bowl check out my Mexican Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl.
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Ingredients
- Italian sausage
- kale
- sweet potatoes, diced
- apples, diced
- onion, diced
- garlic, minced
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step One: Peel and dice the sweet potato into ½ inch cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread the potatoes onto the sheet pan. Bake the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.
Step Two: While the sweet potato bakes, dice the apples into ¾ inch cubes, just slightly larger than the sweet potatoes. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Prep the kale by removing any of the thick stems.
Step Three: Pull the sweet potato out of the oven and DROP the heat to 400 degrees. Add the apples, onion and garlic to the sheet pan and toss. Return the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Step Four: Get out a heavy bottom pot like a dutch oven and set on the stovetop on medium high heat. Remove any casing from the italian sausage if needed and add the sausage to the pot. Don’t touch the sausage until you get a hard sear. Continue to break apart the sausage allowing it to create delicious crusty bits on the bottom of your pot. Add a splash of water (about 2 tbsp) when the sausage is done cooking and use a wooden spoon to release any crispy bits stuck to the bottom of your pot. Set aside.
Step Five: Remove the sheet pan from the oven and cover the apples and potatoes with a layer of kale. DO NOT mix the kale in. You want it to stay on top to dry out and get crispy. Place the sheet pan back in the oven and bake for 7 minutes.
Step Six: Remove the sheet pan from the oven and pour the Italian sausage on top. Mix the ingredients and serve. If your sheet pan is not large enough, pour the contents of the sheet pan and the pot of Italian sausage into a large bowl and mix.
Hint: You can cook the sausage and chop the fruit and veggies ahead of time, but cooking and chopping in the order shown in the recipe will also keep things moving.
Give yourself the gift of prep!
In this section I will give you ways to freeze, re-purpose and/or use some of your ingredients for another meal. Save yourself some time and effort next time you’re in the kitchen!
Freeze: Freeze any leftovers for a quick and nourishing meal later on!
Double batch: Get out another larger sheet pan and double this recipe for meal prep.
Enjoy this as breakfast: Lean into the versatility of this meal and enjoy it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Add scrambled eggs, a fried egg, or your favorite egg for more of a breakfast feel.
Substitutions
- Sausage– switch out Italian sausage for breakfast sausage or spicy sausage for some heat.
- Apple– I am using Honeycrisp apples, but use any of your favorite crisp apples such as Kanzi, Gala, or Fuji. You can also add in some green pear if you have that on hand. I love love love Baked Apples and Pears.
Storage
Store this in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze.
Top Tip
Let your sausage get a good sear for maximum flavor. The caramelized bits of food are called fond. Fond is flavor! Don’t believe me? Try a piece of your Italian sausage with no brown crusty parts, now try a piece that has been heavily browned. There should be a world of difference in texture and flavor. Just watch it to make sure your fond stays a lovely brown color and doesn’t cross over into black, burnt, and bitter.
Related
Looking for other recipes utilizing Italian Sausage? Try these:
Apples dishes
Apples are great for more than just snacking! Here are some other recipes that utilize apples:
Recipe
Sausage, Apple and Sweet Potato Bowl
Course: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner4
servings8
minutes32
minutes40
minutesSweet apples, crispy pieces of sausage, sweet potato and crunchy kale come together to make the most versatile and yummy bowl. It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
1 lb Italian sausage
4 cups kale
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
2 large apples, diced
½ large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line the largest sheet pan you own with parchment paper. Peel and dice the sweet potato into ½ inch cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread the potatoes onto the sheet pan.
- Bake the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.
- While the sweet potato bakes, dice the apples into ¾ inch cubes, just slightly larger than the sweet potatoes. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Prep the kale by removing any of the thick stems.
- Pull the sweet potato out of the oven and DROP the heat to 400 degrees. Add the apples, onion and garlic to the sheet pan and toss. Return the sheet pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove any casing from the Italian sausage if needed and sear the sausage in a a pot on medium high heat. Break it into small pieces while it cooks. Add a splash of water (about 2 tbsp) when the sausage is done cooking and use a wooden spoon to release any crispy bits stuck to the bottom of your pot. Set aside.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and cover the apples and potatoes with a layer of kale. DO NOT mix the kale in. You want it to stay on top to dry out and get crispy. Place the sheet pan back in the oven and bake for 7 minutes.
- Combine all of the ingredients and serve.