Description
One-pan dinner: sausage, apples & fennel is fantastic winter comfort food. Very easy to put together and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 Fennel bulbs (see note#1)
- 3 Gala apples
- 1 medium red onion
- 8 Mild Italian sausage
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs, optional
Optional side:
- White Basmati rice (cook to package instructions)
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Instructions
- Cut one medium red onion into chunks. I usually cut the onion in half and cut the chunks from there. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish.
- For the fennel, we’re using the bulb part for this recipe, so cut the top part off and set aside. Then cut the knobby end off the fennel bulb. After that, it’s like cutting an onion. Cut it in half, then cut it into thin strips (my video shows this well). Do this for both fennel bulbs then add to the baking dish with the onions.
- For the apples, we’re leaving the skin on. Simply cut around the core until you have four apple chunks. Then slice the apples into half-moon slices that are about ¼” to ½” in thickness. You don’t want these too thin or they will fall apart after cooking. I placed my slices in a bowl of cold water so they don’t turn brown.
- If you’re using fresh thyme, pick out 4-5 thyme sprigs, bunch together, then cut into thirds. Set aside.
- Add olive oil, salt and pepper to the fennel and onion in your baking dish. Toss to coat with the olive oil.
- Add the thyme sprigs (if you’re using) and toss again. If you have some dried thyme, a couple light shakes will do here. Or omit the thyme altogether.
- Add the apples to the baking dish. I grabbed the apples and let the water drip off, then added to baking dish. Give one final toss to combine ingredients.
- Place the sausage on top of the mixture and press down to nestle the sausage into the other ingredients.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. IMPORTANT: at the half-way mark, take out of the oven and turn the sausage over. They should be browed on the top and we don’t want them to burn or dry out. Turning them over half-way through cooking is essential.
- While the sausage is cooking you should plan your time if you are also making rice to serve on the side or if you are preparing a side salad. This would be a good time to do that.
- Once you take the sausage out of the oven let it cool a few minutes. You can break off some fennel fronds (the leafy part that looks like dill) to use for garnish and break off some fresh thyme sprigs too if you have that.
- For platter presentation, remove the sausage from the baking dish. Toss the apple, fennel mixture gently. There are a lot of delicious juices that have formed. Toss the ingredients to coat in the juices.
- Transfer the mixture to a plate or small serving platter. Add the sausages to the top. Garnish with the fennel fronds and thyme sprigs. Serve immediately. I love eating this with basmati rice.
Notes
- We’re using the bulbs for this recipe, but the stalks and the fennel fronds (the leafy part that looks like dill) are both edible. You can save this if you’re making a soup broth.