Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage with Butternut Squash

This sheet pan chicken sausage with butternut squash is the kind of dinner that comes together in minutes and fills the kitchen with the cozy scent of maple and sage. Sliced sausage, sweet squash, and red onion roast together on one pan, while a simple maple mustard sauce caramelizes into a glossy glaze. Crisp sage leaves on top add a savory, herbal finish.

The idea is simple: arrange chicken sausage coins, butternut squash cubes, and red onion wedges on a sheet pan, drizzle with a maple mustard sauce, scatter fresh sage leaves, and roast until everything is golden and caramelized. The sausage is already cooked, so it just needs to warm through and pick up color.

The squash becomes tender and sweet, the onion edges turn jammy, and the sage turns crisp like a chip. All of it happens on one pan, with minimal prep and even less cleanup. This recipe is a reliable weeknight hero that also looks impressive enough for a casual dinner with friends.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

Roasting at a high temperature on a sheet pan concentrates the natural sugars in butternut squash and red onion, creating deep caramelization that you can't get from steaming or sautéing.

The maple mustard sauce, brushed on before roasting, reduces and clings to the sausage and vegetables, giving every bite a sweet-tangy glaze. Because everything cooks in a single even layer, hot air circulates freely, so the sausage browns, the squash softens, and the onion edges char without any stirring.

The sage leaves are added on top before roasting, so they dry out and crisp in the oven, much like fried sage but without the extra oil. They provide a fragrant, crunchy contrast to the tender vegetables and juicy sausage. The combination of maple, mustard, and sage is classic with pork and poultry, and it works beautifully here. Using fully cooked chicken sausage means there's no raw meat to worry about, so the dish comes together quickly and safely.

Notes and substitutions

Choose a good-quality chicken sausage with natural casings if possible — they hold their shape better when sliced and roasted. Sweet Italian or apple chicken sausage works particularly well with the maple mustard sauce.

Butternut squash should be peeled and cut into uniform cubes, about 1 inch, so they cook evenly. Pre-cut squash from the store is a fine shortcut, just look for pieces that are similar in size. Red onion wedges should be thick enough to stay intact but small enough to roast through.

The maple mustard sauce is a simple mix of pure maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and whole grain mustard. The whole grain mustard adds little pops of mustard seed that mirror the look of the sauce drizzled from the video. Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup, for the best flavor.

If you don't have whole grain mustard, just use all Dijon. The sage should be fresh — dried sage won't crisp the same way. A standard half-sheet pan (18x13 inches) is the right size to hold everything in one layer.

• chicken sausage: Any fully cooked sausage like turkey or pork sausage works; just adjust cooking time if using raw sausage.
• butternut squash: Use pre-cut butternut squash cubes from the produce section to save time.
• Dijon mustard: Yellow mustard can be used, but the flavor will be milder.
• fresh sage: If fresh sage is unavailable, use 1 teaspoon dried sage, but add it with the sauce rather than on top.

Equipment

• Sheet pan (18x13 inches)
• Parchment paper
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Small bowl
• Whisk
• Spatula