Sheet-Pan Sausage Meatballs With Tomatoes and Broccoli

By Yasmin Fahr

Updated February 10, 2021

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(2,103)
Comments
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Instead of making meatballs from scratch, this weeknight recipe calls for rolling bulk sausage into small meatballs that cook alongside broccoli, tomatoes and mushrooms. Sprinkling a layer of Parmesan over the entire pan during the second half of cooking allows it to melt and crisp simultaneously; a blanket of gooey cheese coats the roasted tomatoes, while the Parmesan that falls directly onto the sheet pan becomes crunchy and frico-like. Use the garlic bread that cooks alongside to scrape up any pan juices or to assemble French bread pizzas.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1 head broccoli florets or 2 bunches broccolini, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

  • ½ pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (about 3 cups)

  • ¼ cup olive oil, plus more as needed

  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

  • Kosher salt

  • ¾ pound bulk spicy or sweet Italian sausage (or fresh sausages removed from casing)

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

  • 1 loaf soft Italian bread, split lengthwise

  • 3 to 5 small garlic cloves, grated or minced

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

58 grams carbs; 35 milligrams cholesterol; 595 calories; 14 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 1203 milligrams sodium; 33 grams protein; 10 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees with one rack in the lower third and one in the upper. On one sheet pan, combine the tomatoes, broccoli and mushrooms with ¼ cup oil. Season with 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes and salt to taste. Toss to combine, then arrange the tomatoes so they are cut-side up. Roll the sausage into 1-inch balls. (There should be about 30.) Distribute them around the vegetables. Sprinkle the entire sheet pan with 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Roast for 15 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, brush the cut sides of the bread with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil. Spread the grated garlic on the bread, then sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon oregano and salt to taste. Cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces. Grease another sheet pan with olive oil, then place the bread on the pan, cut-side up.

  3. Step 3

    After 15 minutes, gently shake the pan to flip the meatballs. Sprinkle the entire pan with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan, concentrating your efforts on the tomatoes and the empty pan edges so that some Parmesan has room to crisp. Return the meatball sheet pan to the lowest rack and place the bread sheet pan on the higher rack. Roast until the bread is golden at the edges, the broccoli tips are crispy and the meatballs are cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (If the broccoli and meatballs need a little more time, remove the bread from the oven, cover loosely with foil and continue to roast the other sheet pan for 5 more minutes.)

  4. Step 4

    Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any cheese that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. Serve everything with the garlic bread and more grated cheese.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,103 user ratings
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Comments

barbara

We loved this! No pasta. No additional sauce. I added an onion quartered and a head of garlic to the roast. You could also add diced potatoes as well as bell peppers. This recipe is easily adapted to whatever you have.

rm

This was so great. After I made it I thought about it all week. It would just hit me in the middle of the day-like wow. Remember when you made that Saturday, that was really good. Or when I made other dinners I thought-this really isn’t as good as that dinner.

Dawning Hope

To Lea - no, making small meatballs of the sausage is not just pretentious make-work. The sausage balls cooks in less time, so can be thoroughly cooked without becoming dried out as full-size sausages can do. Similarly, the greater surface area of sausage in balls vs links enables each bite to be bathed in the tomato juices. And It really didn’t take very much time to make 1” balls - so well worth it!

Amanda

I used raw chicken sausage links and just pinched chunks out of the casing instead of rolling meatballs. The store had take and bake garlic bread, so I didn’t make it this time, but probably will next time. Super easy and quick and really customizable.

Lindsi

Terrific, easy meal. Made as written but added a sliced shallot and added the grated garlic to the veggie/sausage mix. Didn’t make the bread. One sheet, two bowl meal! Flavors had a pizza vibe, which is always a plus in our house.

Cyndi R

Is it possible to use turkey or chicken sausage

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Credits

By Yasmin Fahr

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