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Easy weeknight meal
If you struggle with easy weeknight meals, this one-pot Chicken Apple Sausage and Vegetables recipe is one to try. We make it once a week because it is quick, easy, healthy, and delicious!
Have you tried Chicken Sausage? There are so many flavors and they are a healthy protein option to add to your grocery list. Our favorite brand is Al Fresco and favorite flavor is the Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage. They taste like maple! Yum!
We used to always make a turkey kielbasa and mixed vegetables dinner before we looked closely at food labels and healthy ingredients. Once we realized the ingredients were full of additives and weird ingredients, we made the switch.
Turkey Kielbasa vs chicken sausage
Just to compare the two, take a look at list of ingredients below:
Turkey Kielbasa: TURKEY, WATER, MECHANICALLY SEPARATED TURKEY, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, NATURAL FLAVORS, DEXTROSE, ISOLATED SOY PRODUCT, ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE. MADE WITH BEEF COLLAGEN CASING. CONTAINS: SOY
Chicken Apple Sausage: SKINLESS CHICKEN MEAT, PURE MAPLE SYRUP, BROWN SUGAR, DRIED APPLES(UNSULFURED), CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF SEA SALT, SPICES, LEMON JUICE, IN A NATURAL PORK CASING.
After looking at that……I’m comfortable with our decision. If you can’t pronounce it or recognize it as real food, don’t eat it. Our food choices aren’t perfect, but my goal is to get better everyday. Just making this one food swap is a step in the right direction.
Eat the rainbow
The variety of vegetables I make in this meal always changes with what I have on hand. This dinner is great with just onion and bell peppers or onion and any other combination of veggies. I usually pick 3-4 different ones. You can omit onion but why would you want to? Onion is always the first ingredient in most of our meals.
Fresh veggies are great but I always have frozen ones on hand for convenience. For this recipe I chose to use yellow onion, fresh zucchini, cherry tomatoes and frozen whole green beans. I really like this combination.
Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables because it is so versatile. It is also high in antioxidants, Vitamin C and Potassium. It also has many anti-inflammatory properties. If you have any inflammation like I do, usually in my knees, you know adding foods like this may help. If you are a health and wellness nerd like me, you may enjoy reading this ARTICLE by Dr.Axe about why zucchini should always be on your grocery list.
The main thing I try to remember for every meal is to “EAT THE RAINBOW.” If you know Australian Chef Dan Churchill, you know this phrase. His motto has me always making sure I’m using lots of veggies in every meal. That is one huge part of living a healthy lifestyle!
Recipe tips
-The chicken sausage in this meal has a natural pork casing. I prefer to remove it before slicing up the sausage. I find it’s easier to eat. It’s easiest to cut each sausage in half first and then the casing can be easily removed. Feel free to leave it on if you prefer.
-Adding just a splash of chicken stock to this when the meal is just over half way cooked will add extra flavor and help de-glaze your pan. You want all those cooked bits of goodness. Just make sure to not add too much because it can make your sausage soggy.
-If you’ve been following me then you know I use McCormick Hamburger Seasoning a lot. I like it even in meals like this because it adds so much flavor. It isn’t just for Hamburgers. This seasoning is a perfect blend including: salt, black pepper, chili pepper, onion, red bell pepper, sugar, garlic and other natural flavor. It is my favorite basic seasoning!
-I usually serve this meal with a side of brown rice or quinoa. It would also be great with some cubed and roasted sweet potato.
-Another great addition is topping with some diced avocado at the end. About 9/10 times we add avocado to our dinners for the benefits of those healthy fats.
I hope you enjoy this Chicken Apple Sausage and Vegetables recipe for a quick weeknight meal. I think you will like how easy and healthy it is. Let me know in the comments what you think and what other veggie combos you tried. For another healthy weeknight meal, check out my recipe for Pineapple Chicken and Broccoli HERE.
Chicken Apple Sausage and Vegetables
This easy weeknight meal is quick and healthy! The sweet apple and maple in the chicken sausage enhances the flavor of the vegetables. It is so good!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Sweet Apple Chicken Sausages, sliced (Al Fresco)
- 1/2 Yellow Onion, small slices
- 1 Medium Zuchinni, sliced
- 2 Cups Frozen Whole Green Beans
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/4 Cup Organic Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
- 1 Whole Avocado, diced
- McCormick Hamburger Seasoning to Taste
Instructions
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Preheat Olive Oil on medium heat in large sauté pan. Cut Chicken Sausages in half and carefully remove outer casing. Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Add to pan and cook until lightly brown, flipping halfway through.
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Next, cut onion into small strips and zuchinni into slices. Add them on top of the chicken sausages and lightly season. Cover with aluminum foil or lid for 2 minutes. Make sure not to stir them in yet.
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After 2 minutes, remove lid or foil and stir everything together. Add Green Beans and more seasoning to taste. Cook until vegetables are crisp tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add chicken stock and tomatoes, stir and cook another couple minutes.
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Serve with rice or quinoa and top with diced avocado.
