Roasted Potatoes with Sausage, White Beans, & Kale

Recipe Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Tags:

• Roasted Potatoes
• Skillet Dinner
• Sausage & Potato
• Kale & White Beans
• Sheet Pan Dinner
• Vegan Sausage

Roasted Potato Sausage & Kale Recipe Notes
I really love this meal. It's great for when you want something simple, but really satisfying and delicious.  With a handful of ingredients, you can have a satisfying dinner on the table with what I consider to be minimal effort.

Vegan sausage, garlic, white beans and kale get cooked in a pan while the potatoes roast.  When potatoes are ready you just combine everything and serve with a wedge of lemon and a side of "Maple Dijonnaise". For the Dijonnaise, just mix equal parts vegan mayo & Dijon mustard together, then drizzle in a bit of maple to taste. You can make it sweet/spicy to your own taste by adjusting the amount of maple/mustard you add to the mayo. 

About Roasting Potatoes
In this recipe, I don't write to cook the potatoes first, but that is the best way to enjoy roasted potatoes! This is because when I make this meal, it is typically not something I have planned ahead. It's more of a go to lazy day meal when I remember that I have all of the necessary ingredients to make it kicking around. Ideally, cook your potatoes in salted boiling water first until tender. Then cool completely before roasting. The result is definitely better, cooking them first breaks down the starch and creates more texture for having those delicious roasted crispy bits. In a pinch though, I skip that part. I suppose if I was serving company I would never skip that part...but for myself sometimes I'm ok with letting it slide ha. I talk about this is my Roasted Potatoes with Hummus post. 

Choosing Plant Based Sausages
There is quite a bit of variety when it comes to plant based sausage these days. The brand or type I choose usually depends on the recipe I am preparing. It isn't something I cook with often, but they definitely aren't all created equal. Some you can definitely tell that they are a "veggie" sausage product. (that isn't always a bad thing in my mind), and others are convincing enough that when we gave a sample to the servers to try at the restaurant I currently work at, before telling them it was vegan, one girl proclaimed "meaty and delicious!"

"Yves" products are ubiquitous where I live, and I find seem more like a veggie sausage product. I have used their spicy Italian Sausage in this recipe, and in this context I like it. It's not fine dining cuisine, but this meal is about quick comfort so I'm ok with that. If you are someone who eats meat and is trying to reduce your consumption, "Beyond Meat" Sausages are the most convincing meat like product I have tried to date, which is exactly what the server at the restaurant tried when we made vegan "pigs in a blanket." 

There are definitely a ton more options out there. Specialty markets often have interesting options compared to what typical grocery stores have, though I think maybe it just depends where you live. Since it isn't a product I include in my diet often I haven't tried a large variety. If you have any favourites or recommendations feel free to comment on this post and let me know what I should be trying! Of course if you make this, let me know how it goes. I love hearing feedback. 

GFTO Vegan Groceries (link below) has some veggie sausage options and a lot more vegan products that they deliver right to your door. Being vegan in 2023 is awesome.