We know how easy it is to just grab some takeout on a busy weeknight, but with the right ingredients in the refrigerator, we can get a meal on the table for way less than it would cost us to buy something for everyone at a fast-food restaurant. The key to doing this, and in a short period of time, is preparing ingredients in a way that makes them cook quickly, so that dinner is out of the oven and on the table in 30 minutes. One of our favorite ways to do this is with sheet pan baking; toss all of the ingredients on a baking pan and pop into the oven. Dinner comes out perfectly cooked, with only one dish used to prepare the entire meal.
That’s why we love this kielbasa and veggie bake; there’s great protein and vegetables, all cut down to equal sizes for even and timely roasting. Seasonings are really easy too; simple olive oil, salt and pepper are go-tos, but adding other herbs and spices will also contribute a little more flavor. Pretty much any vegetable combination will do; we love using potatoes for sure, and sometimes we’ll toss in carrots, asparagus, Brussels Sprouts, even parsnips or sweet potatoes. We just grab a package of our favorite kielbasa and dice it up; toss everything together and throw it (gently) on a sheet pan. The oven does the rest of the work, and we’ve got a few minutes to help with homework, fold some laundry, or answer a few more emails before we settle down to a meal.
Getting dinner ready at the end of a long day is the last thing we want to worry about. That’s when a meal like this comes in handy, especially if we set ourselves up with a super important short cut…we take a few minutes after getting back from weekend grocery shopping to do a little meal prep. The ingredients for this meal are easily cut up then stored in an airtight container or resealable plastic bags. All we have to do is preheat the oven and toss everything onto a baking sheet…bada-bing-bada-boom, dinner’s on the table and we give ourselves a little congratulatory pat on the back. It’s homemade “fast food” that is actually good for us!