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This simple sausage and veggies skillet dinner features bell peppers, zucchini, corn, and fresh cilantro. It's an easy and colorful meal that takes only 30 minutes to make and everything is cooked in one pan. It's perfect for meal prep and busy family weeknights!
Sausage and vegetables - a perfect combination!
This recipe is a simple 30-minute, one-pan dinner that tastes like a dish from a fine dining restaurant! There are only 5 basic ingredients (excluding olive oil and seasonings): sausage, corn, bell peppers, zucchini, and fresh cilantro. This easy and delicious meal can be prepared any night of the week - and your family and friends will thank you!
If you like more sausage and veggie dinner inspiration, be sure to check out this creamy sausage gnocchi with spinach and tomatoes and Italian sausage pasta with vegetables (mushrooms, spinach, and tomato sauce).
Why you should make it
What I love about this simple one-pan meal is that for such a small amount of effort you get a beautiful homemade dinner that tastes and looks like an entree from a high-end restaurant! We all have busy lives and it's nice to have easy recipes that can be made ahead or be added as meal prep in your rotation. I do hope you give this recipe a try and let me know in the comments if you liked it!
- This recipe is rich in protein and gluten-free.
- The clean-up is minimal.
- Perfect for meal prep.
- Sausage and veggies skillet is a flexible recipe that is easy to adjust to whatever you have available.
One-Pan 30-Minute Meal
In this recipe, everything is cooked in one skillet: sausage, bell peppers, zucchini, and corn! The clean-up after dinner is minimal - only 1 cooking dish to clean! Because of the simplicity of this recipe and how tasty it is, this recipe might become one of your family's favorite weeknight dinners!
What kind of sausage to use
- Pre-cooked sausage. Use smoked sausage, andouille sausage, or cajun sausage. The key is to use a flavored sausage that has already been pre-cooked. I used pre-cooked andouille sausage in this recipe.
- Italian sausage links. If you love spicy, mild, or sweet Italian sausage, you will love it mixed with bell peppers, zucchini, and corn! In this case, make sure it's cooked.
- Crumbled sausage. You can also use crumbled sausage. Make sure to completely cook it through before using it in this recipe.
Variations and substitutions
Sausage and veggies skillet is a flexible recipe that is easy to adjust to whatever you have available.
- Sausage. Use smoked sausage, andouille sausage, and cajun sausage. The key is to use a flavored sausage that has already been pre-cooked. I used pre-cooked andouille sausage in this recipe.
- Veggies. A variety of vegetables can be used. Mushrooms, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sugar snap peas, green beans, and eggplant.
- Add-ins. You can add rice, pasta, orzo, couscous, or quinoa.
How to make sausage and veggies in a skillet
- Start by cooking the sausage in a cast-iron skillet.
- Once your sausage is cooked through, drain any excess grease from the pan if necessary.
- Next, add diced bell peppers, then add sliced zucchini. Cook the veggies.
- As soon as the veggies are done, add back the cooked sausage and cooked corn.
- Finally, you will turn down your heat to low and reheat everything gently, giving everything a good stir.
How to boil corn
This recipe uses cooked corn on the cob - 3 ears of corn. Precook the corn before using it in the recipe. Here is how to do it:
- Bring a medium saucepan with water to a boil.
- Remove husks and silks from the corn.
- Add uncooked ears of corn (corn on the cob) and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, drain, and let it cool.
- Slice corn kernels off the cob using a knife.
Storage and reheating tips
Because this sausage and veggies skillet does not use any cream or cheese, this recipe is very easy to store and reheat. You can also easily make this ahead.
- Fridge. Store cooked sausage and veggies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. Freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- Reheat in the microwave oven. Reheat the refrigerated sausage with bell peppers, zucchini, and corn in a microwave oven for about 1 minute. Taste and reheat for 30 seconds more, if needed.
- Reheat on the stovetop. Reheat this dish in a large, high-sided skillet on the stovetop on low-medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add a small amount of olive oil when reheating to prevent veggies and sausage from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
What to serve with sausage and veggies skillet
This is a complete meal all on its own and doesn't require any side dishes. However, if you do want some sides, here are a few delicious ideas:
- Rice. Use jasmine rice, flavored rice, and even cauliflower rice as a side dish.
- Quinoa. Prepare a small serving of quinoa and mix together with sausage and veggies.
- Potatoes. Roasted or mashed potatoes will pair well with this dish.
- Bread. Serve this easy recipe with something equally simple, such as a slice of store-bought, warm Italian bread, garlic bread, or olive bread loaf.
- Simple salad. I would suggest a basic spinach or arugula salad, probably sprinkled with toasted nuts, a small amount of shredded Parmesan or crumbled goat cheese, and dressed with your favorite salad dressing!
Other sausage recipes you might like
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
- Creamy Sausage Tortellini with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella cheese sauce
- Skillet Mac and Cheese with Sausage and Bell Peppers
Sausage and Veggies Skillet - 30 Minute, One-Pan Meal
Ingredients
- 2 cup corn kernels (3 ears completely cooked)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 oz sausage cooked, such as cajun sausage, andouille sausage, or smoked sausage
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 1 large zucchini large, sliced
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
Cook sausage
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a cast-iron skillet on medium heat.
- Slice cooked sausage into coins and add to the skillet.
- Cook on medium heat in a cast-iron skillet for 5 minutes on one side, then flip over and cook for about 3 minutes on the other side. Remove from skillet to a large plate.
- You will have oil from the sausage. Leave some oil in the skillet for the veggies. Remove extra oil to a small, heat-proof bowl, and reserve.
Prepare veggies
- To the same, now empty, skillet add diced bell pepper, and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat. You might have to add some of the reserved oil to the skillet to prevent veggies from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove cooked bell pepper to the same large plate with sausage.
- To the same, now empty, skillet add sliced zucchini, and cook for about 3 minutes on medium heat. You might have to add some of the reserved oil to the skillet to prevent veggies from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Slice corn kernels off the cob with a knife.
Assembly
- In the same skillet combine together cooked sausage, cooked bell pepper, cooked zucchini, and cooked corn kernels. Mix everything well. Add reserved oil from cooked sausage, and mix. Add chili powder and reheat on low heat.
- Remove from heat. Top with chopped cilantro.
- Note: I don't think seasoning this dish with salt is necessary as the sausage is usually quite salty. However, use your best judgment and season with salt, if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Julia, as much as I love fresh corn, it has not been as plentiful this year. How does frozen corn perform in your recipe - much easier to access all year. Thank you for your reply.
Hi Sue, I make this all year long with canned corn - it works just fine (even though nothing can beat the flavor of the fresh corn on the cob!)
this simple recipe is adjustable to any and all veggies. i added yellow squash instead of zuccinin, roasted beets, red bell pepper, left out the corn and used spicy chicken sausage from trader joes. first day served with 2 eggs over easy. could see this over pasta, rice or quinoa. i served it for breakfast and will use it as prep for the rest of the week. yum!
I love your creativity, Tara, and all the different ideas on how to serve this. Thank you for sharing! ❤️
I love good-quality sausages and am always trying to get family and friends to appreciate them outside of Oktoberfest, where I show no mercy! Thus far, I have prepared this recipe exactly as described By Julia with no modifications (I tend to change things...) and all guests have agreed it is wonderful.
I am so glad this recipe was a hit with your family and friends, John! 🙂
This was so amazing. My husband and I really enjoyed the combined flavors. And, I can usually find these items on sale so it’s an affordable healthy family meal. This will be in our rotation.
Kelly, I am so happy you both loved this meal! 🙂
Super simple dish with very clear instructions. I added shredded cheese on top for a bit of decadence. My very picky fiancé loved it.
Thank you, Rachel, for appreciating this recipe's simplicity and flavors! 🙂
This receipe is great. My 80 year old mother loved it, asked for more, and wasn't the only one disappointed that we didn't have any leftovers. Thank you for sharing your receipe s.
Thank you, AnnMarie, for your kind comment - I so appreciate it! 🙂 🙂
Thank you all for your support! I was pretty shaken up by this nasty comment (even though I know shouldn't be), but reading your funny and encouraging responses completely turned my day around and brought a big smile to my face! THANK YOU! There are so many wonderful and supportive people in this world!
Jimmy, you took two minutes out of your apparently boring life to try and embarrass a stranger on the internet, so maybe I can help. I’ll use small words. She addressed the salt issue by telling you that sausage is salty, but you can add more if you need to.
Good point, lol! You don't even need salt for this recipe (unless you want to go into sodium overload).
No one comes here to read your entire life story Julia. It took me a year to get to the bottom with the ingredients and the only seasoning you have on here is cilantro and chili powder? Do you even know what salt is, Julia? You're the reason white people have a bad reputation in the cooking world. I hope you die.
What a small little person you are. Little keyboard warrior in your mom’s basement. Bless your heart
Wow! What a horrible person you must be Jimmy geez. How unnecessarily terrible of you.
Well aren’t you just a barrel of sunshine?! Bless your heart… no honey, the only reputation that was hurt today is yours. I’m surprised you can even spell cilantro… then again that was probably auto correct that helped you. No one is interested in your opinion. Bye, Felicia!
This is the MOST DISGUSTING message I've ever read!! "I hope you die"???
To be spewing venom like that, I think there is something terribly wrong going on in your life. I hope you get some help.
Meltdown much? For monumentally slow readers like yourself maybe you should try the link to the recipe. Just sayin'. Douchebag.
Troll. Mean, nasty, hateful little troll. Take your hairy knuckles and go back under your bridge!!
Lol, that makes me laugh. Thank you - I needed it today.
Completely unnecessary comment to whoever you are I’m guessing you’re hiding this because you think it’s ok to say such a thing if you don’t like it don’t read it don’t bother coming on here we are not bothered what you think.
Hey Jimmy here's an idea. Why don't you start your own cooking website so people can come and b**** about you. Why don't you just go away you giant troll. You nasty piece of work. You're not fit to breathe the same air as Julia. Go take your meds.
"A girl named Jimmy" you are an absolutely disgusting human. How does it feel to have absolutely no one on your side?
I hope you get the help you need.
Jimmy, I've found that people are either mean to strangers or good in bed. No one can be both. Guess we've figured out pretty quickly which one you are.
Good one! 🙂
I am not sure why you are even searching for recipes when you clearly know it all! Have all the salt you want and get a life!
Ha — thank you for the defense, Mandi! 🙂 I appreciate you jumping in more than you know. ❤️ I'll keep the salt shaker on the table for anyone who wants it and leave it at that. 🙂
I used your recipe as the base but added small yellow potatoes in mine, used Garlic and Herb seasoning and added a little Texas Road House Sauce for more flavor!! Definitely a great recipe even as is!!
Hi Toni, I love the addition of potatoes! Thank you for sharing your changes!
AMAZING...!!!
This recipe is going into rotation - so good & easy.
I used canned corn, which worked out great!
I also added substantially more Chili powder (to taste, right?) - close to 2 tablespoons.
You have a new follower.
I am so glad you tried this recipe and liked it, Rick! Welcome to my site and I hope you find many other meal ideas you like.
What if we don’t have fresh cilantro? Any substitutes?
You can use fresh parsley or fresh basil instead.
Made this for the first time last night... no leftovers. Yummy. Family enjoyed this tastey treat. I will be making this again.
Hi Melinda! I am so glad the recipe turned out well!! Thank you for your review!
A really tasty and easy to make recipe with a great combi of veggies. I used Dutch smoked sausage and also added onion & garlic.
I love the addition of onion and garlic. Thank you for your 5-star review, Jill!!
So delicious! I omitted the chili because we don’t like spice and used pepper chicken sausage. Served with farro, it was a hit!
Farro is a perfect side to this - love it! 🙂