After a long day at work, the thought of cooking a nutritious dinner from scratch can feel like an impossible task. The temptation to order a takeaway is real, but it often leaves both your taste buds and your wallet feeling underwhelmed. The solution? A hearty, all-in-one sausage and autumn vegetable traybake that requires minimal effort for maximum flavour.
The Perfect Midweek Saviour
Featured by Maldon Salt and reported by the Express, this straightforward recipe is designed for busy households. It demands a mere 10 minutes of preparation time before being popped into the oven. After 45 minutes of cooking, it yields a satisfying dinner for a family of four. The beauty of this dish lies in its versatility; while it comes with a suggested side of creamy mash, it can be enjoyed on its own or paired with roast potatoes or another favourite side.
Recipe: Sausage and Autumn Vegetable Traybake
To recreate this simple feast, you will need the following ingredients for the main traybake:
- Six to eight chunky sausages
- One large butternut squash or pumpkin, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch wedges
- Two red onions, cut into thick wedges
- One large leek, cut into 2-inch chunks
- Two apples, quartered and cored
- A small bunch of oregano
- Four tablespoons of olive oil
- Maldon Sea Salt
- 200ml of chicken or vegetable stock
For the optional mashed potato and parsnip side:
- 1kg mixture of potatoes and parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 75g butter
- Four tablespoons of sour cream
- A bunch of finely sliced chives
- Maldon Garlic Sea Salt
Simple Step-by-Step Method
First, preheat your oven to 180°C fan. In your largest roasting tray, toss together all the traybake ingredients: the sausages, squash, onions, leek, apples, oregano, and olive oil. Season generously with Maldon Sea Salt and arrange the sausages on top of the vegetable mix.
Roast the tray for 25 minutes. Then, remove it from the oven and carefully pour the stock into the base. Return the tray to the oven for a further 25 minutes, until the sausages are beautifully browned and cooked through.
If making the mash, place the potatoes and parsnips in a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain well, allow to steam dry, then return to the pot and mash thoroughly with the butter. Stir through the sour cream and season with Maldon Garlic Sea Salt and black pepper.
A Nutritious Alternative to Fast Food
This one-pan wonder offers a far more wholesome and cost-effective alternative to processed microwave meals or expensive delivery. It packs in a variety of vegetables and delivers a complete, comforting dinner with very little washing up. As Deputy Editor Millie Bull highlighted on December 4, 2025, it's the ideal solution for those hectic evenings when time is short but the need for a proper, home-cooked meal is high.
Simply sprinkle the chives over the mash and serve the sausages and roasted vegetables straight from the tray for a fuss-free, family-friendly dining experience.
