Roasted Sausage and Vegetables

1 sheet pan, a handful of seasonings, and you have lunches, dinners, and even breakfast covered, no eggs required. A reliable batch of food waiting in the fridge is a real gift on a busy week.

There is real nourishment built into this plate. The sweet potato and carrots are a gentle source of beta-carotene, which the body uses to make vitamin A, linked to immune and mucosal health, and the ground beef or pork brings zinc, one of the nutrients involved in immune regulation and gut-barrier repair. Colorful roots and a green like asparagus also carry fiber and polyphenols that feed a healthier gut community.

Let the kitchen fill with the smell of roasting roots and browning meat. When it comes out, take a moment with the color, the orange of the carrots against the paler sweet potato, the green of the asparagus. Source the meat from an animal raised well and let yourself feel a little gratitude for it. Then sit, take a breath, and eat slowly. The few minutes of presence are part of how the food serves you.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 lb sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 lb carrots, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef or pork
• 1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed
• 1 small onion, chopped

Every ingredient here is elimination-friendly, with one thing to check: if you use a pre-made sausage in place of the seasoned ground meat, read the label and make sure it carries no nightshade spices (no paprika, cayenne, or chili) and no seed-based spices. The herbs above, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder, are all clean, and there is no black pepper in this recipe, which keeps it right for the elimination phase. The source notes you can swap parsnips, turnips, beets, or rutabaga for the sweet potato.

Method

• Heat the oven to 400F and line a sheet pan.
• Stir the oil, dried herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt together into a loose paste.
• Toss the sweet potato and carrots with about half the paste, spread them on the pan, and roast for 20 minutes.
• While they roast, brown the ground meat in a skillet, drain off the fat, and toss it with the asparagus, onion, and the rest of the paste.
• Add the meat mixture to the pan, stir everything together, and roast 10 to 15 minutes more, until the vegetables are fork-tender.

Air fryer variation

You can roast the vegetables in the air fryer if you would rather not heat the oven. Toss the sweet potato and carrots with half the paste and cook at around 380F to 400F, shaking the basket once or twice, until tender, roughly 15 to 20 minutes. Brown the meat on the stovetop as above, then add it with the asparagus and onion for a final few minutes to warm through and crisp the edges. These times are an untested conversion, so check for doneness and adjust in your own kitchen.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*