Midweek meals need to be straightforward to make, require minimal cooking time, and be full of flavour. It can be all too easy to fall into a rut of serving up the same dinners week after week.
However, one firm favourite of mine is a simple sausage traybake that tastes as though you've put far more effort into it than you actually have. The sausage, red onion, pesto and new potato traybake is easy to prepare, as you simply put all the ingredients into a single dish. The oven takes care of all the hard work, leaving you with more time to unwind in the evenings and less time tied to the kitchen.
The sausages turn out juicy, while the new potatoes come out crispy, thanks to squashing them before they go into the oven.
The whole family will love it, and it's a brilliant way to pack vegetables into one dish. Ever since making this traybake for the first time a couple of years ago, it has remained a firm go-to recipe, and it could well become the same for you if you give it a try.
Sausage and new potato pesto traybakeIngredients for four people
Method
Begin by preheating your oven to 220°C/200°C Fan.
Place the new potatoes in a pan of water. Bring to the boil on the hob and simmer for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and transfer them into a large oven-safe dish. Use the base of a glass to gently squash the potatoes.
Add the red onion, garlic and sausages to the tray, ensuring they have space. I prefer to give my sausages a head start by cooking them for five minutes in the air fryer before adding them to the tray, but this is not essential.
Coat the ingredients in oil, salt and pepper. Put the tray in the oven for around 35 minutes, until the sausages are thoroughly cooked and the potatoes are golden and crispy.
Take the tray out of the oven and add the frozen peas and pesto. Give everything a mix. Put back in the oven for five minutes, until the peas are fully cooked. Serve and enjoy.
