Even though I am loving every last second of the end of summer, I do get very excited about getting back into the steady routine of fall. Our weeks are a little more structured, and I definitely always think about the start of the school year as a reset-button on my habits and goals. With that reset-button comes a bit more intention about how I plan my days, and meal-planning at the beginning of the week always gets me started on the right foot! As I get back into the meal planning groove, I wanted to spice up my go-to dishes that I make ahead for a week of lunches (See some of my best meal planning tips in an older post).
I have been keeping al fresco Chicken Nights Faster Sausage on hand in the fridge, and it’s such a good staple for meal-prepping and quick dinners. The rotisserie style chicken sausage is a perfect ingredient to use in salads, and it inspired this healthy sheet-pan salad. I combined the sliced chicken sausage with broccoli florets and chickpeas, and then seasoned them well with spices and orange zest. Everything gets roasted together on a rimmed sheet pan, and then tossed with a bright vinaigrette, dried cranberries and sliced almonds while still warm.
The rotisserie style chicken sausage adds tons of flavor, and the roasted chickpeas and broccoli add texture to the mix; a bit of sweetness comes through from the dried cranberries and honey in the vinaigrette. I ate a big bowl of the warm salad for lunch just on its own, but it also serves well over wild rice or mixed greens too. If you’re packing this for pre-portioned lunches, I recommend packing the greens and dressing separately so that you can warm the broccoli, sausage, chickpea mixture and dress the greens fresh when you’re ready to eat!) And this recipe is easy to double, just use a second baking sheet to ensure that the ingredients aren’t overcrowded. Get the full recipe below: 
- 1- 15 oz can of Chickpeas, drained
- 4 Cups of Broccoli Florets
- 1 al fresco Salad Night Rotisserie Style Chicken Sausage, sliced
- ½ Tsp. Garlic Powder
- ½ Tsp. Onion Powder
- ½ Tsp. Paprika
- ½ Tsp. Salt
- ½ Tsp. Black Pepper
- 1 Tbsp. Orange zest
- 2 Tbsp. of Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 Tbsp. of Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. of Orange Juice
- 1 Tbsp. of Honey
- 1 Tsp. of Dijon
- Salt and Pepper
- ⅓ Cup of Sliced Almonds
- ⅓ Cup of Dried Cranberries
- Wild Rice or Mixed Greens for serving
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Arrange drained chickpeas, broccoli florets, and sliced al fresco Salad Night Rotisserie Style Chicken Sausage on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil over the ingredients and season with the spice mixture: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper, and orange zest. Roast this mixture in the oven for 25 minutes, tossing the ingredients halfway through.
- While the sausage, broccoli and chickpeas roast in the oven, prepare the dressing: combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, orange juice, honey and dijon in a mason jar. Season with salt and pepper before sealing the jar and shaking vigorously to combine.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and toss with half of the dressing, sliced almonds and dried cranberries.
- Divide over mixed greens or wild rice to serve, use remaining dressing over each portion.
Please note: This post was created in partnership with al fresco Chicken Sausage. All opinions, images and content are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support this site.
