Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage, Chickpeas, & Zucchini

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This Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage, Chickpeas, and Zucchini is an easy dinner where everything cooks on one sheet pan.  It takes only a few minutes to prep and 35 minutes to cook, so it’s great for a busy weeknight family dinner.

I love cooking, but I hate doing dishes.  I don’t know about you, but in my house, there are always dishes piling up!  That’s one of the reasons I LOVE this Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner for easy cleanup!  It has hearty and satisfying chicken sausage, creamy and bright zucchini. and crispy nutty chickpeas.  Everything is infused with Mediterranean flavors from the garlic, oregano, and olive oil.  Serve over quinoa with a few dollops of seasoned Ricotta and you gotta one heck of a delicious dinner!

Loaded with Protein & Fiber!

Sometimes feeding kids leaves you wondering if they are getting enough protein, vitamins, nutrients, and fiber.  This healthy Sheet Pan Dinner has you covered, with over 18g of Fiber and 52.5g Protein!   The average sedentary woman needs 46g of Protein per day and about 25g of Fiber per day so this meal definitely keeps you on track to meet your daily needs!

The reason this recipe packs such a punch in both Protein and Fiber is because you are getting high quality inputs from different sources here.  While many foods give protein, not all are the complete proteins that you can get from meat, meaning they contain all 9 Essential Amino Acids.  Chicken, Chickpeas, and Quinoa ALL provide complete proteins, so this is especially important here.  Chickpeas and Quinoa are also great sources of Fiber.

Other Sheet Pan or One Pot Dinners packing a punch:

• Chickpea Coconut Curry with Veggies
• Taco Casserole with Ground Chicken, Black Beans, Tomatoes
• Teriyaki Peanut Chicken & Broccoli Noodles
• Quinoa & Kale Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Creamy Lemon Dressing

Quick note!  This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase from them.  This commission is what helps me keep this blog afloat :).  But, I also share these links because I have used the products, genuinely love them, and want you to know exactly what I used. 

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Nothing special for this one! Just a large sheet pan (I use a 17×11) and a small-medium pot with lid for the quinoa.

PREP-AHEAD TO MAKE YOUR MEDITERRANEAN SHEET PAN CHICKEN DINNER

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are the steps you prepare in the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge as your meal Kit… (See the recipe below for more details)

For this recipe, you can prepare all of the ingredients in advance and simply roast them in the oven the night you want to eat this!

1. Prep the Chickpeas
2. Slice the Zucchini
3. Slice the Sausage
4. Cook the Quinoa
5. Mix the Ricotta

Start by draining the chickpeas and rinsing them under cold water.  Store them in the fridge until ready to cook.

Slice the zucchini lengthwise in half and then cut ¼ inch slices.

You can make the Quinoa up to 4 days in advance and store it in the fridge as well!  Start by measuring out 1 cup of uncooked quinoa and rinsing it in a strainer with cool water in the sink.  Then put the rinsed quinoa in a small-medium size pot with fitted lid.  Add 2 cups of water and 2 teaspoon of Chicken Base or a Bouillon cube.

Bring the water to a soft boil and stir to make sure the base or bouillon is dissolved.  Turn the heat down to the lowest setting, cover with fitted lid and cook for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, turn the heat off, but keep it covered for another 5 minutes or so as it starts to cool down.  Then fluff with a fork and transfer to storage container to store in the fridge until ready to reheat and eat.

Italian Chicken Sausage

Next slice the Chicken Sausage and store it in the fridge as well. 

For this recipe, I used pre-cooked Italian Chicken Sausage.  There are several brands now at stores.  If you want to use Raw Italian Chicken Sausage, you will have a choice between links or bulk.  If you buy links, you will want to pre-cook it yourself and then slice it for the recipe.  Or you can squeeze it out of the casings into bite-size pieces and cook them on the sheet pan. 

I used Italian Chicken Sausage from Hungyroot!  It’s a subscription box service that sends you pre-prepped fresh and healthy food products every week.  The food products range from fresh produce that’s been peeled, chopped, diced.  To healthy proteins like cooked chicken and meat alternatives, such as Beyond Burger, and other vegetarian and vegan products. For a limited time, Hungyroot is running an amazing  promotion!  New customers get $50 off their first 2 orders ($25 off each order)!  Just click here to check it out!

Ok, the final prep-ahead step is to mix the Ricotta with garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.

COOK YOUR MEDITERRANEAN SHEET PAN CHICKEN SAUSAGE DINNER

Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees.  

Add the Chickpeas to a Large Sheet Pan. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Toss the chickpeas in the seasoning until dispersed evenly and then spread them out into a single layer on the pan. Roast the Chickpeas in the oven for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, push the chickpeas to the side of the pan and add the zucchini slices in the center and the sausage slices on the other side. Drizzle olive oil on the zucchini and sprinkle with salt, pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon Oregano. Flip the zucchini over and do the same to the other side. Bake in the oven for another 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, take the sheet pan out and add parmesan cheese on top of the zucchini. Place back in the oven for another 5 minutes either under the broiler or back on center rack to get golden brown.

While everything is roasting in the oven, warm up the Quinoa in the microwave for 1 minute. Or you can put it in a pot on the stove with a tbls of water. Cover and reheat on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn’t burn.

To serve, plate a large scoop of Quinoa and top with some sausage, zucchini, and chickpeas. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and add a dollop or two or three of the seasoned Ricotta. 

ENJOY! 😍 Carrie

RECIPE FAQS

Is this recipe gluten free?

All of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten free, but make sure to check all labels to ensure that the actual products that you purchase and use are in fact gluten-free.

Is this recipe part of the Mediterranean diet recipes?

While this recipe is Mediterranean-inspired, it does not fall under any particular diet.  If you have any special dietary needs, please consult with a medical professional.

Are there any other vegetables that would be good in this recipe?

If you either want to replace the zucchini or supplement it with more veggies, here are some recommendations.  Sliced red bell pepper needs 5 more minutes that the zucchini to cook.  Sliced red onion, halved brussels sprouts, small-dices of butternut squash, or halved mushrooms would also all be delicious in this recipe.  These would all need to be added to the sheet pan 15 minutes earlier vs. just 5 minutes (as indicated for the zucchini).

Can I make this with chicken breast or thighs?

Yes, though the cooking time will change.  You can make this using boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-2 inch cubes.  Add the chicken to the pan at the same time as the chickpeas and season both the chicken and the chickpeas the same way as the instructions for the chickpeas.  You will need to double the amounts of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano for this step.  Roast both the chicken and the chickpeas for 15 minutes, then push them both over to make room for the zucchini and continue on to Step 4 in the cooking instructions.

Can I swap in rice for the quinoa?

Of course you can use rice instead of quinoa.  You may use white or brown rice, whatever you prefer.  However, please note that you will not get the same levels of fiber and protein as with quinoa.  Just follow the cooking instructions on the package for whatever product you decide to go with.

Can I use Feta cheese instead of ricotta?

You can certainly use feta and it would be delicious in this!  Simply eliminate Step 5 under Prep-Ahead steps, as the Feta is salty and flavorful enough and doesn’t need any additional seasoning.  You will need about 1 cup of crumbled feta to sprinkle all over.