Some of the best dinners are this simple. Like this mushroom, sausage and spinach one pot dish. It’s my favorite of all my sausage and spinach recipes, because it’s ready in 20 minutes with just 5 ingredients.
Just brown some crumbled sausage, add mushrooms and thyme, and finish with butter and fresh spinach.
It’s literally the work of minutes and will satisfy and sustain you in a way you’ll never get from takeout.
If you’re like my friend Heather and feel squeamish about touching sausages, you can use ground meat instead. Be prepared to be generous with the salt though.
Why You’ll Love This Sausage and Spinach Recipe
- One pan – everything cooks in one large skillet, so there’s hardly any washing up.
- 5 ingredients – butter, sausages, mushrooms, thyme and baby spinach. That’s it.
- High protein, low carb – the sausage and mushrooms make it satisfying without needing pasta or bread (although they’re delicious with it too!).
- Super flexible – swap the greens, the protein or the herbs depending on what you have.
Ingredients
- Sausages – any good quality sausage works. I love Italian sausage or a pork and fennel sausage. Chicken sausages are great too.
- Mushrooms – big flat or portobello mushrooms have the most flavor. Button or cremini mushrooms work too.
- Butter – for richness. Or use olive oil.
- Fresh thyme – or a pinch of dried thyme or oregano.
- Baby spinach – fresh spinach wilts in seconds. Or serve it raw as a bed under the sausage.
How to Make Sausage and Spinach
Remove the sausage casings and crumble the meat into a hot pan with half the butter. Cook until browned. Add the mushrooms, thyme and the rest of the butter and cook until tender. Then either toss through the spinach until just wilted, or serve on a bed of raw baby spinach. Full recipe below.
One Pot Mushroom Sausage & Spinach
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 sausages about 1 lb / 450g
- 4 large flat (portobello) mushrooms sliced
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 bag baby spinach 5 oz / 150g
Instructions
-
Heat half the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Remove the sausage casings and crumble the sausage meat into the pan.
-
Cook, stirring and breaking up any large chunks, for a few minutes or until the sausage meat is starting to brown.
-
Add the remaining butter, mushrooms and thyme. Continue to cook, stirring every now and then, until the mushrooms are tender and browned and the sausage meat is cooked through.
-
Taste and season. Serve on a bed of the baby spinach, OR add the spinach to the pan and cook for another minute or two until just wilted.
Variations
sausage and spinach pasta – bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook 7 oz (200g) pasta. Fry a diced yellow onion and 2 garlic cloves with the sausage, add a pinch of red pepper flakes, then toss the drained pasta through with the spinach and a splash of the pasta water or chicken broth. Sprinkle with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.
creamy – stir through a few tablespoons of ricotta or cream cheese at the end. Or see my 3-ingredient creamed spinach.
gluten-free – make sure your sausages are gluten-free or replace with ground beef or pork (about 1 lb / 450g).
breakfast / higher protein – serve with a poached egg on top.
vegan – replace the butter with olive oil and replace the sausages with cooked lentils (about 1 lb / 450g). Be generous with the oil and splash in some sherry vinegar to add freshness. Add the lentils after the mushrooms are cooked and just heat through.
vegetarian – replace the sausages with lentils as per the vegan version and use the butter. Or just double the mushrooms and serve with cheese like ricotta, goat cheese, feta or poached eggs.
dairy-free – olive oil instead of the butter.
different greens – any washed salad leaves will work here. Or try wilted kale, collards or chard. Also lovely on top of a bed of steamed broccoli or broccolini.
more substantial – add chickpeas or white beans, or serve on hot buttered toast, mashed potatoes, couscous or steamed rice.
more substantial (low carb) – add some shaved Parmesan or crumbled feta and walnuts.
too dry – add in another tbsp or two of butter… don’t be shy :)
What to Serve with Sausage and Spinach
It’s a complete meal on its own, but it’s also lovely with crusty bread, mashed potatoes, a simple tomato salad or steamed green beans.
Is Sausage and Spinach Healthy?
Spinach is packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber, and mushrooms add even more. Sausages are a good source of protein, but they can be high in salt and fat. So choose good quality sausages with a high meat content, and enjoy them as part of a balanced diet with lots of vegetables, like this recipe.
What Meat Goes Well with Spinach?
Spinach pairs beautifully with sausage, chicken, bacon, lamb, beef and fish. Try my 3-Ingredient Creamy Chicken and Spinach or Creamy Pasta with Tuna & Spinach.
Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a pan with a little oil or butter until piping hot.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
butter – keeps in the fridge for months.
sausages – freeze.
mushrooms – keep in the fridge in a brown paper bag. Can be frozen raw or cooked.
thyme – will keep in the fridge for weeks or can be frozen really easily.
baby spinach – can be frozen but better to use for another meal.
More Sausage and Spinach Recipes
- The Magic Green Sausage Supper
- Mushroom, Sausage & Feta Hash
- Sausage with White Beans
- Cabbage and Sausage (3+ Ingredients)
- Sausages with Pea & Pesto Mash
- Broccoli Hummus with Spicy Sausage
- Mushrooms with Lentils
- Easy Spinach Pesto
In your corner,
Jules from Stonesoup xx
(Your favourite Australian Food Scientist)
See my bio
Hello from Canada, Jules. Your recipes are gorgeous. Because it is still
quite (brisk)and chilly, I am printing some of your recipes in anticipation of
more sunshine and warmer weather. Why you might ask? I am glad you did. You see Jules In warmer weather, I do not use my stove and oven. Especially the hot oven. We still enjoy roasted food…. I have a wonderful
barbeque/grill/outdoor cooker… whole turkeys; other fowl; legs and/or racks of lamb; venison; bison; goat; let us not forget myriads of beef and of course gorgeous seasonal vegetables… Of course, today I shall prepare and roast your LEMON & ZA’ATAR CHICKEN. It is a beautiful recipe; the WHIFF of roasting chicken will prompt my neighbours to knock on the door; or as my OZ friends say “Chook”. Cheers, Jules, I shall let you know the reaction to Lemon & Za’atar Chicken.
I exchanged the sausage with black beans, added some sriracha sauce, and what a nice, quick recipe-thanks
This was a real hit at my house last night. We all enjoyed the sausage/ mushrooms on the bed of baby spinich and added brown rice on top. My guys really enjoyed it. I thought I’d made enough for leftovers, but not so! The tiny bit left is just a “tease” for next time!