This sweet potato tray bake is simple and wholesome with vibrant vegetables and a boldly flavorful sesame ginger sauce. It’s a tasty back to school dinner that’s easy to prepare and quick to clean up. Naturally vegan and gluten free!

sweet potato and broccoli tray bake with sesame ginger sauce

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of O3 Superfoods. I’ve greatly enjoyed developing a full year of flax seed butter recipes and photos for this essential company. Thank you so much for the support!

Can you feel that crispness in the air? The fall equinox is only days away, kids are back at school and it’s time to get the cozy sweaters out. This is the time of year when it seems like our “to-do” list is getting longer while the days are getting shorter. If you’re swamped, juggling school and work duties, it’s handy to have a few recipes in your back pocket that tick all the boxes. For me, this includes:

Great for meal prep
Easy to clean up
Low fuss
Super flavorful
Healthy

All this awesomeness is in a vegetable tray bake. The beautiful thing about tray bake dinners is that it bakes all in one pan, just like the name says! You can save even more time by chopping up your veggies in advance or purchasing them precut. Then all that’s left to do is whisk together the 5 minutes sauce, toss it with the vegetables and let the oven do the work!

You might be wondering how an easy vegan sheet pan dinner can have mouthwatering flavor with minimal effort. The secret is the sauce.

Starting with a super flavorful sauce is what brings humble vegetables to life, and broccoli is a champ when it comes to soaking up the sauce. Roasted with creamy sweet potatoes and crisp bell pepper, the bold flavors practically sing.

The ingredients and their amounts of the Sesame Ginger Sauce are listed in the recipe card and step-by-step instructions below, but let’s take a closer look at each one.

Coconut aminos- Made from the sap of the coconut tree, coconut aminos are sweet and salty with a unique umami flavor.

Tamari- My favorite gluten-free alternative to soy sauce. It’s a bit less salty with a deeper flavor.

Pure sesame paste- which is different from tahini. It’s made from roasted, not raw, sesame seeds and has a powerful toasted sesame flavor.

Flax seed butter-This optional ingredient helps thicken the sauce while adding a hit of Omega-3. Read all about the health benefits of flax seed butter here.

Rice vinegar- adds a bright zing and balances the saltiness.

Maple syrup- for a touch of sweetness.

Sesame seeds- for texture and additional sesame flavor.

Ground ginger- gives the sauce a gingery kick.

Garlic powder- for well-rounded umami flavor.

Sriracha- to make it spicy but not too spicy.

Since all these ingredients are pantry friendly, I keep them on hand so I can make this recipe without going to the grocery store. While the broccoli / sweet potato combo is the bomb, you can use up leftover veggies that may be hanging around in your fridge. Just be sure to use the same quantiles so you have enough sauce and so they don’t overcrowd the tray.

Tips for becoming a tray bake pro:

Peel and cut your sweet potatoes into small ½” cubes. Small bite-sized pieces will cook faster than large chunks. This cuts way back on cooking time (Roasted potatoes can take up to an hour!) and helps all the vegetables cook at the same rate.
Toss until well coated. You want all sides of the vegetables to be coated in that flavorful sauce!
Don’t overcrowd the pan. Tumble the veggies onto the pan and use your mixing spoon to spread them out. This way they will roast instead of steam. I use a half sheet pan which is about 18x13”
Line your baking tray with parchment paper- for quick and easy clean-up.
Prep ahead of time. Cut your vegetables up to 3 days ahead or buy them precut. The sauce only takes 5 minutes to make but you can prepare it in advance too.

Here’s everything you need to make this recipe

Ingredients for the Sesame Ginger Sauce

¼ cup (2 oz.) of coconut aminos
1 tablespoon of tamari
1 tablespoon of pure sesame paste
1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds (plus more for sprinkling)
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of garlic powder (or granules)
¼ teaspoon of sriracha (more for spicy)

Ingredients for the vegetables

4 cups (600 g) orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (about 2 medium) peeled and diced into ½” cubes
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch of broccoli or broccolini, sliced

How to make this recipe / Serves 4

Step 2

Steps 3-4

Step 5

1. Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C / gas mark 7). Line a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Make the sauce- Whisk, in a small mixing bowl, all the ingredients for the Sesame Ginger Sauce. It will look separated and curdled to start with but will blend into a smooth sauce as you mix.

3. Prepare the vegetables- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into ½” cubes. (so they cook at the same rate as the broccoli and peppers) Thinly slice your pepper and cut the broccoli into manageable bite-size pieces.

4. Toss the vegetables- in a large mixing bowl with the sesame ginger sauce. See that all the veggies are well coated.

5. Spread the vegetables- on your baking tray with the yams settled at the bottom.

6. Bake- for 30 minutes. Check to see if the sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Slide the tray back into the oven for 5 more minutes if needed.

7. Serve- Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top and serve with your favorite rice.

Note: The Sesame Ginger Sauce makes a quick and flavorful marinade for tofu. It’s also fantastic drizzled over rice.

How to Store

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.

I hope you love this simple yet flavorful sweet potato tray bake. If you’re looking for more weeknight-friendly dinners, I got you covered with these

Quick and Flavorful Recipes:

Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce for the tastiest mac and cheese.
Savory Chickpea Nettle Pancakes when savory breakfast for dinner hits the spot.
Smokey Tempeh Tacos because every day is Taco Tuesday! Top with Sweet Lime Slaw for extra crunch.
Cauliflower Alfredo has all the flavor without heavy cream or butter. Sprinkle with Easy Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe.
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing for a scrumptious meal-in-one salad everyone will love.

Sweet Potato and Broccoli Tray Bake with Sesame Ginger Sauce