Sausage and Rice Casserole
January 24, 2022 • 0 comments
A one-dish meal that's quick, no fuss, and nutritious. Want to turn up the heat? In addition to using fire roasted tomatoes, you can substitute our Hot Italian sausage for the traditional Sweet Italian listed in the recipe. Add some extra veggies by stirring in greens at the end, until just wilted.
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- (2 Tbsp (divided)) Olive Oil
- (1 lb.) Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
- (1) Red Bell Pepper, Diced
- (1) Orange or Yellow Bell Pepper, Diced
- (1) Small Yellow Onion
- (1 tsp) Dried Basil
- (1/2 tsp) Kosher Salt
- (1/4 tsp) Black Pepper
- (1 Cup) Instant Brown Rice
- (2) Garlic Cloves
- (A Pinch) Red Pepper Flake, Optional
- (1 Cup) Chicken Broth
- (15 oz.) Canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- Fresh Parsley, Chopped
Directions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the sausage slices and cook for a few minutes on each side, until brown, about 5 to 8 minutes total. Remove to a plate, blot with paper towels to remove any excess oil, and set aside. (Tip: To finish this meal in 30 minutes, prep the peppers and onions while the sausage browns.)
- With a paper towel, carefully wipe the skillet until it is mostly clean. Heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil over medium high. Add the bell peppers, onion, basil, salt, and pepper and cook until the onion begins to soften and brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice, garlic, and red pepper flakes, stirring to coat the rice. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth and canned tomatoes in their juices, stirring well. Bring to a boil, stir again, then cover and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the reserved sausage slices until evenly distributed, then re-cover the skillet and remove from the heat. Let stand 5 minutes, until most of the remaining liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- If you prefer, you can use uncooked sausage cut into bite-sized pieces or removed from its casing and broken up. Be sure to cook the sausage pieces all the way through and be aware that it will extend the recipe’s cook time.
- *I have not tried this recipe with regular (not instant) rice or with white rice instead of brown. Because regular (non-instant) rice’s cooking time is much longer, if you want to experiment and use it instead of the instant, I would suggest sautéing the meat and vegetables in one skillet (you can drain the tomatoes first, then add them to the sausage and peppers at the end, heating until most of their liquid evaporates) and cooking the rice in its own pot. Then, combine the two at the end with a bit of extra chicken stock as needed if the mixture is too dry. Again, I haven’t tried the recipe this way, but that is my best suggestion.
- *If you use white instant rice (instead of brown) please note that the cooking times and liquid needs for the two do vary. I'd add a little less liquid, check the skillet early to make sure the rice does not overcook, and then add a little more liquid toward the end if it seems dry.
*Recipe credit to: Well Plated
