Sausage and Rice Casserole
Quick and easy Italian Sausage and Rice Casserole. Cooks in just ONE POT! Smoky chicken sausage, juicy bell peppers, and brown rice in a zesty tomato sauce.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 12 ounces cooked Italian chicken sausage links not breakfast sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices*
- 1 red bell pepper cored and 1/2-inch diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 orange or yellow bell pepper cored and 1/2-inch diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 small or 1/2 large yellow onion 1/4-inch diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup instant brown rice*
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes in their juices
- Chopped fresh parsley optional for serving
Instructions
- 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 4), about 1 3/4 cupsCalories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 20gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 1215mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4g
