Easy Sausage Rice Casserole

Featuring/in collaboration with Dawn Powerwash Dish Spray

I’ll skip the lengthy intro to this recipe where food bloggers chronicle the time of year during which they enjoy the meal in question, or tell you about how they source the freshest of ingredients. Because let’s be real, no one reads that part anyway and most of it probably isn’t true (or relevant for that matter).

The truth about why I love this meal is very simple. It’s quick and easy to make (even if you don’t really like/aren’t good at cooking like me), requires no fancy ingredients/kitchen tools and is something my toddler will actually eat.

So, if that sounds like your kind of recipe, you are my kind of people.

I collaborated with Dawn Powerwash Spray for this recipe (the link will take you to Amazon, where you can purchase the bottle and the refill). I was super curious about how a dish soap in spray form would work (and whether it would actually work). I was pleasantly surprised to see that it did! It made it really convenient to clean as I cooked and not have to worry about tidying up once the food was ready. All I had to do was spray, wipe, and rinse. Voila, any residue came right off. If you do a lot of cooking, this product makes the process a whole lot easier.

Be sure to check out the video on Instagram to see the spray dish soap in action and get a peek of this casserole as I make it.

If you like sausage and rice, are looking for a sausage recipe, or an easy casserole, this one is for you.

Here’s What

• 2 tbsp olive oil (just for the skillet)
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced
• 2 bell peppers (I like to choose two different colours so it looks pretty and fancy), also diced
• 2-3 sausages (about 10 oz), whatever variety you like, removed from casing
• 1/2 cup of rice (2 servings, cooked according to package directions), can be whatever variety you have on hand
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes (or just split a huge 28 oz can approximately in half)
• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• salt & pepper to taste
• dried or fresh parsley to sprinkle on top (just for presentation)

Substitution Options

Practically all of the dishes I make can be changed up easily depending on what you have on hand. That’s my kind of cooking! You can literally substitute just about everything in this recipe and come up with your own variety of this easy casserole.

• 2 bell peppers: can use just about any other veggie! Fry up broccoli or cauliflower, add in some peas or corn, or you could even try to sauté leftover veggies from another meal to perk them up before incorporating them into this meal.
• 2-3 sausages: can be switched up to chicken breast (in bite sized pieces) or a ground meat of your choice. You could even make this meal vegetarian friendly by opting to use something like chickpeas.
• 1/2 rice: try another grain instead, such as quinoa or barley.
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning: you can try all different kinds of spices and seasonings depending on what you like. For example, if you like it spicy add something like a touch of cayenne to the dish.
• 1 cup chicken broth: you can use veggie broth if you have that on hand instead.

(I haven’t tried all of these substitution options, but I want to! And I also want to help you get creative and play around in the kitchen with whatever you like and have on hand.)

Here’s How

1. Prepare your rice first, we’ll make the rest while it’s cooking.
2. Add 1/2 cup of rice (or 2 servings) to a pot and cook according to package directions.
3. While the rice is cooking, choose a skillet that has a lid and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add the 2-3 links of sausage with the casing removed (about 10 oz) to the skillet and brown.
5. Once cooked, remove sausage from the skillet and move to a plate. We’ll be adding it back in later.
6. Clean/wipe your skillet (if you also have Dawn Powerwash Spray, it comes in handy here!).
7. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet again and add in your two cloves of minced garlic, two diced bell peppers, one diced onion, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste (just shake some in there, don’t overthink it).
8. Once the onion begins to soften, your rice should be done. Add it to the skillet with a pinch of red pepper flakes (if you like), as well as 1 cup of chicken broth and 15 oz (approximately is fine) of diced tomato. Stir it all together.
9. Bring the heat down to a simmer. Put the cover on the skillet and go make yourself a drink of your choice (this is where I get a glass of wine because it makes me a better cook). **you can skip this step if you’re in a rush, just leave the lid off entirely, I swear it makes it taste better but it’s not do or die.
10. Check back in about 10-15 minutes, if the liquid has largely evaporated and absorbed into the rice, you’re ready to continue. If not, leave the lid off and give it a few more minutes, it will thicken fast.
11. Add the sausage you set aside back into the skillet, stir to combine.
12. Serve and sprinkle on some fresh or dried parsley just to make it look extra yummy.

I share dishes I’m whipping up casually on Instagram all the time! If you’d like to see some videos, check out my FoodSTRUCK highlight.

That’s all there is to it! You can easily store this in a container in the fridge for a few days. I find it actually gets better with age (like me, ha). The flavours will absorb into the rice and the texture will become stickier, sometimes making it easier for little ones to eat (if they’re still figuring out those tricky utensils like my son and prefer their fingers).

Watch the video to see more:

Let me know how your sausage and rice casserole turns out! Should you make your own, or customize it with your own twist, be sure to share it with me on social media! Tag me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook @struckblog and I’ll be sure to reshare your cooking prowess!

Looking for more yummy ideas? Check out the FoodSTRUCK category for more easy recipes, such as my Polish potato pancakes, berry muffins, and home-grown kale chips.

Anna

Disclosure: This content has been sponsored by Procter & Gamble to review and share Dawn Powerwash Spray with the STRUCKBLOG audience.

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