This Italian Sausage and Rice Casserole with peppers is a back-on-track, one-pan plan kind of meal. It’s healthy food you won’t be sad to eat, weeknight fast, and leaves you with only one dish to wash at the end.
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
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon 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
1. 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.)
2.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.
3. 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.