Easy Italian Sausage and Rice Skillet

$5.00 Recipe • $2.00 Serving
ByKatie

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This easy Italian Sausage and Rice Skillet is sure to be your new go-to weeknight meal. Italian sausage links with fresh or frozen produce and a few pantry essentials make this one-pot meal a family favorite.

A wooden serving spoon full of sausage and rice, bell peppers, cheese and parsley ready for serving. A skillet of sausage and rice in the background with a white marble backsplash and a white and blue striped napkin.
a bowl of white rice as a pantry essential ingredient for budget meals

Getting Kids to Eat New Foods

As a mom of six I’m all about meals that can stretch a dollar, feed many mouthes, and be ready in 30 minutes or less. One trick I’ve learned in making meals for my kids is to include at least one primary ingredient that they know, like, and trust. For this meal, that’s the rice.

Build a pantry you can shop from

Italian Sausage and Rice Skillet

Rice is a pantry essential for any household. If you’re looking for a good filler for tummies and a way to stretch the rest of your meal, serve it over rice, with rice as a side, or cooked in rice. This recipe, along with many others you find on the internet, can use any kind of rice. Simply adjust the cooking time based on your rice’s instructions.

We used to be big instant rice fans. However, we’ve really switched over to Jasmine white rice for the sweet aroma, subtle taste, and ability to add it into nearly any dish. Now we can cook it right in our soups, skillets, etc. with stock or wine instead of boring water.

Ingredients Needed

White marble table holding ingredients for Italian Sausage and Rice Skillet in clear glass bowls

Exact measurements can be found in the printable recipe card below.

  • Olive Oil: Great for high smoke-points and easier to buy in bulk and store at room temperature compared to butter.
  • Italian Sausage: I used 8″ links from the freezer. You can substitute Kielbasa, ground sausage, or sausage links. Italian is the flavor we’re going for but you can use whatever you have on hand. Just be sure to chop or break the pieces apart for protein in each bite.
  • Onion: You can use 1 cup of frozen pre-chopped onions as well. If you don’t have either, use 1 Tablespoon of Onion Powder.
  • Large Green Pepper: You can again use 1 cup of frozen pre-chopped Bell Peppers.
  • Sliced Mushrooms: while I used portobello, you could use whatever kind you have on hand. Frozen or canned of a similar measurement will work. Drain the can first of liquid if using canned.
  • Minced Garlic: fresh is best from the pantry. However, you can substitute for 1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder instead.
  • Uncooked Rice: I used Jasmine white rice, but any you have on hand is great as a filler. You can use leftover rice as well. Just reduce the stock by 1 cup and heat through.
  • Canned Tomatoes: Any canned tomatoes you have should be fine. If you don’t have any, increase the amount of sauce by 1 cup.
  • Pasta Sauce: I used Traditional so I could control the flavors. If you have meat sauce just use as directed. If you have flavored sauce, I would cut back by 1/4 cup and taste as you add to make sure it’s flavorful. If you don’t have pasta sauce, use 1/2 cup of tomato paste and mix in at step 2.

How to make this Sausage and Rice Skillet with step by step images

Diced 8" Italian sausages browning in a skillet with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil.
Step 1 dice and brown sausage
Diced 8" Italian sausages browning in a skillet with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil.
Remove sausage from skillet
Sausage removed from the skillet and replaced with diced green bell pepper, diced yellow onion, and sliced portobello mushrooms.
Step 2 saute peppers, onions, and mushrooms
A skillet with sauteed bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, and four lines of spices prior to mixing.
Step 3 add seasonings
Bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms mixed and sauteed with spices in a skillet topped with fresh minced garlic.
Step 4 add garlic
Uncooked white rice covers bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms in a skillet.
Step 5 add uncooked rice
Dry rice is mixed in with bell pepper, onions, and mushrooms to soak up any liquid prior to adding stock to the skillet.
Stir together to soak up any liquid
Chicken or Vegetable stock and diced sausage is added to the skillet with the rice and vegetables to cook.
Step 6 add stock and sausage to skillet
Thyme and a bay leaf sit atop the skillet mixture prior to covering and simmering.
Top with thyme and bay leaf.
Cooked rice, sausage, and vegetables in a skillet on the stovetop with a silicone and wood spatula.
Step 7 Cover and cook for approximately 20 minutes
Diced tomatoes and spaghetti sauce are added and mixed to the skillet of rice, sausage, and vegetables.
Step 8 add diced tomatoes and pasta sauce

How to store leftover Sausage and Rice

If, and that’s a big if, there are any leftovers of this delicious dish simply store in a Tupperware container in the fridge for up to a week. This also makes for the perfect make-ahead meal. Cook the meal as directed and place into a freezer-safe casserole dish (the aluminum ones from the grocery store are fine), allow to cool completely, cover airtight with the provided cover or tin foil and freeze for up to 1 month.

One Skillet Sausage and Rice

Italian Sausage and Rice in a stovetop skillet on a white background
One skillet makes for a quick and easy Italian inspired dish. Fresh Parmesan and parsley bring the hearty sausage and rice to life in a 30 minute meal even the kids enjoy!
Katie Chase
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 8 inch Italian sausages
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 large green pepper diced
  • 8 ounce baby portobello mushrooms pre-sliced
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 large sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 bayleaf
  • 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomato
  • 1 cup pasta sauce

Optional Toppings

  • shaved Parmesan cheese
  • fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Heat three tablespoons oil over medium heat in a large 12″ skillet. Add sausage and sear both sides. About a minute or two on each side. Remove from skillet.
  • Add peppers, onions, and mushrooms to hot skillet for 5 minutes. Add spices and stir.
  • Add garlic and rice to the skillet. Stir until rice is coated and has absorbed the oil.
  • Add chicken stock and sausage to skillet and stir. Place bay leaf and time ontop Cover with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil then reduce to a summer for 20 minutes or until rice is cooked.
  • Remove lid. Stir in diced tomatoes and enough sauce to your desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Optional: Serve with parsley and or parm cheese.

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