Sausage and Peppers With Rice
My favorite dinners are always ones that are made in a one pot format. They’re typically comforting, come together quickly, and include some type of tasty carb such as rice or pasta. This recipe is no exception — it requires less than 10 ingredients, comes together in about 30 minutes, and packs a ton of flavor from Italian sausage.
Can you make sausage and peppers with rice in advance? Yes, sausage and peppers with rice is a great dinner to make or prepare in advance. You can prepare ingredients in advance such as slicing the peppers and onions, making this meal only minutes to put together, or you can make the entire recipe up to 48 hours in advance and heat it gently when ready. I don’t recommend making sausage and peppers with rice more than 2 days in advance to keep the rice fresh.
Troubleshooting - why is my rice mealy? This problem signals that you’re overcooking the rice. You can either be adding too much liquid to the pot, causing the rice to soak up too much hydration and break down, or you could be simply cooking the rice for too long. Ending up with mealy rice could also be a combination of those two problems. To avoid this, start adding liquid conservatively (sticking strictly to a 2 to 1 ratio of liquid to rice), and only ever add extra liquid if the rice is still toothsome but dry after letting it simmer for the full cook time.
What to serve with sausage and peppers with rice? I recommend something light and fresh to accompany this recipe since sausage and peppers with rice is deliciously rich and savory. My favorite options for side dishes here are either a fresh garden salad or a side of roasted vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, or a combination of all three.
Why is cooking with italian sausage so great? I love cooking with italian sausage because the meat is so well seasoned that you often don’t need to add a ton of additional seasonings to the dish to make it flavorful. For example, when you utilize mild Italian sausage, as this recipe calls for, you’re using meat that is already typically seasoned with garlic, paprika, fennel, cayenne, salt, and pepper, and you’ll be able to taste that flavor all throughout the dish.
Can you substitute pasta for rice? Yes, you can substitute pasta for rice when making this sausage and peppers with rice dish. I recommend either a small pasta shape, such as orzo, to mimic the texture of rice or a pasta shape that has many nooks and crannies, such as fusilli, to catch the sauce that’s created in this dish.
Can you use frozen peppers and onions when making sausage and peppers with rice? Yes, using frozen, pre-sliced peppers and onions is a great way to make this meal even more weeknight friendly. My only recommendation here would be to reduce the amount of broth you add to the rice by about ¼ cup to account for the additional moisture frozen vegetables add to a recipe.
Can you substitute any other protein for sausage? Yes, this dish works with any kind of protein or meat substitute, consider the following options to swap for italian sausage:
Chicken thighs
Ground beef or turkey
Sliced sausage, such as kielbasa
Shrimp
Mushrooms
How to make Sausage and Peppers With Rice:
Sausage and Peppers With Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil to the pot.
- Add the ground Italian sausage to the pot and let the meat sear in the olive oil until browned, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the bell peppers, onions, and garlic cloves.
- Add the peppers and onions to the pot once the meat has sufficiently browned. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Sauté the vegetables with the sausage until the onions and peppers are slightly tender, about 5-7 minutes. Once the vegetables are done, add the garlic to the pot and sauté for just about 1 minute, until the garlic is tender but not browned.
- Add the rice and broth, season the dish again with salt and pepper and let the broth come to a gentle simmer.
- Once the broth is simmering, stir the rice and turn the heat down to low. Cover the dish and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, until the rice is fluffy and tender.
- Serve right away and enjoy!
