This Sausage and Rice Recipe is easy to make in just one pot with juicy bell peppers and creamy, cheesy rice. It also makes a great freezer meal!
Sausage and Rice
I have a weakness for creamy, cheesy rice, and nothing beats the flavors in this sausage. I happened to use chicken Sausage with Roasted Peppers and Asiago, but you can use any kind that you want, even ground sausage will work!
I love making casserole-style recipes like this, especially because it makes great freezer food for a quick lunch during the week.
Let’s get into everything you need to know so that you can get this one the table ASAP. Your family will love it.
Ingredients
The bottom of this post also contains recipe card with ingredients and full instructions.
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, separated
- 11 oz. Sausage, see notes
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- ½ cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 ½ cups Chicken Broth
- 1 ¼ cups White Long Grain Rice, uncooked
- 1 small Red Bell Pepper, sliced
- 1 small Green Bell Pepper, sliced
- 10.75 oz. Cream of Chicken Soup- try my homemade version!
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- ¾ cup Milk
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded- I use Heluva Good! Sharp Cheddar. It melts really well.
- 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes, optional
*Consider using unsalted butter and reduced sodium chicken broth/condensed soup if preferred.
How to Make It
Sear sausage in olive oil over medium heat to add color and texture. Remove and set aside. Add butter and onions to the pan, saute until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add chicken broth and rice. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover tightly and cook for 10 minutes.
Add bell peppers and replace cover, refrain from stirring. Cook for 5-10 more minutes. (Refer to package for total cooking time.) Remove from heat and let sit with the cover on for 10 minutes to allow any rice on the bottom of the pot to release.
Return to low heat and add sour cream, milk, cream of chicken soup, and shredded cheddar. Stir to combine.
Add sausage and heat until warmed through. Serve!
PRO Tips for This Recipe
How to Prevent Rice from Sticking to the Pot:
- Place the rice in a strainer and rinse in cool water for 1 minute to remove excess starch, which will help to keep it from sticking.
- Adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the chicken broth prior to adding the rice.
- Don’t mix the rice while it cooks as this releases starch and makes it stickier.
- Make sure the lid is on tightly to prevent steam from escaping.
- Let the rice sit for 10 minutes after steaming to allow any rice on the bottom to release.
Ingredient Variations
- Chicken, Ham, Ground Beef, or Steak all make excellent meat choices in this casserole.
- Different types of rice may be used. Refer to package for liquid measurements and cooking times as this will vary. *Note: I don’t recommend minute rice as it is much sticker, less creamy, and less nutritious.
- Other vegetable options in include broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, froze corn, peas, carrots, and more.
- Condensed cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli, cheddar cheese soup, or broccoli cheese soup can also be used.
Be sure to check out my make-ahead rice casseroles with chicken and broccoli, ground beef and mushrooms, ham and broccoli, or chicken cordon bleu casserole!
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This recipe does freeze and reheat very well for quick & easy lunches.
Try These Next
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- One Pot Broccoli Mac & Cheese
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- Meatballs and Gravy
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- Baked Spaghetti
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- Chicken Alfredo Bake
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- Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken
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- Chicken Caesar Pasta
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Sausage and Rice - One Pot!
This Cheesy Sausage and Rice Recipe is easy to make in One Pot and is served casserole style! Use Italian, Chicken, or Ground sausage and add in some bell peppers for color and crunch!
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil, separated
- 11 oz. sausage, see notes
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 ¼ cups white long grain rice, uncooked
- 1 small red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small green bell pepper, sliced
- 10.75 oz. cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Note: This recipe is designed to allow you to prepare all of the casserole ingredients in one pot. Before you begin, refer to your rice package for the amount of liquid (we'll use chicken broth) and cooking time. If preferred, cook the rice separately and skip the broth ingredient. You'll need 2 cups of cooked rice to combine with the other casserole ingredients. I use white long grain rice and the cooking times below work perfectly.
Prep Work
- Place the rice in a strainer and run it under cool water for 1 minute. This rids it of excess starch which will help to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot when cooked.
- Shred the cheese and set aside, it will melt better if it’s not cold when added. Avoid packaged shredded cheese as it contains cellulose which prevents it from melting well.
- Measure out remaining ingredients prior to cooking.
Cooking Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Slice the sausage and sear it on each side for color and texture. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Melt 2 Tablespoons butter and add the diced onions. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to the pan along with the chicken broth. Run a silicone spatula along the bottom of the pot to lift the brown remanence from the sausage, which will give the dish more flavor.
- Add the rice. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Cover tightly and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the bell peppers and close the lid, don’t stir. It will release starch and make the rice stickier. Cook 5-10 more minutes. (Refer to package for total cooking time.)
- Turn off the heat and leave it covered. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Any rice left on the bottom will release during this time.
- Return to low heat. Add the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, and cheese. Stir to combine.
- Add the sausage, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and serve!
Video
Notes
Consider using unsalted butter and reduced sodium chicken broth/condensed soup if preferred.
I sliced pre-cooked chicken sausage but you can use any kind of sausage that you want.
Condensed cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli, cheddar cheese soup, or broccoli cheese soup can also be used.
Other types of rice may be used, refer to package for liquid measurements and cooking times as this will vary.
Other meat options include chicken, steak, ground beef, and ham.
I sliced pre-cooked chicken sausage but you can use any kind of sausage that you want.
Condensed cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli, cheddar cheese soup, or broccoli cheese soup can also be used.
Other types of rice may be used, refer to package for liquid measurements and cooking times as this will vary.
Other meat options include chicken, steak, ground beef, and ham.
Nutrition
Calories: 521kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 39g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 84mg, Sodium: 1227mg, Potassium: 438mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1307IU, Vitamin C: 50mg, Calcium: 224mg, Iron: 2mg
This dish turned out pretty good. I did make a few adjustments though: I sautéed the onions and peppers with the garlic and added a little broth to the pan to soften them faster. Then I added the rice and sautéed that a little before adding the broth (and yes I mixed it). Then I added some salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the rice/peppers mix and let it cook for 15 min too on. The dish wasn’t as creamy as the picture but it came out perfect to me and the rice was a oft. I used chicken jalapeño sausage from wegmans. Will definitely make this again.
Oh my goodness this turned out amazing!! So creamy and the perfect balance of flavors! Definitely a keeper recipe. I missed the part of the recipe that said to remove the sausage, so I kept it in while the rice was cooking but it still turned out great.
Hi Savannah! I’m so happy you enjoyed the Sausage and Rice!😍 One pot meals are the best and this one is such a popular one in my house. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!