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I follow the kids through the doorway after school, reminding them to hang up backpacks and empty lunch boxes. There’s a flurry of winter coats and giggles and hand-washing and “Wednesday Folders” full of flyers and spelling tests. But there isn’t any dinner in sight.
It’s nearly 5:00 PM; only two short hours ’til bedtime. Only two short hours to get a family meal on the table and connect with these kids before they get tucked in tight.
I open and scan the freezer for something easy... frozen veggies; lots and lots of frozen veggies.
Then, I check the fridge… leftover white rice from Chinese takeout, way too many half-empty salad dressings and sauces, and… bingo: Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage!
A Simple Sausage & Rice Skillet Meal for the Win!
As a busy mom, I always try to have some smoked sausage (or kielbasa) in the fridge since it’s so fast to cook and pairs with pretty much any grain and vegetable — perfect for throwing together a one-pot skillet meal. Below, I’ll share how I turn smoked rope sausage, some random frozen vegetables, and white rice left over from Chinese takeout into a delicious smoked sausage and rice skillet meal.
Simple Smoked Sausage and Rice Skillet Ingredients — Anything Goes!
There are endless options for this awesome sausage and rice skillet meal. Truly anything goes! Just choose your favorite flavor of smoked sausage and use up the vegetables you have on hand.
Like I said, I usually stock up on smoked sausage when I go grocery shopping and keep a variety in the fridge for busy weeknight meals. My preferred brand is Hillshire Farm which offers a variety of meats and flavors including Beef Rope Sausage, Beef Polska Kielbasa Sausage, Smoked Turkey Rope Sausage, or Meat Polska Sausage. Any of these will work for this simple smoked sausage and rice skillet recipe.
No matter the variety you choose, the smoky sausage will add lots of savory flavor to the fluffy rice in this simple sausage skillet meal. I had some leftover rice in the fridge to use, but you could use any cooked rice you would like easy boil-in-a-bag long grain brown rice. You could even try low carb cauliflower rice or another grain, like quinoa.
And, smoked sausage goes with any frozen vegetables you have in the freezer, too. I had some frozen peas and broccoli that needed to be used up. But you could use a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables, frozen carrots, or and/or frozen corn instead.
I also added a chopped yellow onion to my sausage, rice, and vegetables. You could also add crushed or minced cloves garlic. And, I used soy sauce since it’s what I had in the fridge, but you could use a teriyaki sauce instead. Aside from that, you’ll just need a few pantry staples: olive oil (or cooking spray), salt, and pepper.
Anything Goes! Easy Smoked Sausage and Rice Skillet Recipe Instructions
There really isn’t much of a recipe for this sausage and rice skillet meal. It’s almost too easy and flexible for measurements and instructions. The only prep time is to chop some onions and slice up the sausage. Using frozen veggies means no need to cut vegetables!
And, the best part of this smoked sausage and rice dish: it can be made in just one pan: a large skillet! A well-seasoned cast iron skillet would work perfectly, but I don’t have a cast iron pan, so I used a large frying pan.
You just start off this one pan meal by sautéing some chopped onion (if you have one) in a little olive oil. Then, brown up your sausage slices over medium-high heat to bring out the delicious smoked flavor.
Next, add in whatever frozen vegetables you’re using and a few splashes of soy sauce. Let that steam with the lid on for a bit. The liquid from the frozen vegetables defrosting should mix with the soy sauce to create enough moisture, but you can add a bit of water or even some chicken broth, if needed.
After your vegetables are steamed, stir in your cooked rice and some salt and pepper to taste. Then, let it all warm through for a couple more minutes and that’s it. You’re one pot skillet sausage and rice is done. Total time: 15-20 minutes!
This recipe is so versatile, you can have a different sausage rice skillet meal every night of the week. Just have fun with it trying different combinations of frozen veggies, sauces, and sausage. Use what you have on hand. Or, stock up on different varieties of smoked sausage, different flavors of rice, or different sauces to try. Just remember to come back here and leave us a comment letting us know your favorite combinations!
Full Anything Goes! Sausage and Rice Skillet Meal Recipe:
Anything Goes! Smoked Sausage and Rice Skillet Recipe
Equipment
- cast iron skillet or frying pan with lid
Ingredients
- no-stick cooking spray
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1 (12 ounce) package smoked sausage (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 cup frozen peas (or other frozen vegetables)
- 2 cups frozen broccoli florets (or other frozen vegetables)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 cup white rice (prepared, or another type of rice)
- salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Spray pan with no-stick cooking spray. Add 1 onion (chopped) and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until onions are soft.
- Add 1 (12 ounce) package smoked sausage (cut into 1-inch pieces) to skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned.
- Add 1 cup frozen peas, 2 cups frozen broccoli florets, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce to skillet and stir to combine. Turn heat down to low-medium, cover with lid, and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes or until warmed through.
- Add 1 cup white rice (prepared) and stir to combine. Continue cooking over low-medium heat until heated through.
- Before serving, add salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Sausage & Rice Skillet Meal Ingredients and Tools on Amazon:
Did you know you can get many ingredients right on Amazon? Plus, lots of great kitchen tools, too. Check ’em out…
Hillshire Farm Smoked SausageBEN’S ORIGINAL Ready Rice Basmati RiceKikkoman Smooth Aromatic Soy SauceSimple Chef Cast Iron Skillet 3-Piece SetWooden Spoons for Cooking – 5 Piece Non Stick Wooden Spoon SetAlselo Mini Oven MittsEatNeat 12-Piece Colorful Kitchen Knife and Cutting Board SetGenuine Fred Salt + Magic Wand Salt and Pepper Shakers
And, find all of our favorite cooking and baking tools in B-Inspired Mama’s Amazon Shop: Fun Finds for Kids in the Kitchen
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tanya says
This looks really good!I love making skillets with rice and some kind of meat. They are so filling and feed a lot of people 🙂 I have never tried making it will this kind of sausage in it though. I will have to next time.
Krissy @ B-Inspired Mama says
It was delish! I’m so glad I discovered an easy meal. Let me know what veggies you try in it if you do.