Sausage and Tomato Rice Skillet
Life is hectic lately! My boys are growing, time is flying, and I blink my eyes and it’s already a new day. Wild. One pot recipes are perfect for busy days because seriously, the last thing I need to do is MORE DISHES. Absolutely not. This Sausage and Tomato Rice Skillet is a hearty one pot recipe that, though simple, totally blew our minds. The bay leaf adds so much flavor! The Italian sausage was juicy and nutty, the rice was perfectly cooked, while the sauce was creamy and savory. It was just awesome! Everything came together in about half an hour and there was plenty to go around. This recipe is great for summer too, when you just don’t want to sit in the kitchen forever!
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When did “skillet” dishes become popular among families?
Skillet dishes became a hit with families in the 1940’s and 50’s when cast iron skillets were the default cookware in nearly every U.S. home! People made everything in them – this is the era where one pot meals were invented! By the 60’s and through the 80’s, skillet dishes just kept on booming as women entered the workforce and families really relied on convenient ways to cook. Through the 90’s and 2000’s, nonstick pans were created and became pretty popular at this time. One pot meals still remained, now marketed as “easier” because pans were dishwasher safe and easy to clean.
No matter your cookware – skillet meals, one pot meals, anything that can be made in one vessel alone? That will never go out of style. Life is busy, and it couldn’t be more convenient!
Did you know?
Italian sausage gets its nutty flavor from the fennel; it’s the signature flavor of the sausage! Slightly sweet and almost licorice-y. This is thanks to the essential oil in the fennel seeds, which is also where that powerful aroma comes from. Pretty interesting, right?
This juicy meat has been around FOREVER too. Like literally, forever. The earliest Italian sausage was referred to as “lucanica” and was described in the 1st century BC as a minced and spiced meat that was stuffed into casings!
What ingredients do I need to make this?
For the sausage and tomato rice skillet:
Italian Sausage
Yellow Onion
Garlic
Tomato
Parmesan
Half and Half
Jasmine Rice
Beef Broth
Olive Oil
Bay Leaf
Salt
Black Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Red Pepper Flakes
For serving:
Parsley
Parmesan
What equipment do I need?
How do I make it?
To prep the ingredients:
To get started on this recipe, first we’ll need to prep all of our ingredients. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and shred the parmesan cheese.
Next, wash the parsley, mince it, then set all of the ingredients off to the side.
To make the sausage and tomato rice skillet:
In a large skillet, brown the Italian sausage over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. Once cooked and no longer pink, move to a plate covered with foil until ready to use, reserving the little bit of grease that’s in the pan.
Add the olive oil to the pan, then cook the onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking until garlic is fragrant.
Next, add the rice to the skillet, stirring often, and cooking for about a minute, until toasted.
Stir in the broth, diced tomatoes, the bay leaf, the rest of the seasonings, and the sausage and its juices.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for a while, stirring once halfway through, then remove from heat.
Let stand for several minutes, covered and undisturbed.
Pro Tip: Rice absorbs water through “carryover cooking.” This means that the rice continues to cook even after removed from heat, via steam! So cool. This also means that rice can overcook pretty easily!
Once the sausage and tomato rice skillet is done resting, remove the lid, remove the bay leaf, then stir in the half and half and the shredded parmesan.
To serve:
Top with freshly minced parsley.
Scoop into bowls and garnish with more parmesan cheese, if desired! Enjoy!
Tips:
- If you don’t have jasmine rice, feel free to use long-grain white rice or basmati! These have a similar structure and are slightly floral.
- No Italian sausage? That’s okay! Consider swapping with ground beef. Even ground chicken would be really good.
- This sausage and tomato rice skillet will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container. I would not recommend freezing this recipe!
- DO NOT – I repeat, do not skip the bay leaf. These humble, dried leaves deepen the flavor of the skillet so much. Seriously, don’t sleep on these!
Looking for some more hearty rice dishes?
Short on time? Make more one pot recipes!
Sausage and Tomato Rice Skillet
Ingredients
For the sausage and tomato rice skillet:
- 1 lb. Ground Italian Sausage
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 1 cup Jasmine Rice uncooked
- 1 – 14.5 oz Can Diced Tomato
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Italian Seasoning
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly shredded
- ½ cup Half and Half
For serving:
- Parsley minced
- Parmesan freshly shredded
Instructions
To make the sausage and tomato rice skillet:
- In a large skillet, brown the Italian sausage over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks and cooking until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes.
- Move to a plate covered with foil until ready to use, reserving the little bit of grease that's in the pan.
- Add the olive oil to the pan, then cook the onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Next, add the rice to the skillet and toast for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Stir in the broth, diced tomatoes, the bay leaf, the rest of the seasonings, and the sausage and its juices.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce the heat to medium low.
- Cook for 13-15 minutes, stirring once about halfway through, then remove from heat.
- Let stand for 5 minutes, covered and undisturbed.
- Once the sausage and tomato rice skillet is done resting, remove the lid, remove the bay leaf, then stir in the half and half and the shredded parmesan.
To serve:
- Top with freshly minced parsley, spoon into bowls, then garnish with more shredded parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
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