Cheesy Smoked Sausage and Rice Skillet
This blog post is sponsored by Dollar General.
Looking for an easy and affordable dinner recipe your whole family will love? This Cheesy Smoked Sausage and Rice Skillet meal is a hearty, comforting meal that is perfect for busy weeknights.
The recipe is made with affordable ingredients, cooked all in one pan, and will be on the table in about 30 minutes!
This easy dinner recipe is made with smoked sausage, peppers, onions, broccoli, rice, chicken broth, seasonings, and shredded cheese.
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Ingredients
- Smoked sausage
- Onion, chopped
- Green bell pepper, chopped
- Salt, pepper, smoked paprika and onion powder
- Minced garlic
- Chicken broth
- Clover Valley white long grain rice, rinsed
- Frozen broccoli florets (or fresh if available)
- Clover Valley Colby Jack cheese
- Dried parlsey
Shop and Prep Ingredients
For this easy skillet recipe, start by shopping for any ingredients you need and getting those prepped.
This whole recipe was made with ingredients bought from Dollar General, and I only spent $15, along with a few pantry ingredients I already had on hand. Dollar General has everything you need for affordable meal solutions, and you can stretch your budget with DG.
Dollar General has over 20,000 stores across 48 states, making them conveniently located for quickly grabbing your ingredients. Apart from offering everyday essentials, DG carries fresh produce at over 6,700 locations and I was able to get my go-to national brand items, like Birds Eye frozen broccoli, and more affordable DG private brands like the Clover Valley cheese and rice!
Once you have everything needed to make the recipe, start by washing and chopping your veggies and smoked sausage.
First, chop an onion and one green bell pepper. Cut the smoked sausage into small pieces. I like to keep the smoked sausage in full moon shapes.
Go ahead and measure out your seasonings and the chicken broth.
Make Cheesy Smoked Sausage and Rice Skillet
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the smoked sausage, onions, and pepper. Let this cook for about 5-10 minutes.
You want the smoked sausage to start browning and the peppers and onions to be soft.
After the smoked sausage is browned and the onions and peppers are soft, add 1 tbsp of minced garlic.
Add the uncooked rice, chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover with a lid. Let this cook covered for about 10 minutes.
Next, add the bag of frozen broccoli, letting the broccoli and rice cook another 10 minutes, or to your liking.
Be sure to not leave the lid off for too long while adding the broccoli, or your rice will take longer to cook.
Once your rice is cooked, add a handful of shredded cheddar cheese and stir well.
Top with more cheese and cover with the lid to let the cheese melt or pop it in the oven under the broiler for just a few minutes.
You’ll love this recipe because not only is clean up super easy since everything is cooked in one pan, but it is also easily customizable, and the leftovers reheat really well.
Serve Cheesy Smoked Sausage and Rice Skillet
Once the cheese is nice and melted, it’s time to eat! Top the whole skillet with dried parsley and enjoy!
This recipe can be a complete meal on it’s own, or you could serve it with a salad or some extra veggies on the side!
Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
- I used a 14 oz package of smoked sausage, but any variety of smoked sausage or kielbasa will work in this recipe.
- I seasoned the dish with 1 tbsp of smoked paprika, but if you aren’t a fan of the smoky heat paprika gives the recipe, you can use less or really season this with any of your favorite seasonings.
- For more heat you could add red pepper flakes or even top your plate with hot sauce!
- Make sure to rinse your rice to avoid any extra starchiness.
- When cooking the rice, be sure to let the skillet really come to a boil before turning the heat down to medium low. This will ensure the rice cooks in about 20 minutes.
- I used shredded Colby Jack cheese, but you could use Cheddar cheese or any cheese you have in your refrigerator.
- I used a bag of frozen broccoli, but you could use 1-2 cups of fresh chopped broccoli.
Similar Recipes
- Cheesy Chicken Taco Rice
- Cheesy Taco Rice
- Cheesy Fiesta Taco Rice
- Marry Me Chicken and Rice
- Cheesy Broccoli Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 14 oz package smoked sausage
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika and onion powder
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 1/4 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup white long grain rice rinsed
- 10.8 oz package frozen broccoli florets
- 8 oz shredded Colby Jack cheese
- Dried parsley
Instructions
- Cut the smoked sausage into small pieces. Chop an onion and a green bell pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the smoked sausage, onions, and the chopped pepper to the skillet.
- Once the smoked sausage is browned and the onions and peppers are soft, add 1 tbsp of minced garlic.
- Add the uncooked rice, chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder. Bring the skillet to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover with a lid. Let this cook covered for about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Add the bag of frozen broccoli about half-way through, letting the rice cook.
- Add about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese and stir. Top with more cheese and cover with the lid to let the cheese melt or pop it in the oven under the broiler for just a few minutes. Top with dried parsley and enjoy!