Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage

30 Minutes or Less Budget Friendly Top Picks What's for Dinner 1 Comment

I came across this dish after a  friend posted the Food Network link to it on Facebook .  I saw the ingredients (all pantry/freezer staples) and the time involved (sub 30 minutes) and immediately put it on my weekly menu.  I buy in bulk when on sale, so this entire recipe fed all of us for $5.

I followed the recipe exactly as written with the exception of cutting the cayenne in half in a misguided attempt to stop the “it’s too hot!” whining I get from the 7 year old.    As a side dish this was excellent – but I wanted a main course.  Next time I will decrease/adjust the vegetable oil (2T in the recipe as originally written was WAY too much), add more sausage and change out/add more vegetables – maybe red peppers for color .  Oh – and add that cayenne back.  Half the cayenne didn’t show any heat at all.   The flavor was quite good and you can’t beat 30 minutes from start to “in muh belly.”

The original link to the recipe is below – my changes are reflected in the detailed recipe.

Food Network: Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage

FoodWhirl Network:  Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long grain white rice
  • 5 cups chicken stock, divided
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1.5 – 2 pounds smoked pork sausage, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup additional vegetables – okra, mushrooms
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions Make the rice, in a medium saucepan combine the rice and 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until all the stock is absorbed into the rice, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage. Once browned, add the garlic and all vegetables. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup chicken stock and cayenne. Cook until the stock has reduced a little. Add the cooked rice and parsley and stir thoroughly. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serves 4 as main course, 6-8 as side dish.