This Pesto Rice and Sausage Skillet is easy to make family dinner is packed with flavor. A crowd-pleaser the whole family will love!
I've talked before about how when I was younger, I loved to cook elaborate meals.
It is hysterical for me to look back on.
As a busy Mom of three, I can't remember what it was like to have the time to go to three different stores to buy specialty ingredients for a single meal.
Plan ahead to order in something I don't keep on hand and can't buy locally? Hah. I am lucky if I know what we are having for dinner that night.
Although (obviously) I love to cook, my meals are simple these days. Most of the time, I'm looking for the quickest path to get a balanced meal on the table that the whole family will eat. (This is especially true Monday through Friday.)
Luckily, it isn't so hard to make simple meals that are also delicious.
One thing I just adore about this skillet dinner is how easy it is to change up. I've made it with broccoli and red pepper, and everyone loved it like that too. Sometimes I get crazy and use quinoa or brown rice. Feel free to play around with it based on what you have on hand!
Pesto Sausage & Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots shredded
- 12 oz beef sausage
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 ½ cups long grain white rice
- 3 cups broth
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup pesto about 3 ½ ounces
- ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet. Add onion and carrots and cook for 8 minutes. Add sausage nd cook until browned. Add garlic and rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add broth and salt bring to a rolling boil. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Stir in pesto and ½ cup cheese. Return lid and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir and sprinkle with more cheese to serve.
Nutrition
Shannon Graham
My husband loves sausage so this is right up his alley.
Linda Peterson
Tasty but way too much rice!
Joyce
Sounds delicious, but I’m not sure what you mean by beef sausage—smoked beef sausage (like Ekrich), summer sausage, or a ground beef sausage seasoned like pork sausage?
Wendy Polisi
You can really use whatever kind that you want, but I used one like Ekrich.
Starlene Arel
Hi Wendy, I love so many of your recipes. Thank you for all your hard work publishing them online! I was wondering if you've ever made this using cauliflower rice? Of I were to make that substitution, do you have any suggestions for how the recipe might need to be changed? Thank you in advance for any advice you may offer.
Wendy Polisi
Thanks so much for your kind words.
I have not tried it, but I would reduce the cooking time when you cover it by at least half.