Italian Sausage & Vegetable Rice Casserole
Italian Sausage and Vegetable Rice Casserole, a quick and easy dinner idea. Veggies, Italian Sausage and Parmesan Cheese makes this Casserole the perfect Main Dish.
There’s nothing better than a casserole, whether you are serving a Cheesy Broccoli Casserole side dish or a Tuna Noodle Casserole main dish. Both easy and delicious.
This delicious Rice Casserole, has become one of our favourite cold weather baked dishes. As soon as September hit, I decided heat or no heat I’m going for the casseroles!
I have to say the Italian is not a Rice lover, but the rest of us love it. In the back of my mind I’m thinking “will he like this Italian Sausage and Vegetable Rice Casserole or not”?
My husband is a man of a few words when it comes to food he likes, and If he reaches for a second helping, that is definitely a good sign.
If he likes something he will not comment. If he doesn’t, well then he will give his opinion (whether you want to hear it or not 😉 ) on how to improve it.
So needless to say he reached for a second and a third helping, “Buono”. And yes it was good. A simple and quick weeknight dinner recipe.
How to make a Rice Casserole
- Combine the bread crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle on the bottom of a medium sized Baking Dish and set aside.
- In a large saucepan melt the butter, add the chopped onion, Italian sausage pieces and mushrooms, cook approximately 5 minutes until golden, then add the peas, artichokes and tomato, stir to combine.
- Add the broth, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper or hot pepper flakes, cover slightly and cook on medium for approximately 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, but mixture will remain a thick soup like constituency.
- Meanwhile cook rice al dente and drain.
- Add the rice to the cooked vegetable mixture and combine, add the parmesan cheese and combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish and press down lightly.
- Top with dotted butter and parmesan cheese. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until golden. Serve immediately.
How to cook rice
I always thought that in order to make the best rice you need a rice cooker or you need to know the exact amount of water in order to make a fluffy rice.
Well I was wrong, I cook my rice exactly the same way I cook my pasta. In a big pot of boiling salted water. Cook until tender and just drain. Works every time. Simple and easy!
How to make a simple vegetable broth
If you have decided that you would rather make your own homemade vegetable broth rather than buying one then this is a simple and easy way to do it.
In a large pot add about 5-6 cups of water (or more if you wish) then add a couple of carrots, an onion, a stalk or two of celery, some peas if you like, a couple of your favourite spices, such as oregano, parsley, thyme and a bay leaf if you wish.
On medium heat bring to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for about an hour. Stir occasionally. Strain the broth into clean jars. Let cool before freezing.
Any leftover broth can be frozen for up to three months or stored in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.
How to store the rice casserole
Any leftover casserole should be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to three to four days.
A few more Rice Dishes you may enjoy.
- Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Rice
- Mediterranean Rice Salad Bowl
- Creamy Italian Zucchini Risotto
- Easy Leftover Rice Casserole
For those who like rice and maybe even for those who need a bit of convincing, I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think. Buon Appetito!
Italian Sausage and Vegetable Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice*
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ onion (chopped)
- 3 Italian sausages (casing removed and broken into pieces)
- ½ cup sliced mushrooms
- ¾ cup peas (frozen)
- 3 artichokes chopped (frozen or very well drained jarred in oil)
- 1 tomato ripe (chopped seeds removed)
- 1 cup vegetable broth**
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
- ¼-½ teaspoon salt (more or less to your liking)
- 1-2 dashes pepper or hot pepper flakes (if desired)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
*1 cup dry rice (185 grams).
**Use either homemade broth, or low sodium broth, if using regular broth then don't add any salt until cooked (see instructions) then taste and add if necessary.
TOPPING
- 1½ tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°.
- In a small bowl combine 3 tablespoons bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle the mixture on the bottom of a medium sized Baking Dish and set aside.
- In a large saucepan melt the butter, add the chopped onion, sausage pieces and mushrooms, cook for approximately 5 minutes until golden, then add the peas, artichokes and tomato, mix to combine.
- Stir in the broth, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper (hot pepper flakes), cover slightly and cook on medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but mixture will remain a thick soup like constituency.
- While the mixture is cooking, cook the rice until al dente. Then drain well.
- Add the rice to the cooked veggies and combine, (at this point taste for salt, add if necessary) add the parmesan cheese and combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish and press down lightly. Top with dotted butter and parmesan cheese. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Updated from September 4, 2017.
Made this tonight with a couple of changes. No artichokes, and I didn’t bake it, just made on the stove top. It was very good. Thank you.
Hi Gertrude, thanks so much, glad you liked it. Take care!
could this b made ahead and either frozen or refrigerated for one day?
Hi Laura, I think you could either freeze it or refrigerate it for a day, it’s all pretty much cooked so there should be no problem. Hope that helps. Take care.
What size is a medium sized baking dish ? If doubling recipe, would you double all all of he ingredients?
Hi Laura, if you are going to double it then you will probably need a 9×13 or maybe smaller. And yes if you double the recipe, you need to double all the ingredients. 🙂
Thank you for reponding. I am having 6 women for dinner. They are all elderly so maybe the amounts in the recipe will be enough. I will have a salad and probably garlic bread. Being Italian, I usually prepare more than needed . The picture showed a round casserole and I wasn’t sure what the capacity was of that baking dish. I can always do 1 1/2 times and use a 9×13 baking dish.
Hi Laura, you’re welcome, I think 1 1/2 times would be good for 6 women, although living with Italians I have learned it’s always better to have leftovers than not enough. So maybe 2x would be better, you can always refrigerate it and eat it after. Take care!
Hi RoseMary
Thank you for all your wonderful posts. I was wondering are you using a long grain rice or short? also do you think orzo wool work?
Thank you so much for your kindness in sharing.
Dianna
Hi Dianna, thanks so much, I usually use long grain. And yes you can substitute orzo, it’s a one for one substitute with the same ingredient measurements. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know how it goes. Have a great week.
Yummy. Family loves. Cooked at altitude (7k ft) as written, just needed more broth.
Thanks so much, glad everyone liked it. Take care.
Would like to try, but need to know what kind of Italian sausage do you mean. Fresh or dry? Thanks
Hi Marina, fresh Italian sausage. Let me know how it goes.
I didn’t have any peas or artichokes so I chopped up asparagus. Hubby loves the dish! Thanks for sharing an awesome meal.
Hi Diana, great idea and thanks, so glad your hubby enjoyed it! Have a great weekend.
Thank you for a great recipe. I didn’t have any mushrooms and used about half a jar of marinated artichoke hearts instead of frozen. I only had enough Parmesan to mix in so I sprinkled some shredded Colby on top. It was a huge hit with my family. Definitely will be making this again and again!
Hi Lora, thank you, so glad you and your family enjoyed it. I love how you substituted the cheese and the veggies. Have a great weekend.
I’ve already pinned it. Yes, my Hubby is never too shy to voice his opinion — whether I ask for it or not. What is there not to like with the ingredients?? They sound fantastic. A slice a bread, a small salad, and a glass of wine. A perfect meal!! Buona dominica.
Thanks so much Marisa, Have a great week.
What a fabulous side dish! I love all those flavors with the Italian sausage. I am looking forward to making this yummy dish!
Hi Teri, thanks so much I hope you enjoy it!