Ground sausage and rice skillet combines crumbled sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and long-grain white rice in a tomato and broth base. Worcestershire sauce adds seasoning, and a layer of Cheddar melts over the finished grains. The canned tomatoes stay undrained, so their liquid is part of the cooking mixture.
Allow roughly 50 minutes for four servings, including browning, softening the vegetables, heating the liquid, simmering, and melting the cheese. Rice and skillet behavior can extend that estimate. Use ordinary long-grain white rice measured dry; instant or brown rice does not follow the same method unchanged.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The skillet cooks the grains in the seasoned tomato-broth mixture rather than adding previously cooked rice. A close-fitting lid keeps steam inside while low heat lets the rice finish without scorching underneath.
Crumbled ground sausage distributes through the grains. The Cheddar is added only after the rice is tender, which keeps a melted cheese lid from hiding the texture check. Worcestershire and sausage vary in saltiness, so the final taste matters.
Ingredients for Ground Sausage and Rice Skillet
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5-ounce can, with juices
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh parsley, optional, chopped for garnish
- hot water, as needed for vegetables or firm rice
Choose raw bulk sausage and check whether it contains pork, beef, or poultry. Those types have different safe cooking temperatures. Dice the onion and pepper into similar small pieces and keep the full undrained 14.5-ounce can of tomatoes.
Measure one cup of dry long-grain white rice and two cups of broth. The tomato liquid is additional, as stated in the ingredient list. Shred the cup of Cheddar before cooking; parsley remains an optional garnish. Leave a thin film of rendered fat for the vegetables; if the pan is dry, a little hot water helps them soften.
How to Make Ground Sausage and Rice Skillet
Use a deep nonstick skillet with a lid so there is space for the rice and its cooking liquid later. Break up the sausage over medium heat until browned, starting checks around 5–7 minutes. Confirm 160°F for pork or beef sausage, or 165°F for poultry, then drain excess fat while leaving a thin coating for the vegetables.
Stir the diced onion and bell pepper in the pan for 3–4 minutes, aiming for softened pieces rather than browned edges. Lean sausage may leave very little fat; if the skillet is dry, use a splash of the listed hot water to help the vegetables soften. Add garlic only for their last minute so its small pieces stay fragrant rather than scorched.
Stir in the tomatoes with all their juices, the broth, dry long-grain white rice, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and cover for an 18–20-minute gentle simmer. Trapped steam helps the grains cook evenly. If they remain firm after the liquid has been absorbed, add hot water as needed and continue covered until tender.
Once the rice is tender, scatter the cup of Cheddar across the surface and put the lid back on over low heat for 2–3 minutes. It should melt into a topping without needing a hard boil underneath. Take the skillet off the burner, divide the sausage and rice evenly into four portions, and add parsley if desired.
How to Serve
Serve ground sausage and rice skillet directly from the pan while the Cheddar is soft. A salad provides a crisp side, while bread is optional because the rice already makes this a substantial dish.
Use a broad spoon to reach the sausage and rice beneath the cheese, so the first portion does not take the entire topping. The undrained tomatoes make this moister than a plain broth-only rice skillet.
For a side or another meal idea, try Sausage Rice Skillet with Bell Peppers, Onion, and Garlic or Black Beans and Rice with Sausage.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate the skillet promptly in shallow containers at 40°F or below and use within 3–4 days. Divide the rice instead of letting a deep skillet sit out until cold.
Reheat portions to 165°F, stirring with a little water if the grains have tightened. Freeze portions if needed, but the rice softens and the melted cheese can change texture. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat thoroughly rather than slowly warming it on the counter.
See FoodSafety.gov temperature guidance for the handling advice used here.
Tips and Variations
Keep the simmer gentle and the lid close-fitting. Check the rice before melting cheese; a cheesy surface does not prove the grains underneath are cooked.
Brown rice needs a different time and liquid plan, and instant rice behaves differently as well. If swapping sausage types, adjust the temperature check. Optional cooked beans, peas, or other vegetables change the skillet volume, so use a pan with room for the additional ingredients and check the rice for tenderness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use cooked rice for ground sausage and rice skillet?
This method starts with dry rice that absorbs the broth and tomato liquid. Cooked rice would leave too much liquid at these quantities and needs a different assembly method.
Can I use turkey sausage for ground sausage and rice skillet?
Yes, as a variation. Raw poultry sausage needs 165°F; raw pork or beef sausage needs 160°F. Also check how much fat the product releases before cooking the vegetables.
Should I drain the tomatoes?
No. The listed 14.5-ounce can goes in undrained. Its liquid contributes to the tomato-broth mixture in which the dry rice cooks.
What if the rice is hard?
Keep cooking covered on low. If the skillet has become dry, add small splashes of hot water rather than scorching the bottom. Grain type, lid fit, and heat level affect the finish.
Can I use brown rice?
It is not a direct swap for the ordinary white rice schedule. Choose a method designed for brown rice or adjust liquid and cooking time independently before relying on the same cheese-finishing stage.
More Recipes to Try
For another dinner using related ingredients, consider Chicken and Brown Rice with Broccoli and Cheese in One Pot or Classic Homemade Caesar Salad.
Ground Sausage and Rice Skillet with Tomatoes and Cheese
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5-ounce can, with juices
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese shredded
- Salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley optional, chopped for garnish
Preparation adjustment
- hot water as needed for vegetables or firm rice
Instructions
Instructions
- Cook the sausage in a deep nonstick skillet over medium heat for about 5–7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Check 160°F for pork or beef sausage, or 165°F for poultry sausage; drain excess fat, leaving a thin film in the pan.
- Cook the onion and bell pepper over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until softened, adding a little hot water if the pan is dry. Stir in the garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the undrained tomatoes, broth, dry rice, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 18–20 minutes until the rice is tender, adding hot water as needed if dry and still firm.
- Scatter the Cheddar over the rice, cover over low heat for 2–3 minutes until melted, then remove from the heat. Divide into 4 portions and add optional parsley.
Notes
- Refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F) at 40°F or below; use within 3–4 days.
- Reheat portions to 165°F throughout.
