Creamy Cajun Sausage Rice Skillet
You will love this easy one pot meal for those busy weeknights!
I am a huge fan of Cajun flavors, especially in comforting rice dishes. This Creamy Cajun Sausage Rice Skillet is filled with flavor, including sautéed bell peppers, onions and garlic—along with rice, spinach, mozzarella cheese and Cajun seasoning. It’s finished off with a creamy sauce made with cream and Parmesan cheese.
You will love this easy one pot meal for those busy weeknights! Everything cooks in one skillet, which means you will save time on dishes.
Adapt this recipe to suit your own tastes. You can adjust the seasoning, add in extra veggies or stir in some leftover cooked chicken. It is easy to double-up if you are feeding a larger group!
If you are lactose intolerant, you can substitute the cream and milk for lactose-free cow milk. Lactose-free milk is real milk, just without lactose, offering the same 13 essential nutrients, health benefits and taste. The cheeses in this dish are naturally low in lactose – Parmesan and mozzarella have less than 1 gram.
I personally think the leftovers are even better the next day.
For more simple, healthy weeknight dinner inspiration, Cheesy Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet, Three Cheese Beef Enchiladas and Lemon Chicken Orzo.
Creamy Cajun Sausage Rice Skillet
- 15 minutes
- 35 minutes
- 50 minutes
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 ounces Andouille sausage, or kielbasa sausage
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 of a small sweet onion, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
- 1/2 orange bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1-2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, adjust to how spicy you like your dish
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes (or use regular diced tomatoes)
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 3/4 cups vegetable (or chicken broth)
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 3/4 cup cream (or you can use lactose free milk)
- 1/4 cup 2 % milk (or you can use lactose free milk)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Green onions, chopped for garnish
- Extra cheese Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook until browned.
- Add in the garlic, onion, Cajun spice, salt and pepper and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add in the bell pepper and celery and continue to sauté for another 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.
- Add the fire roasted tomatoes, rice and broth and stir well. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Take lid off and stir in the spinach until wilted.
- Add in the cream, milk, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese and stir well, simmering for another 2-3 minutes or until the sauce becomes creamy. Make sure to stir continuously so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the skillet.
- Remove from the heat and garnish with green onion and cheese.
Notes
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- You can substitute the sausage for ground meat, like ground turkey or ground beef. You also could leave out the meat for a vegetarian version and add black beans or pinto beans instead.
- For the creamy sauce, you can use lactose-free cow’s milk in place of the milk and cream, and it will still work well.
