Serves: 10-12 as a side dish

Ingredients:

16 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup finely chopped onions
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped baby bella mushrooms 
3½ cups (2-14.5 ounce cans) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups long-grain rice
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, crumble sausage into a large heavy non-stick skillet. Cook, breaking up sausage, with back of a wooden spoon, into small pieces.  Cook until sausage is brown. 
2. Remove sausage from pan with a slotted spoon. Drain all but 2 teaspoons fat.  Add vegetables to same skillet and sauté vegetables in pan drippings until tender. 
3. Return sausage to skillet.  Stir in broth, rice, oregano, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil. 
4. Meanwhile, spray a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with non-stick vegetable spray.  Add hot sausage/rice mixture.  Cover tightly and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 25 minutes or until rice is cooked and tender. 
5. Fluff with fork to allow steam to escape and keep grains separate.  Sprinkle with almonds and serve immediately.

 
 
© National Hot Dog & Sausage Council