Italian Sausage & Pepper Rice

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If you're looking for gourmet fare, this isn't it, but if you're looking for a one-pot meal that is easy and soon to be a family favorite, you need look no further.

It helped, I think, that I used the best of ingredients, something I always try to do. I used my own homemade chicken stock and shopped at a favorite neighborhood Italian market for very fresh, very delicious homemade spicy Italian sausage; the peppers were from a local market. Because my sausages were made in-house at the market, very fresh, and thin skinned, they didn't slice very well, and ended up more like sausage “meatballs” than the nice, clean slices for which I'd hoped, but it affected only the aesthetics and not the taste. Mr. O-P who has, over the years, become rather annoyingly picky, liked this very much so that, in itself, makes this a winner in my book.

Italian Sausage and Pepper Rice

 

1 t. extra-virgin olive oil

12 oz. spicy Italian sausage, cut into ½" slices

½ large onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. dry long-grain white rice

2 c. chicken broth

½ red bell pepper, sliced

½ green bell pepper, sliced

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

In a large saucepanover medium heat, add the olive oil and sausage. Brown the sausage pieces on both sides, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cook covered for 10 minutes. Uncover and stir in the bell pepper slices. Cover again and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is done, 10 to 12 minutes. Uncover and season with salt and pepper. If the rice seems wet, cook uncovered for a few minutes.

Garnish with chopped parsley.

Tip: Adding the peppers halfway through cooking helps keep their texture.