This one pan pepper and Italian sausage skillet has been on my mind for some time. I wanted to create something simple for families to cook that is kid friendly. I also wanted to develop some more meal inspiration for ground proteins.
You see, at our house, our primary protein is venison. The Mr. aims to harvest three deer a year, which we process ourselves. We have the good cuts (chops and tenderloin), we pressure can stew and seasoned meat (find that here!), and then we grind the rest. Some is ground plain while some gets the Italian sausage treatment, getting mixed with some ground pork. That means about ½ of our freezer is full of ground venison in some form. The usual suspects in terms of recipes are pasta with a meat sauce, tacos, Korean inspired BBQ, Homemade Hamburger Helper, and soups and stews.
Okay, now that I type those…it seems like we have a lot of options, but my goodness, I wanted more! I think this has a bit of a picadillo inspiration (without the olives or raisins) only because I had been looking at Cuban recipes heavily the month before and while this truly is not a picadillo, it definitely has some elements. It’s simple and full of easy to find ingredients you might just have on hand. It’s a good one.
Enough talk. Let’s get cooking and get this meal on the table in about 40 minutes!
Your Ingredients for Pepper and Italian Sausage Skillet
- 1 pound Italian sausage (we use our Italian inspired venison)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups sweet pepper, diced (about 1 large)
- 1 cup onion, diced (about 1 medium)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes (I use unsalted), NOT drained
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 cup long grain white rice (If you use brown rice, adjust the cook time)
- 1 – 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby, Italian blend, whatever suits you)
- Sliced green onions (optional, as a garnish)
- Salt to taste (I find the sausage and stock add enough and don’t add any)
Your Steps to this One Pan Pepper and Italian Sausage Skillet
Choose a heavy cooking vessel with a cover (I love my cast iron dutch oven, but it doesn’t have to be). Brown the Italian sausage (I like to add a bit of oil to help it from sticking as it cooks). Remove from the pan and set aside.
Heat the olive oil. Then add the diced peppers and onions. Cook, stirring often, for about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except cheese and green onions) and bring to a boil.
Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until rice is done. If you opt for brown rice (which I have done), increase the cook time to 40-45 minutes. The hardest part is not checking the rice. Part of what cooks the rice is the steaming action that comes from keeping the cover on. It will turn out great. Just let the stove top do its thing.
Once the rice is cooked, top with shredded cheese, remove from heat, and replace the cover until the cheese is melted. Serve with sliced green onions.
Tools of the Trade
If you’ve been here awhile, you know I live for my cast iron Dutch oven. I think it is the number one cooking vessel in my house. I also love my flexible cutting boards. It sure would be hard to live without them!
One Pan Pepper and Italian Sausage Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups sweet pepper diced (about 1 large)
- 1 cup onion diced (about 1 medium)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes NOT drained
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 – 1 ½ cups shredded cheese
- Sliced green onions optional, as a garnish
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Choose a heavy cooking vessel with a cover (I love my cast iron dutch oven, but it doesn’t have to be). Brown the Italian sausage (I like to add a bit of oil to help it from sticking as it cooks). Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add olive oil, diced peppers and onions. Cook, stirring often, for about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except cheese and green onions) and bring to a boil.
- Lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until rice is done. If you opt for brown rice (which I have done), increase the cook time to 40-45 minutes. Leave the cover on and don’t check the rice. It will cook. Just be patient.
- Once the rice is cooked, top with shredded cheese, remove from heat, and replace the cover until the cheese is melted. Serve with sliced green onions.
Looking for other fun recipes?
Check out my cooking page, or pick some of the great recipes below!
