1cupchopped cooked broccolifrozen or fresh; optional
½cupchopped bell pepperany color is fine; optional – roasted red peppers are also an option
1 ½cupsshredded cheesedivided, such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, Munster, Havarti, swiss cheese, gruyere, or a combination
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13- inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
In a large saucepan, combine the rice mix, water and oil. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 25 minutes, covered, until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, and fluff the rice mix with a fork. Stir in the sliced sausage, and any or all of the following vegetables: corn, broccoli, and bell pepper, or anything else you have around that feels like a nice addition. Stir in ½ cup of the cheese until everything is evenly blended.
Transfer the contents of the pot to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle over the remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted, and everything is hot all the way through. Serve hot.
Notes
Since there is so much flavor in the rice blend and the sausage, it eliminates the need for you to add seasonings of your own, which tightens up that ingredient list pretty dramatically, I can tell you. No need to even reach for the salt and pepper – all of the spices are built right in, and there’s even a little kick (but not so much spice as to scare anyone – if you want more spice, add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes).And then play around with the cheeses and other add-ins. I suggest some cheeses, as well as some vegetables, but these are just ideas, and you can pick and choose depending on what you have around, or reach for other things, like diced zucchini or summer squash, diced tomatoes, other kinds of peppers, peas, and so on. If you didn’t have any of these vegetables, you could stick with the rice mix, the sausage and whatever cheese you have around, and maybe just pair it with a salad.