Italian Style Beans and Rice with Sausage

Italian-style beans and rice with sausage is a budget-friendly, satisfying meal you can have on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Italian-style beans and rice with sausage is a unique and delicious twist on a classic recipe. It’s a hearty, flavor-packed meal that will fill you up without breaking the bank. This is truly a must-have in your recipe rotation!

Beans and rice are comfort food. Serve my husband a big bowl with some cornbread on the side, and he’s a happy man. Black beans and yellow rice is my daughter’s favorite meal, and my son could eat his weight in refried beans and Mexican rice. Any way you serve it, beans and rice are a hit in my house!

Italian Style Beans And Rice With Sausage

• A simple, classic dish with an Italian twist.
• Use canned beans to keep this quick and easy.
• The sausage adds flavor, texture, and protein.
• Loaded with veggies, garlic, spices, and fresh herbs, it’s a bowl full of flavor!

Ingredients You’ll Need

You don’t always need a long list of ingredients to make a dish great; this recipe is the perfect example. Flavorful sausage with sauteed veggies, broth, and seasoning brings the dish together while keeping it easy on your wallet.

• al fresco Roasted Pepper & Asiago Chicken Sausage
• cannellini beans
• mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery)
• olive oil
• garlic
• oregano, thyme, and bay leaves
• chicken broth
• Italian parsley

al fresco chicken sausage is fully cooked, making it perfect for quick and easy weeknight meals. Here are some of their other flavors.

• Sweet & Smoky BBQ Chicken Sausage with chili peppers and barbecue sauce
• Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage with real roasted garlic, onion, and herbs
• Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage with Spanish paprika, garlic, and black pepper
• Sundried Tomato Chicken Sausage with sundried tomatoes, basil, and herbs

Check out all of their products at www.alfrescochicken.com

I highly recommend adding sausage to your beans and rice. It adds a ton of flavor, texture, and additional protein. Today, I used al fresco Roasted Pepper & Asiago Chicken Sausage, but of course, you can use any kind you like. The flavor you choose will dictate the direction of the dish. For example, I would go with Mexican seasonings instead of Italian if you add chorizo. Beans and rice with sausage is a versiltile dish, which is one of the reasons why it’s on repeat in our house!

Used In This Recipe
Cannellini Beans	Whole Bay Leaves	Dutch Oven With Lid

What Is Mirepoix?

Pronounced meer-PWAH, it’s a mix of aromatics that add flavor, aroma, and texture. The classic recipe calls for two parts diced onion to one part each diced carrot and celery, but I use equal parts of each. You can buy frozen mirepoix or make your own, which I like to do in big batches and freeze in one-cup portions.

How To Make Beans And Rice With Sausage

With a little help from the store, this meal comes together in about 20 minutes.

1. Cook the onions, carrots, and celery in the olive oil.
2. Add the garlic, bay leaves, and seasonings.
3. Brown the sausage, which only takes a few minutes.
4. Pour in the beans and simmer for a few minutes.
5. Add the kale and cook until wilted.
6. Stir in the parsley, reserving some for garnish.
7. Serve over rice with additional parsley on top.

This serves four people in our house. A simple salad would be perfect to bulk up the meal. To stretch the dish, add more veggies or a bag of cauliflower rice. I prefer my cauliflower rice to have some texture, so I recommend adding it with the kale and cooking it until it’s al dente.

Helpful Tips + Variations + Storage

• Cannellini beans work well in this recipe because they hold their shape well, but use what you like.
• If you lack oregano, thyme, and bay leaves, substitute with a teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
• Use spinach instead of kale, bell peppers, tomatoes, or any veggie you like!
• A generous sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan would only make this even more delicious!
• Depending on the type of sausage you use, this will last three to four days in the refrigerator.

Serve This With

• Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe | Plus 25 Ways To Use It
• 10-Minute Tangy Tomato Dressing Recipe
• Foolproof Butter & Lemon Baked Rice Recipe
• Easy Oven Roasted Broccoli Recipe
• Homemade Ice Cream with Baileys and Guinness Beer

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Italian Style Beans and Rice with Sausage

Italian Style Beans and Rice with Sausage is is an easy one-pan meal that's full of flavor that's ready in 30 minutes!

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup mirepoix
• 1 garlic cloves peeled and minced
• 1 package al fresco Roasted Pepper & Asiago Chicken Sausage
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 cups Lacinato kale, sliced
• 1-2 cups cooked rice

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic, seasonings, and bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the sausage and cook for 3 minutes, just to get some color on it.
• Pour in the broth and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan.
• Add the beans and turn the heat up to medium-high.
• Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half.
• Add the kale and parsley. Cook for 2 minutes.
• To serve, ladle some of the beans and sausage into a bowl, add a scoop of rice on top, and garnish with additional parsley

Notes

If you can't find Cannellini beans, Great Northern beans would work fine too.

One teaspoon of Italian seasoning can replace the oregano, thyme, and bay leaves.

Feel free to add bell peppers, tomatoes, fresh basil, or a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan.

To keep the carb count down, use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.

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