Recipe: $4.50 | Per Serving: $1.13 | Yield: 4
Rice bowls are some of the easiest possible meals. Cook some rice, cook some vegetables & meat, and combine. This one is no exception! And it's using Italian Sausage Seasoning - which everyone should make and keep with their spices all the time because it's really great. Not into making spice blends? That's okay - you can just use regular sausage instead.
The Italian sausage seasoning is perfect though, because you know exactly what you're getting, and it flavors the rest of the dish a bit better than just using regular sausage. However, there's no judgment if you're into a particular brand of store-bought sausage. I'm really picky about sausage, and have only once (once! how pathetic!) purchased one that I actually liked. Sausage is not my favorite food.
Either way, you're probably going to be pretty happy with these easy Italian rice bowls. Brown rice & Italian flavor is an underrated combination. I always purchase short grain brown rice, which ends up working a lot like arborio, the Italian rice used in risotto. WIN. Add some frozen vegetables and Parmesan cheese and it's perfect.
I wasn't originally planning to post this recipe, but I threw it together one day for lunch when Zac & I were packing, and it was a winner. I had everything available, including the cooked brown rice in the fridge and a batch of Italian sausage, and realized it was just too easy & awesome not to share! Go ahead and get a batch of rice going, then throw together some sausage and vegetables, top it all with cheese, and you've got yourself a super delicious meal. And those leftovers? Great in your lunchbox!
Italian Sausage & Vegetable Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice + 2 cups water
- 8 ounces ground beef or pork*, half pound
- 1 Tablespoon Italian sausage seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetables frozen or fresh (I used carrots and onions)
- 1 pound frozen spinach
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Cook rice according to your preference (rice cooker or stovetop method).
- In a large pan, brown the sausage and break into bits. Add the tomato paste and cook about 30 seconds more.
- Add the 2 cups (frozen) vegetables and cook just until soft. Dump in the frozen spinach and cook until thawed and warm. Stir well and add most of the parmesan cheese, reserving some for topping.
- Once the rice is done cooking, combine the vegetables and sausage with the rice. Dish into four bowls and top with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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