Yield: Serves 6 to 8 | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Smoked sausage is one of my favorite sweet and spicy secret ingredients. Here it’s folded into rice and baked with cabbage for a healthy but hearty dish. It’s quite simple, and includes rice and tomatoes, cabbage and sausage—you get your grains, vegetables, and meat in one convenient casserole.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
18 ounces smoked sausage, sliced ½-inch thick
1 (2.5-pound) head green cabbage, shredded (about 5 cups)
1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice
1 (15-ounce) can marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly coat a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shredded cabbage and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cooked rice off the heat and stir to combine.
3. Pour the sausage mixture into the baking dish and pour the marinara sauce over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the cheese, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve.
