To Know:

This recipe sprung from another fun grocery store find, this time it was bulk turkey andouille sausage. I’ve never seen this cajun staple in bulk (not in link form) and rarely find it made from meat other than pork or occasionally chicken. I knew it would be perfect for a one-pot wonder chock full of the creole “Holy Trinity” of onion, celery, and green bell pepper. In fact, there are 6 cups of veggies hidden amongst the spicy lower-fat sausage and tender instant brown rice. Some grocery store sell fresh or frozen Trinity mixes that you might find worth the money depending how much time you have. Since a few of these ingredients might be easier to find in some places than others, there is lots of wriggle room for substituting. If you can only find Andouille in raw link form, just squeeze the meat out of the casing, or if it has been smoked, you can cut those links into bite-size pieces. If you’re drinking some white wine or a beer while cooking, splash in a little of that along with the water or chicken stock for a little extra flavor. If you don’t like food too spicy, perhaps start with half the cajun seasoning and omit any extra hot sauce until you’ve had a chance to sample the fully cooked dish. The flavoring of the Andouille and cajun seasoning will vary by brand, which is also why I didn’t add any additional salt. If you think it might need it, go for it, but wait until the end, since as we’ve all learned the hard way, salt and seasonings are a lot easier to add than they are to remove. Enjoy!

[Helpful hint: If you find the finished dish a little too spicy, add a teaspoon or two of sugar before serving; sweet balances heat and will calm the spicy flavor down some.]

To Get:

2  tablespoons vegetable or light olive oil

1  medium white or Spanish onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

1  large green bell pepper, chopped (about 2 cups)

4-6  celery stalks, chopped (about 2 cups)

1  teaspoon cajun seasoning

1  pound bulk turkey or pork Andouille sausage

2  garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2  cups water or low-sodium chicken stock (consider incorporating a little beer or white wine for extra flavor)

2  cups instant brown or white rice

Hot sauce, to taste, optional

Green onions and/or parsley, to garnish, optional

To Do:

1. Warm the oil in a high-sided skillet or dutch oven over medium heat, add the onions, celery, green pepper, and cajun seasoning. Cook while stirring occasionally for around 10 minutes until the veggies have begun to soften.
2. Add the garlic and Andouille to the pan, breaking up the sausage into smaller pieces and cook another 10 minutes or so until the meat has cooked through.
3. Increase the heat to high and add the water or chicken stock. Once boiling, stir in the instant rice, and press everything down so that it is in a single layer. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 5 minutes, then turn the heat off and let the pan rest, without removing the lid, for another 5-10.
4. Finally, give everything a good stir before serving, garnish with chopped green onions or parsley and nosh!

Serves 4-6