Sausage and Rice Casserole
In this post I’m sharing my version of a Sausage and Rice Casserole.
Y’all, go ahead and file this under delicious! It’s a great casserole as a meal or a side dish for larger dinners, like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
The first time that I made a sausage and rice casserole, it was a recipe from a fellow blogger, Mandy, and was in her latest cookbook that had just been released.
We all enjoyed the dish very much but it has been three years since I’ve had it. Sigh. That is one of the things about being a food blogger is that meals don’t come back into rotation often enough.
Last week the craziest thing happened….all of the sudden I was seeing recipes for sausage and rice casseroles pop up everywhere in my news feeds. I took that as a sign from above that I needed to make one again and this time thought I’d give it my own twist and share with y’all.
Sausage and Rice Dressing
Just look at that moist, creamy and delicious casserole! Yes, it is also sometimes referred to as dressing as well.
We enjoyed this sausage casserole for dinner the evening that I made it and I had it again for lunch the next day. I may or may not have had bigger than should be allowed portions too.
I would like to offer a couple of tips when making this casserole:
- Grease the casserole dish well with some softened butter to prevent sticking.
- About halfway through baking, carefully pull out the oven rack so you can gently turn the casserole…this ensures you don’t get a lot of crunchy rice bits on top. This also helps to incorporate that nice crispy bits from the sides throughout the casserole so everyone gets some.
Easy Casserole Dinner Recipe
What is the difference between rice dressing and dirty rice? Quite a bit actually. Dirty rice is more of a skillet dish that contains beef, pork and chicken livers. Rice Dressing is made using only pork breakfast sausage and baked with a few other ingredients. They taste nothing alike.
Do I have to use creamed soups in this recipe? Yes! Creamed soups are an essential part of many casserole recipes and keep it moist and add flavor.
I cook nearly every day of the year and out of 365 days, I might use creamed soups 5 of those days. Moderation is the key to all food choices.
The spicy breakfast sausage works really well in this recipe. If you’re sensitive to spicier foods then you could opt for a mild sausage instead.
Below you’ll find the step by step instructions for preparing this dish in the printable recipe card.
Sausage and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb Hot Breakfast Sausage
- 1 tbs Butter softened (to grease the casserole dish)
- 10.5 oz Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 10.5 oz Canned Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 Yellow Onion diced
- 1/2 c Celery diced
- 1 c White Long Grain Rice
- 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
- 1 c Sharp Cheddar Cheese freshly grated
- Cracked Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the breakfast sausage in a skillet, crumble and drain well.
- Preheat oven to 350°F ( 176°C )
- Grease a rectangle baking dish well with a tablespoon of softened butter.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients together. NOTE: Do not dilute the creamed soups.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake 1 ½ Hours.
- Halfway through baking, carefully pull the oven rack out and gently turn (stir) the casserole mixture.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Thanks for stopping by! I know you’re gonna love this dish.
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About Julia
Hey Y’all! I’m Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia’s Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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This looks like a delicious Sausage and Rice Casserole. Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday, 457. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
When you say turn the casserole do you mean mix it or rotate the dish?
The post gave a bit more detail to that step…lightly mix the casserole mixture to prevent the rice on top from getting crunchy
@Julia Jordan,
I am so disappointed with my results. While the taste is very nice, neither the directions nor the notes clearly explain that “turn” the casserole means stir. You really shouldn’t have to read the comments in order to get proper directions. The top of my dish is indeed crunchy and not good.
I’m sorry this happened. I try my best to give the most details in the full post so that every recipe turns out well.
A simple and delicious meal! it’s a family favorite!
Do we use pre-cooked rice? Thanks!
Lynne,
No, the rice cooks in the casserole while it bakes.
~Julia
This was perfect comfort food for a family that just lost a loved-one. I added fresh mushrooms and fresh broccoli. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Michelle,
Thank you! My condolences to the family who lost someone.
Has anyone tried sage sausage to make it taste like dressing?
Sheri,
I’m sure that sage sausage would be amazing in this casserole.
~Julia
Do you cover with foil at all while baking?
I bake this casserole in a gas oven and I do not cover the casserole. You can cover with foil if you like, then remove it halfway through cooking when you use a spoon to gently turn over the top layer of the casserole.
~Julia
Can you substitute minute rice for the long grain in this recipe?
Katie,
I’ve never tried the recipe with minute rice. It could be done but since minute rice is pre-cooked somewhat, the amounts and cooking time may change. If you try it, let me know how it works out.
~Julia
Hi Julia,
I’m trying to prepare a few dinners for my niece who is in her last few chemo treatments. I need to freeze a few of the casseroles. Can I freeze this recipe?
Rosie,
My prayers go out to your niece as she makes it through the last stages in her recovery. This casserole can be frozen. To reheat, keep it covered tightly with foil and heat in a 350 degree oven until warmed through.
~Julia
My wife found this recipe and had the good idea to try it. It is delicious. Especially if you use a good brand of breakfast sausage. As a quick note, I did not have time to turn the mixture over so I made the decision to let it cook through without touching it. In fact, I put it on “cooking time” for 1h20 minutes, and left it there for another 30-45 minutes doing something else while the oven cooled down. The result was nicely cooked through casserole with crunchy rice on the edges. The surface rice also had some crunchiness. As they say: Crunchy on the outside, tender in the middle. I loved it. And the taste is great.
Stephan,
I am so happy that you all enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know.
~Julia
For the sausage casserole do you prepare rice first according to package directions first?
Hi Valerie. No pre-cooking the rice. It cooks as the casserole bakes.
The sausage is the star of this casserole 🙂 My one complaint is that it definitely doesn’t yield 12 servings in my opinion, more like 6. I think it just needs a few more cups of rice, IMHO.
The rice didn’t cook all the way in mine. Lots of crunchies but I’m fine with that. I added a jalapeno as well. This dish has great flavor! Thanks.
Great recipe
Thank you so much, Nancy! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
~Julia
This is a delicious Sausage and Rice Casserole. I made it exactly by the recipe the first time and we really liked it. The second time I added sliced mushrooms. That was a hit with everyone. Tonight I only had a green bell pepper so I used it and added a jar of pimentos. This recipe is a keeper. It’s going in my regular rotation of meals!
Beverly,
I am so happy that you have enjoyed this recipe and have made it your own with delicious additions. Thanks for stopping by to let me know. You made my day!
~Julia
Can this dish be frozen? Thanks,
Donna
Hi Donna! Yes the casserole can be frozen, however, I’ve never frozen one myself so can’t tell you the reheating instructions.
~Julia
Where does the cheese come in at ?
Hi Karen,
In the recipe card, step 4, combine all of the ingredients together would include the cheese. The cheese is mixed in with the casserole mixture.
~Julia
Well, mine doesn’t look anything like the picture, but it sure tastes good! I used mild deer sausage, 2 cans of cream of mushroom, and left out the celery. (Just trying to save a trip to the grocery store.) I chose to cover with foil, stirred halfway, then removed the foil and baked for an additional 10 minutes. Stirring is so important because it gets the slightly crunchy bits mixed in. I’ll definitely make this again!
Hi Abbey! I am so glad that you enjoyed using this recipe.
Can brown rice be used??
You could use brown rice, but keep in mind that brown rice takes longer to cook. I would cover with foil for most of the baking. As far as times, I’m not sure since I’ve never made the recipe using brown rice myself. Enjoy!
So I made this with some additional ingredients.I used quick cook brown rice, added chopped zucchini,yellow squash, corn, and some left over canned mushrooms. I also used cream of celery instead of cream of chicken. I cooked it uncovered for 45 minutes then covered for another hour because it was soupy still, but after an extra 20 minutes it was firm and very tasty. I will definitely make this again. Great way to use up vegetables.
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My hubby liked this recipe but I had to make modifications because I ran out of long grain rice so I subbed microwave bag rice (did not microwave it) smooshed it up and mixed it into the mix and cooked it for one hour instead of 1 hours 30 mins.
If I make this again obviously I will use the correct rice and I definitely would cook the onion with the sausage before baking.
I’m glad that you enjoyed using this recipe.
Just made this as a late lunch. We have enjoyed it many times. TY
Made the casserole this past weekend for a party and it was a hit. Thank you for sharing a super easy and fool proof recipe.
I’ve made this twice and I must say that it is quite yummy and my family loved it! The first time I made it, I baked for 1 hour covered with foil, then removed the foil and added a bit more cheese. I left the foil off for the remaining time and it came out perfect! The second time I made it, I was feeling a bit adventurous, so I made as is, with the addition of a box of stovetop stuffing cornbread mix…this time I didn’t cover with foil and didn’t add any extra cheese. (I did add a 1/2 cup of chicken broth, I was afraid there wouldn’t be enough moisture for the stuffing mix) It turned out amazing, my family liked it as much as the other, so now I have to make both! Thanks for the recipe!
Patti,
Thank you so much for stopping by to share how much you’re enjoyed using the sausage and rice casserole recipe and how it inspired your own version, which sounds wonderful!
~Julia
Made this on cold winter day here in Canada. I was a little concerned about the amount of liquid and if the rice would cook properly. I trusted the process and it turned out fantastic! Used some sliced cooked Italian sausage and added some Italian spices. My husband loved it and it reminded me of a rice casserole would make for me when I was a kid. Spoonfuls of comfort!
I am so happy that you enjoyed it.
My Husband and I just loved this recipe! It’s simple to make comfort food at it’s best with big flavor.
I’m so happy y’all enjoyed it! Thank you so much for letting me know! It is one of my personal favorites.
~Julia
I made this tonight. I didnt have hot sausage so I used regular pork sausage. I omitted the celery cuz my daughter hates celery. And added 3 Tbls of water instead. It turned out very good. We will definately make it again. For some reason it wouldn’t let me rate it. But I would definitely give it 4 stars ☆☆☆☆ thank you for a great recipe.
I just made your Sausage and Rice Casserole and, without a doubt, it was the BEST recipe I have ever found on the Internet. THANK YOU!
Thank you, Mike! I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
How does the rice get cooked if you don’t add any liquid? Are you using precooked rice?
The rice cooks in the casserole.
A rectangle baking dish is the only description given. I have 5 different rectangle baking dishes, can I guess at maybe 9X13 before I butter it to use and find out it’s not the right size after I’m ready to put all the ingredients in? Help please.
Hi Claudia! Yes, 9X13 will work nicely!