Skillet Rice and Beans with Kielbasa

You all are aware of how much my family loves one-pot meals. A few of our favorites are One-Pot Chicken Feta Alfredo, One-Pot Chili Mac, Creamy One-Pot Stove Top Mac and Cheese, Creamy Chicken Bacon Pesto Gnocchi Skillet, One-Pot BLT Tortellini Skillet and Greek Lasagna Skillet. Any of these recipes are winners for us on a busy weeknight! 

When Sarah of A Taste of Home Cooking posted Skillet Rice and Beans with Kielbasa I knew my family would absolutely love it. Kellen loves rice and beans and I knew the addition of the Kielbasa would be a hit (I was right because he ate all the sausage first!). This recipe is very simple, involves minimal chopping and is on the table in 30 minutes or less. As predicted, my family loved this dish and I loved the minimal clean-up so there was more time to enjoy my evening with my family. Another perk is that this makes enough to us to have leftovers the following day for work lunches. I served this with steamed green beans and can't wait to make it again! 

Last night my doulas stopped over for a short meeting and I am getting so excited for this little boy's arrival! I am over 38 weeks so he could pick his birthday at any time! I am still feeling great but my energy is slowing down a bit and my body feels a little more sore, but in the scheme of things those are really minor things and I am so happy that we have had a healthy pregnancy! On Monday night, I finished packing my hospital bag and just need to thrown in a few last minute things before we leave. I am stocked with comfy pants, nursing bras, tanks and shirts. I also pack travel size toiletries, my own towels and pillows (I was so happy to have my own after Kellen). I also threw in a robe, some socks and a few snacks if I need them for energy. We are almost there!

Ingredients 

1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbl butter

1 package (14 ounce) smoked sausage or kielbasa, diced

1/2 medium white onion, diced

1 cup white rice

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 can (14 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

1 Tbl dried parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil and butter over medium-high in a large rimmed skillet (make sure your skillet has a lid!). Add the sausage and onion, and sauté until onions become soft and translucent.

Stir in the rice and cook for an additional minutes while frequently stirring. Add the chicken broth, beans, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and parsley. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Make sure to stir the mixture to o prevent sticking or burning.

Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.