This Cheesy Spicy Sausage Rice Bake is comfort food at its finest! It’s sure to satisfy the heartiest of appetites!
Happy Friday guys! The weekend is here. Woohoo!
Today I’m sharing one of our favorite comfort food dishes. I don’t know about you folks, but we enjoy comfort food dishes all year long here at our house, not just during the winter and this Cheesy Spicy Sausage Rice Bake is at the top of our list of favorites.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
The combo of rice, spicy Italian sausage, green chiles, mushrooms, onions and shredded cheese will satisfy the heartiest of appetites.
The rich, creamy, cheesy sauce is sure to warm you right up!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- white rice
- spicy Italian sausage
- butter
- yellow onion
- baby bella mushrooms
- canned chopped green chiles
- garlic
- low-sodium chicken broth
- heavy cream
- salt and pepper
- cheddar jack cheese
You can opt for spicy Italian sausage or sweet. We enjoy the spicy. You can also use any variety of mushrooms you like. I used baby bella for this recipe, but I often make it with white button mushrooms.
I opted for cheddar jack cheese, but regular cheddar, colby jack or monterey jack would also work well.
Step-By-Step Instructions
The first step is to cook your white rice according to package directions. Remove from heat and set aside.
The second step is to cook your hot Italian sausage until browned and no longer pink inside, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the sausage. Using a slotted spoon you’ll remove sausage from skillet to a bowl, then drain the fat from the skillet.
The third step is melt the butter and then add the onion and mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, until soft. Add the green chiles and garlic and continue to cook for one minute.
The fourth step is to stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, salt and pepper until well combined and bring to a simmer, about 7-10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese and mix until cheese is melted. Add the sausage and rice. Mix until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbly.
Serve with a side salad, a glass of wine and the usual comfort food attire, stretchy pants and fuzzy slippers and you’re all set!
Please let me know if you give the recipe a try. And if you have any questions about the recipe, just drop a comment below. Enjoy!
A Few Cook’s Notes for Cheesy Spicy Sausage Rice Bake
I used Hot Italian sausage for this recipe, but you can also use sweet Italian sausage if you like things milder.
The recipe calls for shredded cheddar jack cheese, but you can substitute regular cheddar, jalapeño jack, or Monterey jack cheese.
More Delicious Comfort Food Recipes to Enjoy
Cheesy Spicy Sausage Rice Bake
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 lb. hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles, undrained
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup cheddar jack, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-qt. baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook white rice according to package directions. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook hot Italian sausage until browned and no longer pink inside, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the sausage. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage from skillet to a bowl. Drain fat from skillet.
- In the same skillet, over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, until soft. Add the green chiles and garlic and continue to cook for one minute.
- Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, salt and pepper until well combined and bring to a simmer, about 7-10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese and mix until cheese is melted. Add the sausage and rice. Mix until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbly.
Recipe adapted from Delish
Now, this is interesting: we have the same weather situation over here; full moon rose the waters, southern winds are giving hard times and nobody is into decent communication…. I would have a half of your dish to comfort me :-)
You’d really enjoy this one! So comforting! Stay safe!
I have all the heart eyes for this right now, Mary Ann! Loads of cheese and sausage baked together?? Count me in! Can’t wait to give this one a try :) Pinned! Have a wonderful week!
I know you’d really love it Dawn! Tom and Mark went crazy for this one!
My favourite days are the days that the weather keeps me inside with good company, good tv and good food :) Will be tucking this delicious recipe away for just such a day soon!
Mine too Jennifer! Hope you enjoy it!
It’s hot and humid here in Singapore but I would still eat your delicious looking casserole.
Hope you’re having an awesome trip Gerlinde!
I hope you guys came through the nor’easter unscathed! Even with storms, it sounds like you had a pretty great weekend. And this sounds like a pretty great thing to serve when it’s stormy! The weather has been a little crazy here too, so I’m adding this to my list of upcoming dinners :)
We did Kelsie! Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy it when you give it a go!
No hunkering can be had without the inclusion of comfort food – and you have nailed it with this one!! I guess we’re all in a comfort food kinda mood these days! This is awesome, my friend!! Shared!
Yes Annie! Woohoo for comfort food!
Yes, I love hunkering down this time of year with stretchy pants, fuzzy slippers and cozy, comfort food! You described everything I love about fall in this post! And this rice bake looks delish Mary Ann! Happy Monday!
Thanks Leanne! My kinda fall and winter food!
Yum, yum, yum! This is perfect weeknight food.
Yes!!
I remember those NorEasters, Mary Ann. Cold, driving wind and rain. No doubt cozy comfort food is the rule of the weekend! A good rice bake has my attention too! Love it Mary Ann!
So incredibly windy Traci! This is one of Tom’s faves! Mine too! Have an awesome week!
I’m sorry the weather wasn’t cooperative this weekend for your guests, Mare, but honestly staying cozied up indoors and eating all the food sounds kind of perfect to me! ;) I am SWOONING over this bake!!! I mean, all that cheese! YES! Plus, I mean you had me at spicy and sausage! Pinned! Cheers and stay warm! <3
Thanks Chey! I didn’t mind staying in really! So fun watching all the games and cozying up to yummy comfort food! Have a great week!
Oh my gosh, Mary Ann, this looks so comforting! Stretchy pants, indeed! My mouth is watering just looking at that cheesey topping! I could go for a good portion of that dish. Perfect for the weather!
I bet you’d really love it Laura! It’s such a comforting dish! Perfect for fall and winter!
Hunkering down for the weekend with comfort food like this? Perfect!
It’s stretchy pants season here Matt!
Cozy deliciousness!! Sounds so good!
Totally cozy Leigh Ann!
This would be a HIT over here!
I bet you guys would LOVE it!
There’s nothing better than comfort food when the weather gets yucky! I love the warmth and coziness of being inside and watching the weather outside. This rice bake looks delicious and just the ticket for comfort food!
It’s the ticket at our house Kathy! I hope you give it a try!
Cheese. Spicy Sausage. Two of the best ingredients for comfort food! Great recipe!
Yes!! Can’t beat it Kev!
What a beaut of a dish Mary Ann! This is the kind of comfort food I crave on chilly days.
So comforting Alida! I’ll be making this often!
I’m sold! love the green chile addition and of course cozy winter food!
Woohoo for comfort food Lindsay!
This is total comfort food! Next time I need to hunker down during some cold weather, you can bet I’m going to be baking this cheesy dish up!
Yay!! Hope you all enjoy it Katherine!
When it’s time to hunker down, you’ve GOT to have comfort food! This Cheesy Sausage and Rice Bake fits the bill beautifully! Just the kind of thing I’m craving right now!
It’s a HUGE hit around here Marissa!
I love a good baked rice casserole, Mary Ann. They are my favorite kind of comfort food. Those nor’easter are terrible – it seems the east coast is having more and more of them. Hope this weekend is drier for you guys!
It was supposed to rain this weekend, but so far it’s been beautiful Geraldine! Hope you’re enjoying some fabulous weather too!
Cheese and sausage are both my favourite. And now baked with rice is a full single dish itself. Yummy, delicious, fabulous.
I bet you’ll love it!!
My hubby and I LOVED this one! I swapped out turkey sausage for the regular sausage and used milk instead of cream and it still tasted fantastic. This recipe is definitely making it into our regular meal rotation. Thank you!
So glad you both enjoyed it Beth. And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and for following the BHK!
Can this be made ahead and baked off later?
Hi Traci. Absolutely. Enjoy!