This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. All opinions are entirely my own.
This One-Pot Mediterranean Turkey Sausage and Rice is a 30-minute, veggie-packed, easy dinner that your whole family will love! It’s full of nutrient-dense veggies and lean protein. It tastes super fresh and delicious when topped with feta cheese, fresh chopped herbs, and sweet tomatoes. And best of all? Only one pot to clean! Hooray!
If you follow my blog, you know that this January, I’m sticking with a “Mediterranean” theme for my recipe posts. The Mediterranean diet is known for its emphasis on fresh vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats, and whole grains. And I think we can all agree that food from the Mediterranean region is some of the most delicious on the planet! OK, maybe I’m a little bit biased because I’m half Greek… but seriously, what’s not to love?
This Mediterranean Turkey Sausage and Rice recipe could not be easier to make. Basically, all you do is sauté some smoked turkey sausage with some veggies in a skillet, then add some rice, chicken or vegetable stock, and spinach. Then, cover and simmer until the rice is tender. The flavors of the peppers and sausage get infused into every morsel. And in the end, when the fresh herbs, feta cheese, and sweet tomatoes get added… oh boy, you are in for a treat!
I used Hillshire Farm Naturals® Uncured Turkey Kielbasa for this recipe. It has no artificial ingredients (like nitrates or nitrites), so I felt great about feeding this to my family. Zoey, who is almost a year old(!), gobbled it right up!
Speaking of Zoey, I think we’re long overdue for a photo montage of my daughter. Here she is, shopping at Target in her pajamas for the turkey kielbasa with me:
You can use the Target Store Locater to find a Target near you that sells Hillshire Farm Naturals Uncured Turkey Kielbasa.
Oh boy. That photo is going to look a lot different in April when baby girl #2 makes her appearance! Her imminent arrival is another reason why I’m happy to have easy, quick, one-pot, nutritious recipes like this in my back pocket. Recipes like this are perfect for busy families.
Don’t you just love the colors in this meal? I used a rainbow of different kinds of sweet tomatoes for this, as well as both red and orange bell peppers. There’s something that’s just more fun about eating colorful, bright things, especially during dreary winter days.
I used white basmati rice to make this, but you can use another kind of rice (white or brown) if you want. I like white basmati because it only takes about 15 minutes to cook, whereas brown rice can take upwards of 45 minutes. As far as white rice goes, basmati is low in fat but high in nutrients. I also love its fluffy texture and the fact that the grains don’t get too sticky.
Here’s the recipe for One-Pot Mediterranean Turkey Sausage and Rice! Enjoy :-)
One-Pot Mediterranean Turkey Sausage and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small red onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1 red orange, or yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 smoked turkey sausage such as Hillshire Farm Naturals Turkey Kielbasa, sliced diagonally about 1/4" thick
- 1 zucchini sliced into rounds about 1/4" thick
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup white basmati rice see notes about other kinds of rice
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 5 oz. baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
- more extra virgin olive oil for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet or pot.
- Add the onion, pepper, and sausage. Sauté until vegetables are softened and sausage is starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and season lightly with salt and pepper (the sausage is seasoned already, so you won't need too much). Continue sautéing for another minute or so.
- Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the chicken stock and stir, incorporating all the ingredients and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Bring to a boil and add the spinach, stirring into pot until fully wilted (1-2 minutes).
- Turn heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is fully cooked.
- Stir in fresh herbs.
- Serve topped with feta cheese, chopped tomatoes, and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
- If you wish to use a different kind of rice (white or brown), be wary of both how much liquid you need and the cooking time. Different kinds of rice require different amounts of liquid, and brown rice can take up to 45 minutes to cook through.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Andrea
I made this with spinach & feta chicken sausage. It was wonderful, flavorful, and fresh and paired perfectly with pita chips and Greek salad.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! Love the idea of using a spinach and feta chicken sausage!
Hayley
So much YUM!
Elizabeth
Thanks Hayley!
Jarrett
I made this for my girlfriend and I and it was absolutely amazing!!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!!