There is nothing pretentious about this Italian-inspired recipe. It’s the sort many of us need in our files for a quick, easy, kid-friendly and family-only weeknight meal that delivers good flavors and nutrition at a reasonable price.
It didn’t start out that way. When I got this recipe some years ago it was a Production: two pans on the stovetop and a baking dish to finish it in the oven. No, no I said to myself. This type of meal doesn’t require that much work or cleanup. What’s more, it was inspired by Spanish flavors with a few key ingredients I don’t usually keep on hand. I don’t want a shopping list for a dish like this.
Not surprisingly, the basis is ground meat. I’ve made it with beef, turkey and chicken but prefer hot Italian sausage and usually use turkey or chicken sausage. This time, though, I had my fresh homemade Italian sausage and used that. It was a stellar choice. In all cases, I do not use oil to brown the meat because they all have enough fat to make it unnecessary. Any brown bits stuck to the pan can be scraped up when the chopped onion gives off its moisture.
The starch is plain old economical white rice and even though this is a casserole-type of meal, I plate it in the kitchen straight from the pot. If you absoutely must have it on the table, you can transfer it to a baking dish and give it some time in the oven, but I really don’t think it requires that and defeats the purpose.
Ella’s One-pot Italian-inspired Dinner
1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
OR
1 pound lean ground beef, turkey or chicken – not 100% turkey breast
a few pinches of salt and pepper
1 small onion, diced
1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed, to taste
1 14.5-ounce/411g can diced tomatoes and their juices
3/4 cup/180g raw long-grain rice
1 cup water
1/2 cup/136g chili sauce*
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp coarse salt
black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp ground oregano
2 oz/56g shredded Mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
*This is sold in the condiments aisle and is usually near the ketchup. Heinz and store brands are available.
Heat a large sauce pan or saucier over medium heat for 1 – 2 minutes until hot. Add the ground meat or sausage, breaking up with a spoon, season lightly with pinches of salt and pepper and brown until just a little pinkness remains. If there is excessive fat in the pan, use tongs to hold a wadded-up paper towel to soak it up.
Add the onion to the pan and cook about 2 minutes until it begins to brown and is giving off liquid. Scrape up the fond (brown bits) and add the minced garlic. Let cook another minute or two until fragrant.
Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, the rice, water, chili sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well. Stir in the salt, pepper and oregano and bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir, re-cover and simmer for 15 minutes more. Adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Turn off the heat, sprinkle shredded cheese on top and let stand, covered, until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
Serves 4 – 6
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum – sounds delicious. I too am a massive fan of the one-pan / minimal washing up method of cookery – thanks for this one!
catalangardener’s last blog post..A Very Windy Day Indeed
Oh, boy! I want to try this in my thick skillet; it seems to work really well for dishes like this. And I can cook and serve in the same pot as it’s attractive. I didn’t know what a “saucier” was until your post made me look it up! I’m getting way too educated over here!
MusEditions’s last blog post..Reasonable Philosophy
catalangardner – Yes, one-pot wonders are a favorite here too. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Muse – That sounds ideal! I assume it’s a deep skillet? That’s a 3-quart saucier in my photo above and it’s the perfect size. It’s the perfect pan, easily the most-used pan in my — *cough* — batterie de cuisine. The sloping sides make it perfect for reducing sauces and making risottos, etc.
I’m going to try to put a photo here; this is the very pan although I grabbed the shot from the manufacturer’s website:
Ella, this is one of the best meals I’ve cooked recently. Mom just loved it, and I did too.
It was great as a leftover dinner, and Mom said, “Please don’t lose that recipe!” High praise, indeed.
I used turkey sweet Italian sausage, and Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes. Because their tomatoes are more veggie and less juice, and because I was using brown rice, I added about 1/2 c. water beyond that called for. It came out perfectly.
I’m heading over to WeatherUnderground to share it with some of the folks there, many of whom are true “foodies”. Thanks for another good one!
shoreacres’s last blog post..Free the Oxford English 47,156
Oh, shore, I am thrilled to hear that. Really. Your version sounds fabulous. Those fire-roasted Muir Glen’s are great, aren’t they? I’m sure they took this humble little dish to a new, grander place. I love the idea of brown rice, too. I’m definitely going to try it your way. Dang, I’m hungry now!
Please tell your mom I said hello.
And…welcome, WeatherUndergrounders!