There’s no prep work necessary for an easy dinner that bakes in one dish! Spend just 10 minutes stirring together the raw ingredients and this Dump-and-Bake Italian Sausage Recipe with Rice is ready for the oven!
If you’re on the hunt for easy dinners that make your weeknights just a little bit easier, then I have a treat for you today!
I’m taking the stress, the rush, and the hassle out of mealtime with a quick-prep Italian sausage recipe that suits your busy life.
Unlike most casseroles which require pre-cooking the ingredients before the dish is assembled, my dump-and-bake meals eliminate the prep work with simple one pot recipes!
I think that I’m doing well if I can get a few veggies chopped and stirred together, so I’m not interested in pre-boiling rice, browning Italian sausages, or washing a sink full of dirty dishes.
Do you want to see how easy this Italian sausage recipe truly is?!
HOW TO ASSEMBLE A DUMP-AND-BAKE ITALIAN SAUSAGE RECIPE:
First, whisk together the “sauce” or the liquid base for your casserole. This is just a combination of condensed Cream of Mushroom soup (I use Campbell’s Healthy Request) and water.
Combine the sauce with the rest of the raw ingredients in your dish: fully cooked Italian Style Smoked Chicken Sausage, bell pepper, onion, diced tomatoes, uncooked white rice, and salt and pepper.
It might look like a lot of liquid right now, but the rice will absorb the liquid as the casserole bakes, resulting in a creamy risotto-like finished product.
Stir the Italian sausage into the casserole about halfway through the cooking time. Since I’m using fully-cooked chicken sausage here, the meat doesn’t need very long to heat through.
If you prefer to use raw Italian sausage, that will work too. You’ll need to add it to the dish with all of the other ingredients at the beginning so that it cooks through by the time the rice is done. Also, be aware that some of the grease from the sausage will be left in the dish, so you might like to try raw Italian turkey sausage for a leaner option.
After about 1 hour – 1 hour, 15 minutes, you will have a lovely Italian sausage recipe that’s complete with fresh veggies and creamy, tender rice.
It’s like a lazy mom’s version of Italian Sausage Risotto — and it’s the key to your busy weeknight schedule! Enjoy, friends!
Other Dump-and-Bake Rice Recipes that You Might Enjoy:
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken and Dirty Rice
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Dump-and-Bake Fiesta Chicken and Rice
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Italian Sausage and Rice Casserole
Equipment
- 9 x 13-Inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups water (or low-sodium chicken broth)
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I use Campbell's Heart Healthy variety)
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
- 1 sweet bell pepper (any color), diced
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup total)
- 12 ounces fully cooked Italian sausage, sliced into rounds (I use Aidell's Italian Style Smoked Chicken Sausage)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add water, cream of mushroom soup, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and pepper to the prepared dish. Whisk until completely combined and smooth.
- Stir in the uncooked rice, drained diced tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion. Spread everything evenly in the dish.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, stir in the sliced sausage, and cover again. Return to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 more minutes.
- Give the casserole a stir and check the rice for doneness. If the rice isn't completely tender, cover and continue baking for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is done.
- Let rest for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Rice: Use long-grain white rice only. Brown rice, instant rice, and wild rice require different liquid amounts and cook times and are not recommended for this recipe.
- Sausage: This recipe is designed for fully cooked sausage. I use Aidell's Italian Style Smoked Chicken Sausage, but smoked sausage, kielbasa, or any other pre-cooked variety will work. If using raw Italian sausage, brown it in a skillet first to remove excess grease, or add it to the dish at the beginning of the bake time (expect a greasier result). Italian turkey sausage is a good leaner option for raw sausage.
- Cream soup swap: Cream of chicken, cream of celery, and cream of onion all work in place of cream of mushroom. Golden mushroom soup is another option for a less creamy, deeper-flavored sauce.
- Cover tightly: A tight foil seal is essential. The trapped steam cooks the rice. If your dish doesn't seal well, double up on the foil.
- If the rice is still firm: Cover the dish and continue baking for 10 to 15 more minutes. Add a splash of water or broth if it looks dry.
- Cooking for two: Cut all ingredients in half and bake in an 8-inch square pan. The timing stays the same.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a splash of broth before reheating to keep the rice moist. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Broth option: Swap the water for low-sodium chicken broth for extra flavor in the rice.
Nutrition
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I prefer to use brown rice. Do you know if this changes the cook time?
Hi, Zhalih! Yes, brown rice requires about twice as long to bake as regular long grain white rice. I don’t know the exact timing since I haven’t tested this recipe with the brown rice, so if you decide to prepare it with the brown rice be sure to keep your eye on it so that you know when it’s done. 🙂
I want to try this recipe with instant white rice. What changes would you recommend for cook time, ECT?
Hi, Lee! Here’s an example of a dump-and-bake recipe that I made using instant white rice: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/dump-bake-aloha-chicken-rice/
The instant rice will obviously cook faster, but it also absorbs less liquid. So you’ll need to adjust the cooking time and the liquid ratio.
I haven’t tested this recipe with the instant rice, but I would first try leaving all ingredients the same, but using 1 1/2 cups of instant rice total. Bake the dish at 425 degrees for a total of about 30 minutes. Stir in the sausage about halfway through.
Really, just keep an eye on it so that you will know when the rice is tender and it doesn’t get overbaked. Hope that helps!
I definitely needed the extra 15 minutes using Jasmine rice rice, a convection oven, and Golden Mushroom. Note for anyone who prefers the taste of condensed Golden Mushroom to Cream of Mushroom (as I do): This substitution works well, but at the cost of the purported risotto-like creaminess (as I expected TBH). The casserole wasn’t dry, but it wasn’t creamy, either, which was fine by me. 🙂 I’ll be making this again and again, I’m sure, bc it’s a formalized (and therefore reliable) version of something I’ve been making by eyeball for years, with varying results.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Mel! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
Can this be made in a crockpot?
Hi, Susan! Yes, I think it could. I haven’t tested it myself, but I would guess that you would need about 1.5 – 2.5 hours on HIGH or 3-5 hours on LOW in the slow cooker. Just be sure that you keep an eye on it because you don’t want to overcook the rice and have it mushy. Hope that helps, and enjoy!
I love this recipe its a family fav and so easy to make
That’s awesome! Thanks, Alisha!
Could this be made in instant pot
I’m not sure, Nicole! It probably could, but I’ve never used the IP for rice, so I wouldn’t know what setting to advise.
This turned out. I used raw Italian sausage but just took it out of the casing and cooked it first. Then added it halfway through as well. I also used golden mushroom condensed soup instead of a creammof soup because we are dairy free! Turned out great!
Thanks, Kristin! Your suggestions are great for a dairy-free version. Good idea to pre-cook the raw sausage, too. Thanks again for the tips, and I’m so glad that you enjoyed the meal!
Tasted like someone chewed the casserole and spat it into my bowl.. Followed directions to a T. Good idea but would taste better with more flavour. Next time will add garlic, broccoli, and reduce the water content.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I made it tonight for dinner & I’d definitely make it again!
I omitted the bell pepper. I used cream of chicken instead of mushroom (it’s what I had on hand) + a can of crushed Italian tomatoes. I cooked my Italian sausage about 3/4 thru (together with the chopped onions). I added salt, pepper, garlic, fresh basil & Italian seasoning – it was so easy! I sprinkled freshly grated parm cheese on top … yum!! Thx again!
*I am rather lacking in skills for cooking. I can bake like crazy, but cooking is just not my gig. This recipe was easy, kinda fun to put together, and even my hubby said “it’s pretty good.” This recipe is a winner!*
Thank you! I’m glad that it was an easy option for you to prepare — even if you prefer baking. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to come back here and leave a note, too!
We don’t like mushrooms, is there another cream soup you’d recommend?
Hi, Sue! Sure, you can use just about any other flavor that you like. Good options include cream of celery, cream of onion and cream of chicken. Enjoy!
Wow, Blair, this recipe was a hit in our house! I used uncooked bison sausage and added 6 oz tomato sauce that I had left over from another recipe, thereby decreasing the water to 1/2 cup from 3/4 cup. It came out bubbly with the rice perfectly cooked. My family added shredded cheddar cheese on top when serving, and they ate second helpings! Definitely saving this recipe for future dinners. Thank you!
Yay! You can’t beat an easy dinner that the family can all agree on. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to come back here and leave a note, Amy!
Awesome receipes
Thanks, Gina!
Great idea for a recipe, but I cooked my raw Italian sausage most of the way to avoid the oiliness, and added the peppers only halfway through cooking time to retain their great colours. It was a hit!
Thank you, AJ!