You'll love the flavor of this easy Kielbasa and Rice skillet dinner. The dish is served with a zesty, melty cheddar cheese sauce.
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When I plan ahead I don't mind spending some extra time on dinner, to make dishes like Slow Cooker Guinness Pot Roast or Chicken Pot Pies. However, there's always that one night that, despite my best intentions, I find I'm short of time to get dinner ready.
The tell-tale sign that I'm in trouble is when I catch my husband or one of the kids hanging out in front of the pantry—that's when I realize I have to get cooking!
Kielbasa and Rice topped with cheddar cheese sauce is one of our family favorites, and it's a favorite of mine because it comes together so quickly.
What to expect from Cheesy Kielbasa and Rice
- Precooked smoked kielbasa sausage cooked in a skillet until hot and crisp
- Quick-cooking jasmine rice as the tender base for this recipe
- A creamy, spiced cheddar sauce with flavors of smoked paprika and garlic
- A sausage and rice recipe that comes together in just a little more than 30 minutes
Why you'll love this recipe
Kielbasa (or smoked sausage) and rice with cheese is a great meal idea to have in your back pocket for busy nights, and the ingredients are easy to keep on hand. For example, I always keep jasmine rice in my pantry; it cooks up fluffy and tender in only fifteen minutes. Not only do we enjoy it in this Cheesy Sausage and Rice recipe, but it's perfect for Mexican Chicken with Peppers & Rice and Caprese Rice Salad with Bacon.
Kielbasa is my go-to sausage for this recipe as its flavor pairs beautifully with the paprika-spiced cheddar cheese sauce. However, smoked sausage, andouille, and sausages made with turkey or beef would also work great in this skillet dinner. Sausages like these can often be found on sale, so pick up extra and freeze them for future dinners.
Lastly, you'll love the cheddar and sausage skillet recipe because it's really tasty! A savory, kid-friendly, easy budget meal that the whole family will dig into.
on the side!
Scallion Biscuits
Buttery, flaky, and savory!
How do you cook kielbasa?
Because kielbasa is a precooked and smoked sausage, cooking kielbasa is a breeze: just slice it up and cook it in a skillet for about ten minutes. I slice the meat on a diagonal to create large pieces with lots of surface area for browning.
Other precooked sausages will work just as easily.
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🔪 How to make this Kielbasa and Rice Recipe
Ingredients:
- Jasmine Rice: My favorite type of rice because it cooks in only 15 minutes and tastes delicious.
- Polska Kielbasa: Look for this precooked sausage in the meat section; smoked sausage also works well in this recipe.
- Cheddar Cheese: I like to use Cabot's Vermont Sharp which is a milder cheddar.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter in the roux for the cheese sauce.
- Milk: Simmered with the roux, milk helps make a rich cheese sauce.
- All-Purpose Flour: An ingredient in the roux, it helps thicken the cheese sauce.
- Smoked Paprika: If you want the flavor to be less smoky, use regular paprika instead.
- Garlic Powder: It gives even more flavor to the sauce.
- Salt and Pepper: Just a pinch of each rounds out the flavor of this dish.
- Sour Cream: A finishing touch to smooth out and loosen the creamy sauce.
Cook the rice
Prepare the jasmine rice based on the package directions and hold the cooked rice aside. (This guide from The Kitchn has tips on how to cook rice three ways.)
Cook the kielbasa
Cook kielbasa slices over medium heat in a skillet until they're browned around the edges and hot.
Make the cheddar sauce
Stir flour into hot, melted butter and seasonings to make an easy roux. Add in milk to make a thickened base before adding shredded cheddar cheese. It should melt to make a smooth sauce.
Serve!
Place a serving of the kielbasa and rice on each plate and spoon cheddar sauce over the tops.
FAQs
Yes, any precooked sausage can be subbed in for the kielbasa—just remember that the sauce has a savory, smoky flavor when choosing your sausage.
This dinner is hearty and filling, so any side dishes can be on the light side. Try a fresh, green salad, buttered corn, or some fluffy Scallion Biscuits with butter.
Let any leftovers cool completely, then put them into a resealable container. Keep them in the fridge for up to four days. They can easily be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little splash of milk to loosen up the sauce.
Tips:
- I use jasmine rice because it's ready in just 15 minutes. If you use a different type of rice, follow the package directions and factor in the time difference.
This is one tasty, cheesy sausage and rice dinner—a savory and satisfying meal that the family will really enjoy!
The recipe for Cheesy Rice and Kielbasa is below. And here are even more savory recipes to try:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Kielbasa and Rice, with Cheddar
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Ingredients
- 1½ cups jasmine rice
- 16 ounces polska kielbasa (or smoked sausage)
For the sauce:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, unbleached
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1¼ cup 2% milk
- 1 cup shredded Vermont sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
Instructions
Make the rice:
- Bring three cups of salted water to a boil in a large saucepan. Rinse the jasmine rice in a mesh strainer until the water runs clear.
- Once the water is boiling, add in the rinsed rice; stir the rice to distribute it through the water.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer the rice for 15 minutes until tender.
- (If you're making a different kind of rice, cook it according to the package directions.)
Prepare the kielbasa:
- Meanwhile, slice the kielbasa on the diagonal into thin, large slices.
- Heat the kielbasa slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the slices are sizzling and browned at the edges.
- Transfer the cooked kielbasa slices to a plate and hold them aside.
Make the sauce:
- Have the butter, flour, seasonings, milk, and cheese ready by the stove before starting.
- Add the butter to the hot skillet, and heat it over medium heat until melted.
- Quickly whisk in the flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir this roux continuously over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Pour in the milk and whisk to combine it with the roux.
- Stir the mixture constantly as you bring it to a simmer over medium heat. As soon as the mixture begins to simmer and it just begins to thicken, remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the shredded cheese until it is melted. Then stir in the sour cream.
Serve:
- Place portions of the rice and kielbasa on dinner plates, then spoon the cheddar sauce over the top. Serve them while they're hot!
- Makes 6 servings.
Notes
- I use jasmine rice because it's ready in just 15 minutes. If you use a different kind, follow the package directions and factor in the time difference.
Nutrition
Miss Alana says
This is a filling nice recipe. The flavorfulness of the Keilbasa in the sauce helps make the recipe tasty. But I didn’t find the sauce to taste as cheesy as I thought it would. To be fair I don’t add salt into my recipes but I’m not sure adding it would help with the cheese flavor boost. I added Cabot’s Seriously Sharp cheddar thinking it would help. Maybe a teaspoon of mustard would give the sauce a little zing.
Otherwise it’s an okay recipe. I think my family members who can’t deal with spicy food might really like this.
Nancy Mock says
Hello Miss Alana, I think if you're hoping to make the flavor of the cheddar more prominent, it might help to reduce the amount of smoked paprika, as this is a very strong spice. I hope you'll try this dish again soon with this adjustment. Thanks for making my recipe!
Shelley says
This is one of my go to quick weekday dinners. It's really good and filling. It's
also filled with grocery staples I almost always have on hand too. Thank you for posting this recipe!
Nancy Mock says
Shelley, I think that's exactly how I came up with this recipe—by using ingredients I had on hand. I'm so happy you enjoy this recipe enough to add it to your dinner rotation. Thank you for sharing this with me!