Italian Sausage and Rice Casserole

By JJCR

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 1 6 oz. package long grain rice
• 1 lb. Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 2/3 cup chopped sweet peppers (bell or banana)
• 1/2 tsp. tarragon leaves
• 1/4 tsp.marjoram leaves
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• 2 tbsp. butter or fat drained from sausage
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 2/3 cup milk or lt. cream
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

Preparation

Step 1

Cook rice as directed on package. Meanwhile, cook sausage in large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat, stirring to break it into small pieces. Add onion.
Cook and stir until onions are translucent and sausage has changed color. Drain off fat. Stir in peppers, tarragon, marjoram, salt and white pepper. Combine rice and sausage mixture in a 1 1/2 qt. casserole.

Sauce:
Melt butter. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in hot water and bouillon cube. Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce comes to a boil. Stir in milk and simmer 3 minutes. Pour sauce over rice and sausage mixture in casserole. Sprinkle almonds over top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until almonds are golden. Makes about 5 1/2 cups, enough for six servings

Note: For a moister casserole, cover while baking.