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Quick Italian Sausage and Rice Skillet – Easy 30-Minute Dinner

This quick Italian skillet dinner combines savory Italian sausage, tender rice, bell peppers, onions, and juicy tomatoes in a flavorful one-pan meal. Topped with melted mozzarella cheese, it's a hearty, satisfying dinner made with simple ingredients and ready in just 30 minutes. With minimal preparation and only one skillet to clean, it's perfect for busy weeknights.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 358
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (such as Red Gold)
  • 2 cups vegetable juice from concentrate such as Red Gold
  • 1½ cups instant rice
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Method
 

  1. Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, removing the casings first if necessary. Cook for 4–6 minutes, breaking the sausage into small pieces, until browned and no pink remains.
  2. Carefully drain any excess fat from the skillet to prevent the finished dish from becoming greasy.
  3. Add the chopped green bell pepper and onion to the cooked sausage. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
  4. Pour in the diced tomatoes and vegetable juice. Stir until evenly combined, then bring the mixture to a boil.
  5. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the instant rice and stir gently until it is evenly distributed throughout the sausage and tomato mixture.
  6. Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid and let it stand for 5–8 minutes, or until the rice becomes tender and absorbs the liquid.
  7. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the sausage and rice mixture.
  8. Cover the skillet again and allow it to stand until the mozzarella melts.
  9. Serve warm directly from the skillet.

Notes

  • Use instant rice rather than regular uncooked rice. Instant rice is precooked and designed to absorb hot liquid quickly.
  • According to the supplied recipe guidance, 1 cup of uncooked regular rice yields approximately 3 cups of cooked rice, while 1 cup of instant rice yields approximately 2 cups of cooked rice.
  • Regular uncooked rice cannot be substituted directly without adjusting the cooking method, liquid, and cooking time.
  • Drain excess sausage fat before adding the vegetables and liquid ingredients.
  • Allow the skillet to remain covered while the instant rice absorbs the hot liquid.
  • Keep the mozzarella covered until it melts from the residual heat.
  • The standing time can vary from 5–8 minutes depending on the instant rice used.