Smoked sausage & veggie skillet with orzo is the perfect summer time dinner packed with veggies and protein.
I love a one pot meal and this smoked sausage and veggie skillet with orzo takes the cake! I did a poll on my Instagram the other day asking if you prefered one pot dishes with rice or orzo and rice won but that leads me to my point that orzo is the uncredited champion of one pot dishes! It’s so easy to cook, versatile and literally takes on any flavor you give it–not to mention it’s CHEAP! I always have a box of orzo in my pantry just in case I need it to add to meal, I’m telling you now, you should too!
This dish was of course inspired by SUMMER! We are finally in the thick of the heat and seasonal veggies like red bell peppers, corn and zucchini are in their prime. You can grab these fresh ingredients on your next run to the farmers market and whip this together for your family in just about 30 minutes.
The flavors are fantastic and if you have picky little eaters at home, not to worry, they will this recipe too–Maybe leave out the bell peppers for them though, kids don’t like bell peppers lol
Anywho, this is a great dish to set and forget! The oven does all the work. I do add one extra step to brown the sausage before you combine everything in a casserole dish but that’s optional. I like a charred flavor to my sausage that’s why I added it but you can totally skip it to save on dishes and time–the flavor will still be there because the sausage is smoked.
Okay, I’ve done enough talking, let’s jump into the recipe.
Smoked sausage & veggie skillet with orzo
Smoked sausage & veggie skillet with orzo is the perfect summer time dinner packed with veggies and protein.
Ingredients
- 1 lb turkey kielbasa sausage, cut into circles or half moons
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup of sweet frozen corn
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1/2 small red onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup of uncooked orzo
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup pepper jack cheese, diced
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp butter, diced
For seasoning
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp all purpose seasoning like maggi
- 1/2 tsp stonemill table blend salt free seasoning
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp creole seasoning
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375
- In a nonstick skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat and sauté sausage until brown, about 2 minutes per side
- Transfer sausage to a casserole dish with lid and add corn, zucchini, red onion, red bell pepper, uncooked orzo, chicken stock, heavy cream, pepper jack cheese, butter and seasoning
- Mix well to combine then cover casserole dish with tight fitting lid or foil and bake for 15 minutes
- Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes on the top oven rack
- After additional 15 minutes, remove and and mozzarella cheese on top
- Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes at 425 or until cheese is melted
- Broil for 1 minute on high if desired for a darker crust
- Mix well, serve and enjoy!
Let me know if I’ve topped my last one pot dish by leaving a comment below! And there are even more recipes awaiting on my blog!
