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We developed this amazing Italian Sausage and Rice Dressing with Kale and Cranberries as part of our Brand Ambassadorship with Johnsonville Sausage. All opinions are 100% mine.
With the Thanksgiving holiday literally right around the corner, our menu for Thanksgiving dinner is finally set. And one of the dishes we are most excited to serve this year is our Italian Sausage and Rice Dressing with Kale and Cranberries!
Our family and friends are going to love this dressing because we’ve given it a delicious flavor boost by adding Johnsonville Italian Sausage to the mix.
Johnsonville’s Italian Sausage comes in a variety of flavors and spices – including Mild, Sweet and Hot. And because the flavors and seasonings are already contained in the sausage – it’s super quick and easy to boost the flavors of any dish!
Another timesaver in the kitchen: Our Italian Sausage and Rice Dressing with Kale and Cranberries is made with Johnsonville’s ground sausage that is sold in a tray. There is no need to decase any sausage links for this recipe – simply toss it into a skillet to cook.
To make this recipe we browned the Johnsonville Sausage, then we mixed it in with brown rice, chopped Tuscan Kale, shallots, celery, sage and chicken stock. Once the rice is cooked and tender, we finished by stirring in some dried cranberries for a sweet contrast to the spicy Italian sausage.
We used a mix of their Mild and Hot Italian Sausage flavors in today’s recipe – and you can change that up based on your own flavor preferences.
This Italian Sausage and Rice Dressing with Kale and Cranberries is a delicious and zesty alternative to the typical Thanksgiving dressings made with bread. Guests who are eating a gluten-free diet can also enjoy this recipe – just be sure to select a chicken broth that is gluten-free.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville Italian Sausage. The opinions and text are all mine.
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Italian Sausage and Rice Dressing with Kale and Cranberries
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Johnsonville Italian Sausage, Mild
- 1 pound ground Johnsonville Italian Sausage, Hot
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup shallots, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup raw short grain brown rice
- 2 cups Tuscan kale, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- In a medium non-stick pot with tight fitting lid, cook sausage meat over medium high heat until browned. Remove to a strainer placed over a bowl and drain off any excess fat. Discard fat.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add shallots and celery and cook for two minutes.
- Add rice and cook for one more minute.
- Add kale and sage and cook just to wilt kale, about one more minute.
- Add stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and cook over low for 50 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in dried cranberries and cooked sausage. Cover and let rest ten minutes.
- Stir once more and serve immediately.
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