I love getting creative in the kitchen and throwing some ingredients together than sound like they’d go well together. I got lucky last week when I threw together smoked sausage, spinach, orzo, beans, and tomatoes. Not only was the dinner easy and quick to prepare, but it tasted incredible. And since it uses common ingredients that I almost always have stocked in my pantry, fridge and freezer, I’ll definitely be adding this meal to my “make-often” meal list.
I wasn’t quite sure what to call this one-pot dinner. It was too thick to be a soup, but it didn’t feel quite like a stew, either. Whatever you call it, it was satisfying and kid-approved. Yes, they even ate all of the spinach (somehow I was blessed with kids who like spinach, thank goodness!).
One-Pot Smoked Sausage with Spinach, Orzo and White Beans
- 1 package (12-16 ounces) smoked sausage/kielbasa
- 2-3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 3 cans white beans, drained (I used a combination of Cannellini and black eyed peas, since that's what I had on hand)
- 1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon minced onion or onion powder
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Slice sausage and heat in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add spinach and garlic and cook until spinach begins to wilt.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is reduced and orzo is cooked through.
- Serve with fresh garlic bread.
Since this was a throw-everything-in-the-pot and hope for the best kind of meal, I’d definitely say it would be easy to customize to your taste. If you don’t like spinach, leave it out. If you LOVE spinach, add some extra. Use your favorite beans or try a combination like I did. Make it your own…and enjoy!
We definitely did!
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