Our cheesy one pot kielbasa casserole is easy, creamy and comforting. We are from Minnesota, and this is an ungraded version of a kielbasa and rice “hotdish” our mom used to make. It was a childhood favorite and is a bit nostalgic. Our upgrades for the dish include:
1) Using fresh instead of frozen vegetables,
2) Using a mix of orzo and rice instead of only rice.
3) A homemade sauce consisting of white wine, broth and milk rather than “cream of” soup.
The casserole is all made in one pot and takes about 45 minutes to make. This makes it an easy week night family friendly dinner you will want to add to your regular rotation!
Ingredients Needed for One Pot Kielbasa Casserole
Kielbasa- If you don’t like kielbasa you can use chicken sausage, smoked beef sausage, or any other type of sausage you prefer instead.
Broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots- these are the fresh veggies we chose to include in the dish because the original hotdish recipe used frozen California blend vegetables. Feel free to switch out any of the vegetables for something different if you like!
Garlic
Sweet Onion
Orzo
Rice- We used a mix of orzo and rice for added texture and flavor. You could just use one of them!
Low Sodium Chicken Stock
White cheddar cheese- This is our absolute favorite cheese! Regular cheddar or Monterey jack could be used instead!
Parmesan cheese- Freshly shredded cheese is always best, but if you do not want to take the time to shred it you can also use grated parmesan.
White Wine- The orzo and rice are toasted in the white wine. If you don’t drink wine or do not typically have it on hand, consider buying this for cooking with! It is less expensive than most white wine and can be purchased at any grocery store. The flavor the white wine adds is SO good, but you can always replace it with equal parts chicken stock.
Cheesy One Pot Kielbasa Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 T olive oil
- 2 T butter
- 1 small sweet onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 carrots chopped
- 1.5 cups fresh broccoli roughly chopped
- 1.5 cups cauliflower roughly chopped
- 14 oz kielbasa thinly sliced
- 1 cup dry orzo
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes more or less to taste
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups white cheddar cheese freshly shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or oven safe skillet over medium heat. Brown sliced kielbasa on both sides and remove to a plate. Preheat the oven to 425.
- Heat 1 T of the butter in the same pan and add onion, sauté until softened. Add garlic and sauté about one minute longer until fragrant. Add carrots and cook about 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
- Add remaining 1 T butter, white wine, orzo and rice. Cook until rice/orzo are golden and toasted. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the broccoli, cauliflower, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook covered for 20-25 minutes until the rice is mostly cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Stir in the milk, 1/2 cup of the white cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, and the kielbasa.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and just beginning to brown. Enjoy!
