Sam’s Andouille Rice

 Ingredients

• 14 oz. Andouille sausage
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil 
• ½ bell pepper 
• ½ onion ** Sam’s Addition
• 1 tsp smoked paprika 
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano 
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme 
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/4 tsp onion powder 
• ¼ tsp penzy’s cajun seasoning
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1/8 tsp black pepper 
• 1 bay leaf ** Sam’s Addition
• 1 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes 
• 1 15.5oz can red beans ** Sam’s Addition
• 1 cup long grain white rice 
• 1.5 cups chicken broth 

Instructions 

1. Slice the sausage into ¼ inch thick slices. Add the sausage and cooking oil to a deep skillet and sauté over medium heat until the sausage is well browned. Don't worry if the sausage begins to brown on the bottom of the skillet. That's extra flavor that will cook into the rice later.
2. While the sausage is cooking, dice the bell pepper and onion. Once the sausage is browned, add the bell pepper and onion to the skillet and continue to sauté for about one more minute.
3. Add the spices (minus bay leaf) to the skillet and continue to sauté for one minute more to toast the spices.
4. Add the fire roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), rice, beans, bay leaf, and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine and dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.
5. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come to a full boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let the skillet simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat and let it rest, with the lid on, for an additional 5 minutes.
6. After the skillet has rested, remove the lid, and fold the sausage and rice to redistribute the rice and sausage throughout.