Kielbasa, Rice, and Everything Nice

I grew up with having kielbasa (Polish sausage) as a staple meat in my house. My mom would always make kielbasa with onions and potatoes, and since I don't like potatoes I thought I'd put my own spin on it. For some reason kielbasa to me is an ultimate comfort food and is perfect for cold nights in the fall and winter. I paired mine with instant cook brown rice and a light and easy cream sauce. You could use pasta or potatoes with this, and if you don't like kielbasa, this sauce is great with steak and chicken as well.

Kielbasa with Rice and Mushroom Cream Sauce

Photo Credit (my picture looked like mush)

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

2 cups of instant brown rice (you can do the real stuff if you have 45 minutes)

1lb turkey or light kielbasa* (check note on bottom if you are unsure on how to cut the meat)

1 package of button mushrooms, sliced thin

2 medium onions, diced

1/2 cup of white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)

1/2 cup milk (I used 1%...whatever you have on hand is fine)

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese

1 tbl garlic powder, separated

1 tsp paprika

1-2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp cayenne (optional)

1 tbl olive oil

1 tbl butter

Directions:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick pan. Add the kielbasa and cook until golden brown on either side. Remove from pan and slice into small pieces about 1/4 inch thick. Keeping the heat of the pan at medium, add your butter and let it melt. Then, add the diced onions and mushrooms and cook until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are much smaller in size and golden brown. At this point you should cook your rice according to the package in either the microwave or on the stove top. Add half of the garlic powder and all of the remaining spices to your onion and mushroom mixture. Turn up the heat to medium high, add the wine, and let cook for about 3 minutes (it should be at a slight boil). Turn the heat down to medium low and add your milk. Once the sauce starts to thicken, add your cheese and remaining garlic powder. Let the sauce cook 2-5 minutes longer until it has reached your desired thickness. 1 pound of kielbasa serves 7, so you only want to use a little more than half of what you have (yay leftovers!). You can add the rice and meat directly to the sauce or have everyone create their own bowls.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 410 per serving
Total Fat: 19.1g
Cholesterol: 66.7mg
Sodium: 1,084mg
Carbohydrates: 29.4g
Fiber: 2.5g
Sugars: 9.4g
Protein: 22.1g

Enjoy :)

*How to cut the kielbasa: The kielbasa will be shaped like a horseshoe, so start by cutting it directly in the middle. You now have two evenly sized pieces. Cut each piece in half lengthwise so that you have four pieces each with casing on the outside and meat on the inside.