One-Pot Brown Rice Pilaf with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, and Rosemary {Gluten-Free}

One-Pot Brown Rice Pilaf with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, and Rosemary {Gluten-Free} is a fuss-free comforting fall meal that’s perfect for entertaining with! And it’s easy to double if you’re feeding a crowd.

There’s no rule that says holiday entertaining has to be a fancy five-course meal, or has to involve some kind of roast along with an elaborate spread. Sometimes simple and rustic food is best, especially for a last-minute gathering of close family and friends.

This casserole-like meal is healthy comfort food at its finest. Brown rice lends a subtly nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with earthy mushrooms. Chicken sausage can be swapped out for turkey sausage if that’s your preference, and rosemary adds a woodsy complexity. All in all, it’s the perfect fall meal.

I was able to keep the amount of oil down in this recipe by using Swanson® Organic Free Range Chicken Stock to cook up the mushrooms, onion, and sausage. Not only does this little trick let you use less oil than you’d otherwise have to use, but the sausage browns and the veggies get tender while absorbing the deep flavor from this stock so your end result is even more delicious. How is that for a healthy holiday hack?!

A couple other things I want to mention about this recipe. If you can find fresh rosemary, by all means use it. My grocery store was sold out so I had to go with dried rosemary, but fresh would have been even better. Regarding cooking rice, a quick rinse will help get rid of excess starch so it cooks up fluffier, and a brief 15-minute soak in water before cooking will help shorten the cooking time and make the rice less brittle so it’s less likely to break. Or if you have leftover brown rice on hand, you can use that instead; just add it to the pot along with a splash of chicken stock once the sausage and vegetables are done, and cook until the rice is warm.

You can make this dish as part of a holiday potluck, or for a full meal in itself, serve this along with a big salad like my Spring Mix and Roasted Green Bean Salad with Creamy Maple-Miso Dressing or my vegan Roasted Delicata Squash, Pardina Lentil, and Kale Salad with Maple-Pear Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Other than cookies, what’s your favorite dish to bring to a holiday potluck?

One-Pot Brown Rice Pilaf with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, and Rosemary {Gluten-Free}

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 50 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup (180 g) long-grain brown rice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 oz (340 g) button mushrooms (brown or white), halved or quartered depending on size
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 lb (450 g) bulk chicken sausage (see Note)
2¼ cups (530 ml) Swanson® Organic Free Range Chicken Stock, divided
1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (see Note)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt (omit if your sausage is salted)
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Rinse the rice in a sieve under cool running water and then soak it in lukewarm water for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the oil to a medium-large pot over high heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, sausage, and ½ cup chicken stock. Cook uncovered until the sausage is browned, the mushrooms are tender, and the liquid is evaporated off, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat the remaining 1¾ cups chicken stock to a simmer and keep it warm.
Rinse and drain the rice and add it to the pot with the sausage. Cook until it’s toasted and smells nutty, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, pepper, salt, and warm chicken stock; bring to a boil and then cover the pot, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Turn the heat off and let the rice sit covered for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork and mixing in the parsley.
Serve.

Notes

Chicken Sausage: If you can’t find bulk sausage, you can buy raw sausage links and remove the sausage from the casings. You could also use turkey sausage.

Worcestershire Sauce: I use a gluten-free brand of Worcestershire.

Cooking Time for Rice: The rice may take longer to cook on a humid day.

Disclosure: I’m thrilled to partner with Swanson® as a brand ambassador. I received the Swanson® products that I used in this recipe for free, and I also received compensation for this post. I am happy for the opportunity to share brands that I believe in with my readers, and I hope you enjoy my recipe. As always, opinions stated are my own.