One-Pot Cheesy Kielbasa, Broccoli, and Rice
Our newly improved One-Pot Cheesy Kielbasa, Broccoli, and Rice is a deliciously easy weeknight meal made in just one pan. It’s fast and easy to make, is great for the freezer, and is packed full of flavor and broccoli, making it not only one of my kids’ favorite meals but one of mine to serve to them!
Next, try our One Pot Creamy Broccoli Pasta!
Newly improved, friends! Our One-Pot Cheesy Kielbasa, Broccoli, and Rice has had an upgrade! This new recipe makes this one-pan meal is updated for much better flavor and all of our tips and tricks for an easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love, and that’s perfect for the freezer!
We love a meal that requires just one pot or pan, because well, life is busy enough so anytime we can cut down on washing dishes, it’s a win. Almost as much of a win as getting the kids to happily eat a whole bunch of broccoli!
Ingredients Needed
Easy, simple, and fresh – typical for a SFS recipe!
- Kielbasa – A staple in my Polish home growing up!
- Cheese – A mixture of sharp cheddar and mozzarella adds just the right amount of flavor and gooey-ness!
- Uncooked Rice – Long Grain White is best for this recipe. See recipe notes for other rices.
- Broccoli – Lots of fresh broccoli is our favorite, but of course you can use frozen, too!
- Onion and Garlic and Olive Oil– Staples in our cooking. For onions we love using yellow, but you could also use white.
- Stock – Chicken is our favorite for this, but you could also use vegetable.
- Ground Mustarrd – This really adds to the flavor of the whole dish!
- Salt and Pepper
Super Easy to Make
As required in our household these days – this is a fast to prep, fast to make, (and gobbled up fast!) meal!
We absolutely love our go-to skillet for this, our 12-inch cast iron from Finex! It is an investment, but trust me, if you’re looking for a gorgeous workhorse of a cast iron, Finex (made locally here in Portland, OR), is an investment that you won’t regret making!
Of course, though you can use whatever 12-inch deep skillet with a lid that you have!
Cook the Kielbasa. The first thing in the pan is the kielbasa to give a quick cook on each side. Then, you’ll have a pan full of goodness that you can use a little bit of chicken stock to deglaze all that good stuff off of the bottom of the pan to cook your onion and garlic in.
Saute Onion and Garlic. Once you have that pan deglazed, add in the onion and garlic to give a quick saute in all that goodness.
Add Rice. Add that uncooked rice, your salt, pepper, and ground mustard, and give it all a quick fry, too.
Add Stock and Let Simmer. Add the stock to the pan and then let it simmer to cook the rice!
Add Broccoli and Cheese. Add those broccoli florets and cover to cook a little more to steam them, then the final touch is to add the cheese.
One-Pot Cheesy Kielbasa, Broccoli, and Rice done! Oh so cheesy.
Perfectly cooked rice. Soft broccoli and flavorful kielbasa topped with cheese! This One-Pot Cheesy Kielbasa, Broccoli, and Rice is a one-pot/skillet dinner that’s sure to be a family favorite!
Pro tip: Scramble up some of the leftovers with an egg or two and wrap it in a flour tortilla with some hot sauce for a killer breakfast burrito! Clearly, that was obviously my burrito-loving husband’s concoction.
Other One Pot / Fast Dinners
Sheet Pan Shrimp and Asparagus
15 Minute Garlic Fried Noodles
20 Minute Sweet and Spicy Noodles
Cauliflower Shrimp Fried “Rice”
FAQs
Yes, but the cooking time will greatly increase because brown rice takes much longer to cook. See recipe notes.
Of course! Just add it straight to the pan, frozen.
Absolutely! This is a great meal to make ahead and freezer!
We love our cast iron for this, but you can use any large (at least 12 inch) deep skillet you have, that you also have a lid for.
That means either you’re cooking the rice at higher than a gentle simmer or you haven’t added enough stock. Be sure to add at least 3 cups of stock for 1 cup of rice.
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
If you want to see more, be sure to sign up for my 5 Easy Ways to Start Cooking From Scratch!
One Pot Cheesy Kielbasa, Broccoli, and Rice
Equipment
- Large deep skillet with lid
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 Polish Kielbasa, sliced on a diagonal
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked white basmati rice
- 3 cups + 3 tablespoons chicken stock divided
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Heat a large deep skillet to medium and add oil. Add sliced kielbasa and cook for 1-2 minutes on one side before flipping to cook another 1-2 minutes on the other. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Deglaze pan with 3 tablespoons of chicken stock, then add onion, garlic and saute until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add rice, salt, pepper, and mustard and stir to combine, frying for 1-2 minutes.
- Add remaining 3 cups of chicken stock and lemon juice. Turn heat up to bring it all to a boil, then reduce to medium low to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove lid and add broccoli. Don't mix! Just add the broccoli to the top and cover and cook for another 5 -7 minutes, until broccoli is tender.
- Add kielbasa and stir. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and stir to combine then top with remaining cheese and cover with lid to melt the cheese.
- Serve and enjoy!
Can you use any kind of sausage if you e sure it’s cooked through?
Definitely!
easy one pan wonder, but i doubt the wonder. I tastes like cheesey basi. It needs more life then it has for sure. quick meal when you dont feel like cooking… but not a favorite at all.
Hi!
I am excited to make this. Would I need to cook the rice differently if I am using cauliflower rice? I know it cooks pretty fast, so wondering if I would still add the chicken stock but not let it sit as long. Any suggestions?
Hi Alisia! Great question – I haven’t done this yet but you are right, cauliflower rice cooks a lot faster and doesn’t need the liquid to cook. Honestly, I would only add about 1/4 a cup and that would be just to give some liquid to let the broccoli steam in. I’m going to try this now, too!
Can I use regular white rice and frozen broccoli?
Absolutely!
I just made this tonight for the family. My teenage daughter loved it so much that she is already requesting for a repeat! I didn’t have green bell pepper. I just placed 1 tsp. of red bell pepper powder. And I topped the dish with dried oregano (coz basically I just love the smell). Definitely, there will be a repeat! I’m already thinking of placing chicken breast fillets, white mushrooms and baby corn!
Thanks for a really good recipe. Made this tonight in the Insta Pot with Turkey kielbasa. Added mushrooms and a bit of Cajun spice. Turned out fantastic. Husband loved it.
Oh that sounds great, Elle! So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for letting me know!
This was very good. I didn’t have the peppers so I increased the onion.
So glad you enjoyed it, Susan!
Holyyyy comfort food! I’m always all over anything with broccoli and cheese. But hi, add salty kielbasa, hearty rice, and it’s a game changer. Stick-to-your-ribs goodness. But there’s broccoli so we’re still getting our greens and being healthy 😉
I hope you have a safe trip and enjoy Virginia! I grew up there, it’s a beautiful state — be sure to get some good barbecue, oysters and Chesapeake blue crab… Oh… and if. you make it to Smithfield — the Smithfield Inn has awesome sandwiches, soups and Southern ham biscuits. Now about your one pot sausage and rice — this recipe is one that I desperately need in my rotation. Love the easy one-pot nature and the hearty flavors. It seems like the style of recipe that could easily be customized with what you have on hand, so I look forward to making many renditions. Thank you for the inspiration!
Well the Ukrainian in me loves the sound of this recipe. What a great weeknight dinner. Easy to find ingredients and quick to make.
Very good! Love one-pot recipes. So easy for weekday meals.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Very yummy! This is the second time I have made this dish. The first time the broccoli was too undercooked, so this time I steamed them before adding it to the pot. Definitely will remain on the meal rotation!