Rice Dressing with Sausage is a Thanksgiving side dish made with sweet Italian sausage, celery, onion, mushrooms, and Carnaroli rice, then baked until the edges get crispy. Italian rice stuffing is a Sicilian-American tradition, and it's always part of the Thanksgiving spread at our house.
Another delicious side dish like this is our Italian Mac and Cheese or Crispy Garlic Parmesan Potatoes.
Looking for more classic vegetable sides? Try Italian Cabbage or Italian Green Bean Salad.
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Why This Dish
This Rice Dressing with Sausage is a classic Italian-American dish served on Thanksgiving in the Northeast. It is not spicy like its Cajun counterpart and doesn't have the bread like Traditional Thanksgiving Italian Sausage Stuffing. I serve this with Garlic Parmesan Green Beans and Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts are the cornerstone of the side dishes for your turkey or ham!
The rice makes this dressing slightly lighter than stuffing made with bread or breadcrumbs. You can also use this recipe to make stuffed mushrooms, which makes it easy to cut down on work for the holidays.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Mushrooms. Baby Bella mushrooms are the perfect mushrooms for rice dressing with their mild and buttery flavor.
- Italian Sausage. Use mild or sweet Italian sausage, which will add the most flavor to the dish. Make your own sausage in just 15 minutes with Homemade Italian Sausage Seasoning. Hot sausage would change the dish dramatically but could be a great addition.
- Rice. Carnaroli rice will give you the creamiest texture after baking. It's the same rice I use in risotto and other creamy rice dishes like Creamy Mushroom Truffle Risotto or Italian Rice and Beans (Riso e Fagioli). You can substitute arborio rice, white rice, or wild rice.
- Parmesan. Parmesan is the best cheese to add because it adds that subtle nutty and savory flavor.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on ingredients.
How to Make Italian Rice Dressing
Step 1: Bring a large saucepan to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the ground sausage to the pan and sear untouched for 3 minutes. Break apart the sausage and continue cooking until browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the pan and set aside in a large bowl.
Step 2: Lower the heat to medium. Add 3 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add the chopped celery and onion. Sauté for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
Step 3: Add the mushrooms to the pan. Allow them to sauté for 5 minutes or until they turn a deep brown color and the vegetables are tender and the mushroom liquid has cooked off. Remove the vegetables and set them aside with the sausage.
Step 4: Add the rice to the saucepan. Toast for about 2 minutes stirring often. Add the white wine and stir until it is completely absorbed.
Step 5: Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower to a gentle simmer and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 375℉. Uncover and fluff the rice. The rice should still have some liquid remaining.
Step 7: Combine the rice, sausage, celery, onions, and mushrooms in an oven-safe casserole dish along with the parmesan cheese.
Step 8: Bake in the oven for 30 minutes uncovered until the edges of the stuffing are browned and crispy.
Dressing or stuffing, whatever you choose to call it, is a classic Fall recipe. It's the perfect dish to warm you up with a saucy dish like Pork Tenderloin Medallions in Marsala and a vegetable side like Roasted Carrots and Fennel or under a delicious braised dish like Easy Chicken Cacciatore.
This rice dressing is the perfect stuffing to use in our Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms if you want to switch it up from bread stuffing! You may also like our White Bean Pumpkin Chili in the cooler weather!
Pro-Tips
- Let the sausage sear undisturbed for 3 minutes to develop a browned crust. Then break it into crumbles and cook until brown. This is how to bring the most flavor out of the sausage.
- Sauté the mushrooms with the vegetables until most of the liquid has cooked off. That helps the dressing crisp up in the oven.
- Toast the rice for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. It gives the rice a subtle nutty flavor.
- Bake until the edges are golden and crisp. You want to bake rice stuffing uncovered so that the top and edges get crispy.
Stuffing a Turkey or Chicken with Dressing
It is generally not recommended to stuff a turkey with dressing, or stuffing in this case. Although it will get all of the juices from the bird, it could take a lot longer to cook the turkey, and it may not get cooked all the way through in some instances.
I prefer to use the rice stuffing as a casserole and serve it alongside a Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast or serve along with an Authentic Italian Porchetta.
If you're just cooking for a few people, serve it alongside Cast Iron Chicken Breast or Grilled Stuffed Pork Chops.
FAQs about Italian Rice Dressing
The same thing that's in bread stuffing except with rice. We make it with sweet Italian sausage, Carnaroli rice, celery, onions, mushrooms, and Parmesan.
Yes, you can skip the wine. Wine adds a subtle brightness to the rice and helps deglaze the pan initially and infuses the rice with that flavor.
Store in an airtight container and srefrigerate for up to 3 days. The best way to reheat is in a hot saucepan with olive oil. This preserves the crispy texture of the rice.
More Thanksgiving Sides
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
Save this Recipe So You Don't Forget it
I mean c'mon we all know you're gonna forget!
Rice Dressing With Sausage
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 large oven-safe baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 lbs Italian Sausage, ground
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz mushrooms, chopped
- 2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup carnaroli or arborio rice, uncooked
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the ground sausage to the pan and sear untouched for 3 minutes. Break apart the sausage and continue cooking until browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the pan and set aside in a large bowl.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add 3 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add the chopped celery and onion. Sauté for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan. Allow them to sauté for 5 minutes or until they turn a deep brown color and the vegetables are tender and the mushroom liquid has cooked off. Set the vegetables aside with the sausage.
- Add the rice to the saucepan over medium heat. Toast for about 2 minutes stirring often. Add the white wine and stir until it is completely absorbed.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower to a gentle simmer and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Uncover and fluff the rice. The rice should still have some liquid remaining.
- Combine the rice, sausage, celery, onions, and mushrooms in an oven-safe casserole dish along with the parmesan cheese.
- Bake in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes until the edges of the stuffing are browned and crispy.
Video
Pro-Tips
- Let the sausage sear undisturbed for 3 minutes to develop a browned crust. Then break it into crumbles and cook until brown. This is how to bring the most flavor out of the sausage.
- Sauté the mushrooms with the vegetables until most of the liquid has cooked off. That helps the dressing crisp up in the oven.
- Toast the rice for a 1-2 minutes, stirring often. It gives the rice a subtle nutty flavor
- Bake until the edges are golden and crisp. You want to bake rice stuffing uncovered so that the top and edges get crispy.
Patricia says
What can I replace the white wine with?
Vincent DelGiudice says
Chicken broth
Sandra Marie Ianniello says
Is it salted or unsalted butter?
New cook
Thanks!
Vincent DelGiudice says
I always use unsalted!
Vincent DelGiudice says
This is a delicious Italian version of stuffing with rice. We make this on Thanksgiving every year!