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Dollar Store Dinners – Sausage and Rice

This Sausage and Rice skillet is an easy and filling meal that you can make with ingredients found at the dollar store.

The post Dollar Store Dinners – Sausage and Rice appeared first on Budget Bytes.

I hit the jackpot at the dollar store this week! They were more well-stocked than the last time I visited, so I was able to brainstorm several quick dollar store dinners to keep us going for the next few weeks. This week we made this super quick Sausage and Rice, which is a simplified version of my Cajun Sausage and Rice recipe. And the Cajun Sausage and Rice is a simplified version of jambalaya, so I guess you could say that this dollar store sausage and rice recipe is kind of like jambalaya’s third cousin, twice removed. 😆

Dollar Store Dinners

Welcome to the new Dollar Store Dinners series on Budget Bytes. We’re making quick and simple meals using only ingredients found at the dollar store. While the availability of ingredients will vary from store to store, hopefully, these easy recipes will give you some inspiration for when money is tight and access to groceries is limited!

Overhead view of a sausage and rice skillet with hot sauce on the side.

What’s in This Meal?

This super simple meal is cooked all in one pot for maximum flavor and minimum cleanup. It starts with smoked sausage and a mix of frozen vegetables (onion, bell pepper, and celery), then we add rice, chicken broth, and a little creole seasoning. Everything is simmered together until the rice is tender, then topped it off with a couple of dashes of hot sauce, plus a little more creole seasoning to taste. Simple, yet good!

Here’s what we bought at the dollar store:

  • Smoked sausage $1.25
  • Frozen seasoning blend $1.25
  • Vegetable oil $1.25
  • Long grain white rice. $1.25
  • Chicken bouillon $1.25
  • Creole seasoning $1.25
  • Hot sauce $1.25

Total $8.75

And we have plenty of leftover oil, rice, bouillon, Creole seasoning, and hot sauce to use in other recipes!

Dollar store ingredients.

What Kind of Sausage To Use

Since we got all of the ingredients for this dish at the dollar store, there was no room to be choosy about what type of sausage to use. Luckily they had a package of “smoked sausage” that I snatched up immediately. This sausage looked exactly like the “hot dogs” on the shelf next to them, so I’m pretty sure the only difference was the addition of smoke flavoring. If all you had available was hot dogs, I’m sure this would still make a tasty meal!

But if you do have access to a variety of sausage, definitely go for a smoked pork or beef sausage, like andouille or kielbasa.

What Kind of Seasoning to Use

A lot of the flavor in this dish comes from the smoked sausage and chicken broth. I also added some creole seasoning, but if your dollar store doesn’t have that there are other options. Try adding some salt-free all-purpose seasoning (like Mrs. Dash), taco seasoning, or even steak seasoning. Just be aware of the salt content of your seasoning so you don’t over salt the dish.

What else can I add?

If you want to bump up this recipe a bit, try adding a drained can of kidney beans, or maybe a can of diced tomatoes (reduce the broth by the amount of liquid in the can of tomatoes). And I’m a “cheese makes everything better” type of person, so if I had some cheddar I’d throw that on top and let it melt, too. :P

See my full “grocery store” version of this recipe here: Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet.

close up side view of a plate full of sausage and rice.
Overhead view of sausage and rice in the skillet.
Print

Sausage and Rice

This Sausage and Rice skillet is an easy and filling meal that you can make with ingredients found at the dollar store.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Total Cost $8.75 recipe / $2.19 serving
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 1.25 cup each
Calories 436kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. smoked sausage $1.25
  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil $1.25
  • 10 oz. frozen seasoning mix (celery, onion, bell pepper, parsley) $1.25
  • 1 cup long grain white rice $1.25
  • 1.5 cups chicken broth (made with bouillon) $1.25
  • 1/2 tsp Creole seasoning $1.25
  • hot sauce to taste $1.25

Instructions

  • Slice the smoked sausage into ½-inch thick rounds.
  • Add the cooking oil to a deep skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add the smoked sausage and continue to cook until the sausage has browned (3-5 minutes).
  • Add the frozen seasoning mix to the skillet and continue to cook and stir over medium heat until the vegetables are heated through.
  • Add the rice, Creole seasoning, and chicken broth to the skillet, then stir until everything is combined.
  • Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and let the broth come up to a boil. When it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the skillet simmer for 15 minutes (do not lift the lid, do not stir).
  • After simmering for 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let the skillet rest with the lid in place for an additional five minutes.
  • Finally, lift the lid, fluff the rice, and add more Creole seasoing and hot sauce to taste. Serve and enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

The prices listed for this recipe are the purchase price for the full container of the ingredients used.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.25cups | Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 23g | Sodium: 813mg | Fiber: 2g

How to Make Sausage and Rice – Step by Step Photos

Dollar store ingredients.

Here are all of the ingredients we used: smoked sausage, frozen seasoning blend (onion, celery, bell pepper, parsley), vegetable oil, white rice, chicken bouillon, Creole seasoning, and hot sauce.

sliced sausage on a cutting board.

Slice 8 oz. of smoked sausage.

Browned sausage in a skillet.

Heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (or any cooking oil) in a deep skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced sausage and cook until browned.

seasoning mix added to the skillet with the sausage.

Add the frozen celery, bell pepper, onion, and parsley mix (called “seasoning mix) and sauté until heated through.

Rice, broth, and seasoning added to the skillet.

Add one cup of rice, ½ tsp of Creole seasoning, and 1.5 cups chicken broth (made with the bouillon). You don’t want to add too much Creole seasoning here because it contains salt and you don’t want to over-salt the dish.

Sausage and rice ready to be simmered.

Stir everything together until evenly combined. Place a lid on top, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come up to a boil.

Simmered sausage and rice.

When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the skillet simmer for 15 minutes (do not remove the lid or stir it). After simmering for 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest with the lid in place for an additional five minutes.

Hot sauce being sprinkled over the sausage and rice.

Fluff the rice with a fork, then season to your liking with extra Creole seasoning and hot sauce.

Overhead view of a plate full of sausage and rice.

The post Dollar Store Dinners – Sausage and Rice appeared first on Budget Bytes.


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Vegan Gumbo

Serve up this vegan gumbo for dinner this week. Hearty, comforting, and bursting of flavor in each bite. Serve your vegetable loaded vegan gumbo over a bowl of rice. Grab a spoon and dive in to this vegan comfort food dinner.  The thick roux reall…

Serve up this vegan gumbo for dinner this week. Hearty, comforting, and bursting of flavor in each bite. Serve your vegetable loaded vegan gumbo over a bowl of rice. Grab a spoon and dive in to this vegan comfort food dinner.  The thick roux really elevates the flavors and helps the vegetables in this gumbo...

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This article was written and published by Oh My Veggies. It may not be reproduce or republished without permission of the author. The original article can be found here: Vegan Gumbo.

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

I don’t do side dishes often (I’m more of a “bowl meal” type person), but when I do, I make sure to keep them simple. If I’m already going through a lot of trouble to make a main dish, I’m not going to pull out ten more ingredients just for the supporting actor. No, side […]

The post Spicy Sweet Potato Fries appeared first on Budget Bytes.

I don’t do side dishes often (I’m more of a “bowl meal” type person), but when I do, I make sure to keep them simple. If I’m already going through a lot of trouble to make a main dish, I’m not going to pull out ten more ingredients just for the supporting actor. No, side dishes are to remain as simple as they come! These Spicy Sweet Potato Fries are the perfect example. They transform any sandwich or wrap into a full meal and add a lot of color and flavor to your plate without a lot of extra work. Plus they’re just super tasty. ;)

Baked Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Two dishes lined with newsprint full of spicy sweet potato fries

After living in south Louisiana for 16 years, I ate my fair share of sweet potato fries. They were always deep fried, and always seasoned with tons of Creole or Cajun seasoning. Now that I’ve moved away, I still want that sweet-spicy-salty flavor whenever I have some sort of sandwich or burger, so I make this baked version at home!

Are These Sweet Potato Fries Crispy?

No. Sorry if I got your hopes up, but they’re not crispy like deep fried sweet potato fries. I’m a firm believer that sweet potatoes can not be made crispy in the oven. I’ve tried every technique from soaking to cornstarch coating, and more, and none have produced a crispy sweet potato fry in the oven. Honestly, even deep fried sweet potatoes are quite a bit softer than deep fried white potatoes. So as long as you go into this not expecting a crispy fry, I think you’ll be able to enjoy them for what they are.

What do Sweet Potato Fries Go With?

This awesome combo of sweet, salty, and spicy goes really well with anything BBQ. So, BBQ Bean Sliders, BBQ Beef and Beans (you can serve the beef and beans over the fries instead of over rice), or BBQ Chicken Quesadillas are all great mains for this side. But they also go great with all sorts of other sandwiches, like Green Chile Turkey Burgers, Sloppy Joes Plus, or Baked Chicken Sandwiches.

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries next to a BBQ Bean Slider in a dish lined with newsprint, viewed from above

Pictured above with a BBQ Bean Slider.

Just How Spicy are these Spicy Fries?

I would call them “medium” spicy. I used Tony Chacheres Creole Seasoning to season the fries, and they do make a “more spicy” version of their seasoning, if you want something hotter. If you want something mild, you can switch it out for your favorite seasoning salt, like Lawrys.

What if I Can’t Find Creole Seasoning?

You can add just about any seasoning salt to sweet potato fries. Other brands of Creole or Cajun seasonings (Slap Ya Mama is really good) will work fine, or as I mentioned above, a basic seasoning salt like Lawrys will also work. If you’re using a different seasoning, make sure to check the salt content. If it does not contain salt, you’ll want to add salt to the fries in addition to your seasoning. 

Close up side view of one bowl full of spicy sweet potato fries

 

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

These Spicy Sweet Potato Fries are an easy side dish with a sassy sweet and salty flavor combination, plus a spicy Creole seasoning kick!

  • 2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs. total) ($1.38)
  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil of choice ($0.26)
  • 1 tsp Creole seasoning or spicy seasoning salt* ($0.10)
  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into 1/4-1/2 inch wide fries. Place the cut fries on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with cooking oil. Toss the fries until they are well coated in oil. Spread the sweet potatoes back out over the baking sheet so they're in a single layer.

  3. Transfer the baking sheet to the fully preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes or so, or until the the sweet potatoes are browned and blistered.

  4. After the sweet potato fries have baked, season to your liking with Creole seasoning or spicy seasoning salt. Serve immediately.

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

Overhead view of two dishes lined with newsprint containing spicy sweet potato fries

 

How to Make Spicy Sweet Potato Fries – Step by Step Photos

Sliced sweet potatoes into fries on cutting board

Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and slice two sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs. total) into “fries” about ¼-½ inch wide.

Cut sweet potatoes arranged on the baking sheet

Place the cut “fries” onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp of your preferred cooking oil and toss until the sweet potatoes are well coated in oil. Spread them out so they are in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Baked sweet potato fries on the baking sheet

Bake the sweet potatoes for about 45 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until they are browned and blistered.

Creole seasoning bottle held above the baking sheet

Season the fries to your liking with a spicy Creole or Cajun seasoning salt (or your preferred seasoning salt).

Finished seasoned sweet potato fries

Enjoy the sweet potato fries while still warm!

A pile of sweet potato fries in a newsprint lined dish, viewed from above

The post Spicy Sweet Potato Fries appeared first on Budget Bytes.