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Smoked Sausage Peas and Rice One Pot Dinner

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Last updated on February 6th, 2020 at 05:52 am

Need an easy, filling, one-pot meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes?  I know as a working mom I need all the help I can get in the kitchen.  This one-pot Bahamian Peas and Rice dish combines smoked sausage, pigeon peas, rice, and veggies!

Need an easy, filling, one-pot meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes? I know as a working mom I need all the help I can get in the kitchen. This one-pot dish combines smoked sausage, pigeon peas, rice, and veggies with a hint of Bahamian flair! Smoked Sausage Peas and Rice Recipe | Take Two Tapas

Being a mother of two boys is hard work.  Throw in a husband that travels most days of the week, and I am just about frazzled every night.  Trying to think of easy, yet hearty, recipes to keep my boys full is a job all by itself.  This peas and rice pot with smoked sausage is a great one to add to your menu rotation!

My younger son is still in that pop tart, pretzel, plain pasta, canned soup, and chicken finger phase.  I can’t get him to try anything new.  My older son is really starting to spread his wings and try new things.  One place I can get him to try new dishes is when we visit my grandfather’s old home in the Bahamas.  

He was born, along with his four sisters, on the island of Green Turtle Cay, in the Abacos part of the Bahamas.  It is a tiny island, but full of history.  I had the privilege to spend my summers there as a child, visiting my grandparents and all their cousins, catching fresh fish, and making homemade coconut ice cream.

Curtis, Cynthia, Beverly, and me!

My grandfather Curtis and two of his sisters: Cynthia and Beverly. That’s me in the red![/caption]

Even though my grandparents have passed away, I still have aunts, uncles, and lots of cousins to visit.  A few of the dishes that we eat while we are there include souse chicken, boiled fish, cracked conch, and “peas and rice.”

Souse Chicken, Bahamian style

This souse chicken is made with potatoes, lime juice, allspice, and hot peppers and is standard breakfast in the islands.[/caption]

They have a macaroni and cheese that will blow your mind, but today I am going to share with you the “peas and rice” dish.

The peas in the “Peas and Rice” dish are pigeon peas or “gandules.”  The rice is toasted in the pan with bacon and sweet peppers.  Adding a bit of tomato paste adds some depth and a gorgeous red/orange color.  

The peas are added along with the broth or water and some thyme for its floral notes and cooked like regular rice.  Once the 20 minutes are up, you uncover this gorgeous pot of rice, peas, peppers, you are ready for a filling meal full of flavor!

Need an easy, filling, one-pot meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes? I know as a working mom I need all the help I can get in the kitchen. This one-pot dish combines smoked sausage, pigeon peas, rice, and veggies with a hint of Bahamian flair! Smoked Sausage Peas and Rice Recipe | Take Two Tapas

Peas and rice is typically a side dish, but today I am adding some Hillshire Farm smoked sausage and making this a complete meal!

The bit of bacon you add in the beginning to soften the onion and peppers adds a hint of smokiness, but I wanted to accentuate that flavor and add some more protein to this dish to make it a full meal for other busy parents to enjoy.

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Need an easy, filling, one-pot meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes? I know as a working mom I need all the help I can get in the kitchen. This one-pot dish combines smoked sausage, pigeon peas, rice, and veggies with a hint of Bahamian flair! Smoked Sausage Peas and Rice Recipe | Take Two Tapas

Look at how gorgeous that looks!  Can you believe you can get this in less than 30 minutes?

Because the Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage that I picked up is already cooked, it shortens the cook time to the amount of time it takes to cook rice and saute the peppers and onions.  

And it really adds a depth of flavor to the staple pigeon peas and rice.

Here are a few step-by-step photos of the process:

Need an easy, filling, one-pot meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes? I know as a working mom I need all the help I can get in the kitchen. This one-pot dish combines smoked sausage, pigeon peas, rice, and veggies with a hint of Bahamian flair! Smoked Sausage Peas and Rice Recipe | Take Two Tapas

This Bahamian Peas and Rice with Smoked Sausage is a great dinner because it is 30 minutes and it is ONE POT! Check out my Butternut Squash soup for a great vegetarian one-pot meal that serves a lot of people for little money!

Peas and rice in a white bowl on a white plate with a salad

Smoked Sausage Peas and Rice Pot

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Need an easy, filling, one-pot meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes? I know as a working mom I need all the help I can get in the kitchen. This easy recipe for a one-pot dish combines smoked sausage, pigeon peas, rice, and veggies with a hint of Bahamian flair!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long grain rice
  • 1 14 oz package of Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage (sliced)
  • 1 14 oz can pigeon peas (drained) *gandules
  • 1 medium bell pepper (diced) I use yellow because I am using tomato paste
  • 1 small onion (diced)
  • 2 tablespoons thyme
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 slices bacon (uncooked, chopped small)
  • 4 cups water or broth

Instructions

  1. Place your large pot on the stove and turn on medium heat.
  2. Add the olive oil to get it hot.
  3. Add the onion, pepper, bacon, and sausage to the pot.
  4. Cook until the bacon releases some of its fat and the peppers and onions are almost tender.
  5. Move all of this to one side of the pot.
  6. On the other side, add the rice and tomato paste.
  7. Stir the paste into the rice and coat it, keeping it separate from the sausage and veggies.
  8. Let cook for about 30 seconds and start to toast.
  9. Stir the rice, paste, and sausage mixture all together to combine.
  10. Add the pigeon peas and the thyme, making sure you rub the thyme in your hands to release the oils.
  11. Add the water and bring to a boil.
  12. Reduce temperature to low and cover tightly.
  13. Cook for 20 minutes.
  14. Serve warm, by itself, or with a salad!

Notes

*If you like this recipe, please leave me a comment and rate it with some stars.  Thank you!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 353Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 514mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 5gSugar: 2gProtein: 14g

This nutrition information was generated via a third party, Nutritionix, and can not be held liable for any discrepancies in the information provided.

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© Jennifer
Cuisine: American / Category: Small Portion Comfort Foods

Making this dish at home reminds me of all the times I sat in my grandparent’s kitchen, smelling the rice toasting, and the fish frying next to it.  

The fish we would have caught on the boat that day, and that night I would be enjoying the fruits of my labor with my sunburnt cheeks and some sand still between my toes.

A view from the front porch on Green Turtle Cay

This is a view from the porch of the house and the very sand that I played on as a kid.  When we were done fishing, we could clean our fish right on the shore, and after dinner, we would sit on the shore and watch the stars.  Not a bad way to grow up.  It’s ok to express your jealousy…

I am very lucky to still be able to share these memories with my kids and let them make their own memories, right on this very beach.

In the meantime, back at home and in the middle of a busy week of school and tennis practice, I can make this Smoked Sausage Peas and Rice dish, we can talk about how many fish we are going to catch and which cousins they might be taller than when we go back next summer.

“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®  and Hillshire Farm, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #nohasslesavorymeal http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

©TakeTwoTapas.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Comments

  1. Barbara Karr says

    My grandfather was born in Barbados. He ran away from home at 13 and signed onto a freighter. He worked his way into the kitchen and became a cook. He later settled in NY. That is the background. He made a dish we call split peas and rice. Sadly I never got the recipe. I have asked many people with Island backgrounds and none recognized the dish.Today I found you and your dish is the closest thing I’ve ever come across. His dish had no tomato. I remember yellow split peas, white rice.onion, and bacon. After reading your recipe I am wondering if his recipe is an American version of a similar dish. I am so happy to have found you! Would you please respond with any information you may have? I have been searching for this recipe for years. It fills the belly and the heart.I think we may share similar cultural backgrounds. And by the way I love your sausage addition. The peas and rice are rather bland but sausage will fix that. Thanks for reading and I’m hoping to hear from you. Best wishes! Barb

    Reply

    • Jennifer says

      The recipe I have is from my Grandfather on my mother’s side. He is Bahamian. He and his sisters were born on Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, Bahamas and I spent most of my summers growing up there. He married my grandmother here in the states when he was 21 and they retired over there in 1992. They both passed away almost 10 years ago but I still make this dish and it reminds me of them. I added the sausage as a one pot meal because, like you said, the pigeon peas and rice can be bland at times, which is why I eat them when I am sick, but I always add a few dashes of hot sauce or “Old Sour” which is fermented lime juice from the Cay. I have also seen a similar version from Jamaica but their spices were a little different and there was more bell peppers in it. I hope you like it and it brings back memories for you too. I will have to try the version with the yellow split peas too:)

      Reply

    • chubcheeks@bellsouth.net says

      Dawn,
      Thanks for letting me know I forgot to add it to the list. It is 4 cups of water or broth. I hope you love it as much as I do! Thanks for reading!

      Reply

  3. Jennifer | The Deliberate Mom says

    MMMmmmmm, this looks and sounds so fabulous. Healthy and fairly easy to make too! I have to whip this up for the family sometime soon.

    Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).

    Wishing you a lovely evening.
    xoxo

    Reply

  5. Nicole says

    This sounds like a delicious recipe idea. I love that it only takes 30 minutes too. With 5 boys and a girl (4 of them are all teenagers who workout in the gym 4-5 days a week) they sure can eat now!! How lucky you are to have a family home in the Bahamas, I’m sure you’re family will make many memories there. I am sharing this recipe with my viewers. Thank you so much for sharing on Inspire Me Monday. I hope you have a blessed week.

    Reply

  11. Amanda | The Chunky Chef says

    This looks so hearty and comforting! And yes, super jealous of your beach memories ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply

  12. Julie @ Texan New Yorker says

    Love the Bahamas story! Almost a year ago my husband and I spent our 10th anniversary in Exuma, it was so beautiful!

    This recipe sounds great too, I love hearty meals like this!

    Reply

  13. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

    How wonderful that you have such great family memories that you’re able to share with your kids! Love it, and I’m sure they’ll remember their visits fondly! What a great way to make a tasty, filling meal (love the short prep time, too)! Bet the flavors combine so nicely together!

    Reply

  14. jane @ littlesugarsnaps says

    What a fantastic post – childhood memories are the best – especially when they involve dear, dear Grandparents. I have to say I like this dish. It’s quick & simple, tempting to look at and substantial. My one request – do you have the recipe for the homemade coconut ice cream for our dessert? Pretty please!

    Reply

    • chubcheeks@bellsouth.net says

      You can certainly sit in front a great screen saver and eat this. Maybe a palm tree or two? I would love to take you with me next trip and make you some fresh conch salad!

      Reply

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