Cheesy Vegetable, Turkey Sausage and Rice Casserole is cozy, satisfying and comforting, yet packed with healthy veggies!
Comfort food gets a healthy twist in Cheesy Vegetable, Turkey Sausage and Rice Casserole! This fresh and filling, gluten free casserole recipe comes together on the stovetop before being transferred to a baking dish, buried under a blanket of cheese, then briefly broiled to melt it.
It’ll give you all the warm and fuzzy feelings of eating a casserole without having to wait for an hour or two to bake.
Can you say upgrade?!
Fresh and Light Casserole Recipe
When I think casseroles I usually think heavy, eat-your-feelings-type meals that are perfect for the darkest of nights in the season that shall not be named. This casserole, in contrast, is cheesy — yes — but light and filled with vegetables.
Sauted zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic, and sweet corn are combined with rice, turkey sausage, and an easy, homemade cheese sauce. The mixture is scooped into a casserole dish, topped with more cheese, then broiled until bubbling. It is unbelievably good. This is one of those meals you have to force yourself to walk away from, otherwise you’ll keep going back for more and more and more, and before you know it half the pan is gone.
Or so I’ve been told…
Anyway, this casserole also reheats beautifully. Make and enjoy for dinner then pack up the leftovers for easy lunches all week long!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by adding long grain white rice and chicken broth to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then place a lid on top, turn the heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat then let sit with the lid on for 5 additional minutes before fluffing rice with a fork. Set aside.
Meanwhile, brown gluten-free Italian-style turkey sausage in a large skillet over heat that’s just a touch above medium. Scoop the sausage onto a plate then set aside.
This is the turkey sausage I use – love the flavor!
While the turkey is browning, prep the vegetables. You’ll need a red bell pepper, yellow onion or jumbo shallot, zucchini, and sweet corn (fresh or frozen.)
Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to a large skillet then add the peppers and onions, season with seasoned salt, and saute until the vegetables begin to soften, 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and sweet corn then season again and saute until all the vegetables are tender, 5-6 additional minutes.
Finally, add minced garlic then saute for 1 minute. Set the vegetables aside.
Last step is to make the cheese sauce which takes 3 minutes – that’s it!
In a small saucepan whisk together gluten-free flour and milk.Turn the heat to a touch above medium then whisk until the milk is thick and bubbly, 2 minutes. Turn the heat off then add shredded gouda cheese and stir until smooth.
You can use any kind of cheese you like for this dish, really. Pepper jack, cheddar, gruyere, or even fontina are all great options!
Everybody into the pool! To the skillet with the vegetables add the cooked rice, sausage, and cheese sauce then mix until everything is well combined.
Scoop the mixture into a nonstick sprayed casserole dish then top with additional shredded gouda cheese and broil until melted.
That’s all she wrote! Scoop the casserole onto plates, top with a sprinkling of freshly chopped basil for freshness, then dig in. I hope you love this comforting yet wholesome dish – enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 2-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 8 oz Italian-style turkey sausage
- drizzle extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 small zucchini, chopped
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn kernels
- 1 large shallot or small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- homemade seasoned salt, see notes
- 1-3/4 cups milk, any kind
- 3 Tablespoons gluten free flour, or AP flour if not GF
- 8 oz freshly shredded gouda cheese, divided
- chopped fresh basil for topping, optional
Directions
- Add rice and chicken broth to a small saucepan then bring to a simmer. Place a lid on top then turn heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat then let sit with the lid on for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork then set aside.
- Meanwhile, brown sausage in a large, 12” skillet over heat that’s just a touch above medium. Once cooked, remove sausage to a plate then set aside.
- Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to the skillet then add bell pepper and shallot or onion, season with seasoned salt, and then saute until vegetables begin to soften, 5 minutes. Turn heat up slightly then add zucchini and sweet corn, season with more seasoned salt, then continue to saute until all the vegetables are tender, 5-6 more minutes. Add garlic then saute for 1 more minute. Turn the heat down slightly and/or add more extra virgin olive oil at any point. Taste vegetables then add more seasoned salt if necessary, and then set aside.
- Add flour to a small saucepan then whisk while cooking for 1 minute. Slowly stream in milk while whisking to avoid lumps. Turn heat to medium then continue to whisk slowly but constantly until milk is thickened and bubbly, 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat then add 3/4 of the shredded cheese and stir until smooth. Taste and add salt if necessary.
- Add cooked rice, sausage, and cheese sauce to the skillet with the vegetables then mix until well combined. Scoop mixture into a nonstick-sprayed 9x13” baking dish then top with remaining shredded cheese and broil until top is golden brown. Sprinkle with fresh basil, if using, then scoop onto plates and serve.
Notes
- Click here for my Homemade Seasoned Salt recipe.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
My family loves this casserole. I usually use a full pound of either Italian sausage or chorizo and sharp cheddar instead of Gouda. It can be a lot of work to get everything prepped but it is worth it. I just made one for dinner and one for the freezer. My 1 and 3 year old both ate it tonight, including all the veggies!
Love that this is a go-to for your young family, Julia! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
I want to make this recipe, but am confused by two things: You said in the directions and the list of ingredients to use long-grain white rice. But what you have pictured – and what you link to in your list of ingredients is white JASMINE rice. There’s a difference!
Also, both white long-grain and jasmine rice definitely take longer than 10 min to cook on the stove. They both take 20-25 min either on the stove or in a rice cooker. (I’m a 40-year seasoned cook!)
If you see this, thanks for any clarification.
Jasmine rice is a type of long grain white rice. Jasmine, basmati, or plainly labeled “long grain white rice” will all work for the purposes of this recipe. If your rice takes longer to cook then please by all means cook it to the texture you desire and are accustomed to.
What is the nutrition information?
Made this for my family tonight and it was a HUGE success. I made two small adjustments, and everyone went back for seconds.
1) I added about 1 TBSP of worcestershire sauce to the veggies while they were cooking.
2) I had carrots that needed to be used up but the family “doesn’t like” carrots. So I pureed the carrots and added them to the cheese sauce. They couldn’t even tell ?
Overall this will absolutely become one of our go to recipes.
Wow this was amazing, thank-you for the recipe!
I used wild leeks instead of onion and didn’t have zucchini. Also used Breakfast style turkey sausages and it was absolutely amazing!!
Was good just need a bit of zip so I added Italian spice blend 1 tsp -family members requested it be made again.
This was so yummy! I had lots of compliments! I will definitely make it again.
You need to correct the cook time for the rice. It states to boil for 10 minutes when it should be 40 minutes (according to the directions on the bag). I made the Gouda cheese sauce but used sharp cheddar on top to give it more flavor. Other than that the dish is pretty tasty ?.
The brand of rice I used and showed in the pictures needs to be cooked for 10 minutes. It sounds like maybe you used brown rice which definitely takes much longer to cook. Glad you enjoyed the dish!
Hi Kristin,
Did you thaw the corn before you added it to the skillet?
This is such a nice recipe and it’s SO flexible! I can easily adjust it for 2, 3 or 4 people or make it more or less veggie-loaded, or make it with other veggies with excellent results. I’ve made it with frozen peppers because I didn’t have any fresh. I’ve made it with small-chop asparagus, with yellow squash, with a big handful of spinach cut small and just barely wilted (very pretty addition!) I think the only vegetable that might not work are the very hard root veggies like carrots. I’ve also made it with brown rice instead of white and fontina cheese instead of gouda. It’s just such an easy to make and reasonably healthy one-dish meal. Thanks, Kristin!!
Love that you’re able to make it work for you in a variety of circumstances, Anne! Thanks so much for your feedback and recipe rating. :)
Comfort food! Made it to take to a friend recovering from surgery, and it travels well. Used 1/2 cup Vidalia onion, chicken sausage, and cheddar cheese as that’s what I had on hand. I really like all the veggies, especially if you don’t overcook them…that crispness is really nice. I didn’t have any basil. I did use fresh summer corn, but I think frozen would probably work as well. Thanks for a great recipe.
So glad you love the recipe and made it work with what you had on hand, Maret! Thanks so much for your feedback and recipe rating!