Southwest Chicken, Sausage and Rice

This dish is as much an experience as it is a meal. It's a culinary journey - as your fork delves into the peaks and valleys of seasoned rice, Italian sausage, chicken, and cheese, you encounter layer upon layer of flavors - all heightened with a variety of Southwest seasonings. And, it all comes together in this very skillet, in about 30 minutes.

I should confess a little something here - I kind of cleaned out my fridge with this one... I had 1/2 pound of chicken and 3 links of Italian sausage (about 1/2 pound). I started with those two things and went to town in one skillet. But even if I had more chicken/sausage, I would have used just 1/2 pound each - it's plenty of food for 4 people.

What I love most about his dish is how it builds. First, the chicken and sausage pieces are browned in the pan. Then, the little brown bits they leave stuck to the bottom of the skillet are incorporated into the butter/onion/garlic mixture. When the rice hits the skillet, it gets a quick toast to bring out more of a nutty flavor (and while the rice is toasting, it's also grabbing that flavor from the bottom of the pan). All this happens BEFORE any seasonings are added, so you can only imagine how flavorful the broth gets when you add the chili powder, cilantro, cumin, and oregano. Oh, and then cheese... It's quite a magical dish.

I hope you love it as much as we did.

Southwest Chicken, Sausage and Rice 

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken (breast or thighs), cut into 3-inch pieces
3 links sweet or hot Italian sausage, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro leaves for serving, optional

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sausage pieces and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until all pieces are browned on both sides. Transfer the chicken and sausage to a plate and return the skillet to the heat.
Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute, until some (or most) of the kernels turn golden brown, stirring constantly. Add the broth, tomato paste, chili powder, cilantro, cumin, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well and bring to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken and sausage pieces to the pan, with any accumulated juices from the plate. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Top everything with the cheese, cover the skillet and remove the pan from the heat. Let stand for 1 minute, until the cheese melts.
Top with cilantro leaves before serving if desired.

Serves 4