Warm Italian Rice Salad with Sausage and Romaine

Browned Italian sausage, tender mushrooms, and seasoned rice with green peas is tossed with Romaine lettuce and tomatoes for an Italian-inspired meal with a crispness of fresh veggies.

• Preparation Time: 5 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 360 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• ¼ cup shredded Italian cheese blend
• 1 (5.4 ounce) package Knorr® Rice Sides™ - Herb & Butter
• 8 ounces ground mild Italian sausage
• 5 large white button mushrooms, sliced
• 5 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat; add sausage and cook and stir, crumbling into small pieces, until cooked through and no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove cooked sausage from skillet with a slotted spoon; drain on paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon rendered fat.

Step 2

Place mushrooms in skillet and cook over medium heat until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer from pan with slotted spoon to plate with sausage.

Step 3

Prepare Knorr® Rice Sides™ - Herb & Butter in skillet according to package directions. Stir dried Italian seasoning into the water; omit additional margarine. Three minutes before the rice is finished cooking, add the peas. When rice is done, stir in cooked sausage and mushrooms. Heat through.

Step 4

Add romaine lettuce and tomatoes; toss lightly. Scoop into serving bowls; top each serving with desired amount of shredded cheese and serve immediately.