Cheesy Cajun Sausage Risotto

Spicy Cajun food meets creamy cheesy Italian food in our Cheesy Cajun Sausage Risotto. This one-pot wonder has everything you need in a hearty dinner – creamy arborio rice, plenty of veggies, spicy andouille sausage, and a cheese factor you’ll fall in love with.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword cajun risotto, sausage risotto, jambalaya

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings people

Calories 482kcal

Author Nicole

Cost $20

Equipment

Large shallow skillet

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
14 oz Zatarain's Smoked Andouille Sausage
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
1 large red bell pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup chopped celery
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 tbsp smoked paprika, divided
2 tsp garlic powder, divided
2 tsp onion powder, divided
1 tsp dried thyme, divided
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup light beer
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 - 4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish

Instructions

Heat a large shallow skillet to a medium-high heat. Add a little bit of olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the sausage. Sauté the sausage until it's super brown and crisp, then flip over. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium, and add the peppers, onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon dried thyme to the rendered fat. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the veggies are softened, but still crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the rice and garlic to the pan. Gently toast the rice for a few minutes.
Pour in the beer and let it reduce for a minute or two. Stir in the tomato paste.
Add about 3/4 cup of the chicken stock to rice. Use a wooden spoon to stir the rice almost constantly until the liquid is almost all the way absorbed.
Add the rest of the herbs and then repeat the process with the chicken stock, adding ¾ cup of the stock until you use 4 cups of the chicken stock. When the rice is finished cooking, it should be soft on the outside with a slight chew on the inside. Mine is almost always complete after 4 - 4 1/2 cups of chicken stock and about 25-ish minutes.
Once all the chicken stock has been added, stir in the parmesan.
Add most of the veggies and sausage back to the pan. Reserve a little for topping. Toss everything together and season to taste with plenty of salt, pepper, and cayenne. Garnish with extra parmesan cheese.

Nutrition