Sausage-Almond Rice...

As many of you may already know, I am on the road again this weekend. This time, I find myself in sunny Orlando, FL. I know, my job is tough. ;) But, I've been on such a roll blogging that I didn't want to leave you for four whole days with not post so I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes with you today.

This recipe is from a Paula Deen cookbook, The Lady and Sons Too!, my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas a few years ago. I cook it probably once a month and my entire family loves it.

Serves 6

3 cups water
One 2.1 ounce package chicken noodle soup (dry like Lipton)
1 pound ground pork sausage
1 cup raw long grain white rice
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the water and dry soup mix in a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, brown the sausage and rice in a large skillet. Add the celery, onions, and bell pepper and mix well. Combine the rice mixture with the soup, add the almonds, and pour into a greased casserole dish (2 qt or larger); cover and bake for 1 hour.

I've found this dish keeps well so you can double the recipe for a day's worth of leftovers too! ;) Try it and let me know what you think!