This fast, easy dinner costs around $4 and feeds 4-6 people. It’s flavorful, filling, a little spicy, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboards!
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When a recipe appears from a mishmash of whatever’s in your pantry, it’s a keeper. This Cajun Sausage, Beans & Rice costs around $4 and feeds 4-6 people. It’s flavorful, filling, a little spicy, and uses ingredients that are easy to find – in fact, you probably already have most of them right now.
One-Pot Stovetop Dinner
If you’re looking for a simple, one-pot dinner you can cook on your stovetop, Cajun sausage beans & rice is it. It’s allergy-friendly (egg-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free), uses real food (you’ll need to watch the ingredients in the sausage), and you can cook it all in about 30 minutes.
Even beginner cooks can make this simple budget-friendly dinner. Just saute some stuff in a pan, add the rice and liquid, cover, and cook.
I made this recipe with my sister when I was helping her after her first baby was born. We needed to go to the grocery store, but it was lunch time and everyone was hungry. Toss some pantry staples and sausage onto the stove and boom. Here’s a beans and rice meal we all love.
This Sausage, Beans & Rice Recipe is:
- Fast (30 minutes from the moment you slice the onion until the rice is cooked through)
- Easy to make
- Gluten-free (watch the ingredients on the sausage!
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Vegetarian option (omit the sausage)
- Real food (again, watch the ingredients in the sausage)
- One-Pot Stovetop dinner
- Simple instructions
How Cajun Beans & Rice Helps Us Save Money & Eat Healthy:
Beans and rice, right? It’s a classic budget-friendly meal. It’s also real food! Cajun Sausage, Beans & Rice is also easy to make with pantry staples, so it’s a quick dinner fix when I don’t menu plan and everyone is hungry.
When you have recipes like this, it’s easy to say no to the drive-thru and takeout. And if you’re on a tight budget, it’s a delicious dinner with minimal effort and money!
How to Make Cajun Sausage Beans & Rice
Need to make this recipe work for you? Here are some ideas!
Use What You Have
Andouille sausage is the classic sausage for this, but kielbasa is easier to find on sale, so I usually end up making it with that. Andouille is better, but kielbasa works! Feel free to use turkey or beef too.
Vegetarian Cajun Beans & Rice
Leave out the sausage entirely. EASY. I highly recommend using the Holy Trinity version here and adding more seasoning to make a vegetarian version that is flavorful and delicious!
How to Use Leftovers
As an added bonus, the leftovers make an amazing breakfast or lunch. I like to fry an egg on the side. It’s awesome!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #cheapskatecook and @cheapskatecook on Instagram.
Cajun Sausage, Beans & Rice
This fast, easy dinner costs around $4 and feeds 4-6 people. It’s flavorful, filling, a little spicy, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboards!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil or butter
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- ½-1 Andouille or similar sausage, sliced, (I usually use Kielbasa)
- 1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
- 1 cup white rice, uncooked
- One 14-oz can kidney beans
- One 14-oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups water or broth
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Optional:
- 1-2 cups mixed vegetables, chopped, (bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash, and corn all work great)
- 1-2 cups greens, chopped, (spinach, collards, and baby kale work great)
- Hot sauce, to serve
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Saute onion (and veggies, if using) until onion is translucent. Add kielbasa about halfway through onion cooking.
- Stir in Cajun seasoning and rice and let it lightly toast for 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes (and greens, if using) and water. Stir well.
- Open and drain kidney beans, then add them to the skillet and stir. Cover pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15-20 minutes - or until rice is done (time varies depending on the kind of rice).
- Add salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve with a salad or steamed vegetables.
Notes
Vegetarian Version:
Leave out the sausage entirely. EASY. I highly recommend using the Holy Trinity version (see below) and adding more seasoning to make a vegetarian version that is flavorful and delicious!
Add the Holy Trinity:
The recipe above is a very budget-friendly version of Cajun sausage, beans, and rice. If you want to make it more authentic (and more delicious!) use the Holy Trinity of Cajun and Creole cooking: diced onion, celery, and bell pepper. The recipe only calls for the onion, so add 1 stalk of diced celery and 1/2-1 whole diced bell pepper at the same time as the onion. Proceed with the recipe as usual.
Brown Rice:
If you prefer to use brown rice, I recommend cooking it ahead of time, as it takes about 40 minutes to cook through. Add the cooked rice to the skillet, drain the tomatoes (not all the way - just mostly) and omit the broth. Stir everything together, adding a little water or broth only if necessary.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1 cupAmount Per Serving Calories 316Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 20mgSodium 903mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 9gSugar 7gProtein 13g
Please note: The actual calories and nutrition of this dish will change depending on what ingredients you use. Nutrition information is not always accurate.
More Beans & Rice (ish) Recipes
- Cheesy Lentil Pie
- Learn to Cook Dry Beans (3 ways)
- White Bean Chili
- Mostly Meatless Nacho Dip
- Cumin Beans
- Frugal Easy Filling for Tacos, Burritos, and more!
What You Can Do Now:
What are some of your go-to recipes when you’re in need of a grocery store run but everyone’s hungry now?
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Brown rice takes 45 min to cook. Just to be aware of.
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Good point!