Eat: San Antonio Skillet

When I moved in with J, he would talk often about a dish he called "San Antonio Skillet." It involved kielbasa, so I was not willing to try it for a long time. Finally I caved, and now it's one of our go-to dinners when we need something relatively easy and brainless.

Over the past few years as my eating habits got healthier, I made some adjustments to the recipe to make it a bit more healthful as well. That's one of the great things about this one - you can adjust to fit your taste whether it be going with brown rice and low fat kielbasa or kicking up the spiciness by using hot salsa and Rotel tomatoes.

So here it goes.

San Antonio Skillet

from J

Total prep and cook time: 40 minutes (give or take - you can knock off 20 minutes by cooking rice the day before)

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked rice (white or brown)
1 package Polka Kielbasa (I have started to use the light version)
1 can Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies  (you choose your spice level - I get mild)
1 jar Salsa or Picante Sauce
1 can pinto beans, drained

Extras: sour cream

First, cook the rice according to package directions.

While the rice is cooking, slice your kielbasa.

...and preheat your electric skillet to 350 with a drizzle of olive oil. If you don't have an electric skillet, I you can use a large saute pan of any kind on the stove over medium heat.

When you're finished slicing and your pan is heated, toss the kielbasa in to cook.

Make sure you flip half way through, or one side of your kielbasa slices will end up being crispy. This happens to me more often than I'd like to admit.

Once the rice is finished cooking, toss it into your skillet along with the beans, salsa, and tomatoes. Stir, then cover and simmer over medium heat until heated through.

J likes to top his with Parmesan cheese and sour cream... I just go for a dollop of sour cream.

Voila!

This also reheats really well - and the recipe makes far more than 2 people will be able to eat in one sitting. It's one of the few left overs that I will actually eat.

Oh, and don't forget to rinse and recycle your salsa jar and cans, kids!



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