Quick and Easy Sausage & Mushroom Rice

I've mentioned this before...that we have a pig in our freezer, as in a whole pig.  Actually, we bought a pig each year for the past two years.  When you buy a whole pig, you get a lot of sausage.  We had a different processor each year and it varies, but I would estimate we received 55-70 pounds of sausage with each pig.  We don't eat a lot of breakfast sausage, although we love sausage gravy so I have been finding other ways to use all of this sausage.  

Two of my family's favorite meals I make with ground sausage are this Sausage and Mushroom Rice and Asian Pork Sausage Lettuce Wraps.  While I love making lettuce wraps, I really love the simplicity of this Sausage and Mushroom Rice.  You really don't even need a recipe.  Simply cook the sausage, onions, and mushrooms, then stir in cooked rice and a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach.  Heat through and wallah...dinner is served.  

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground sausage (I use mild)
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 sweet onion, diced
2 cups rice (uncooked)
2-3 big handfuls of fresh spinach
Fresh ground salt and pepper (optional) to taste

1.  Cook rice according to package directions.  
2.  In a large skillet or wok, brown sausage with mushrooms and onion.  
3.  When sausage is browned and mushrooms and onion and tender, add rice and spinach and heat through.  Spinach will wilt.  
4.  Salt and pepper to taste if you like.  The sausage seasonings and onion will flavor this dish, but you may find you like the addition of a little fresh ground salt and pepper.

​Serves 4-6 as a main dish.

Yum