How to Make an Inexpensive, Quick Skillet Meal With Pork Breakfast Sausage and Orzo--Better Than "Hamburger Helper"
- Leigh
- Sep 20
- 2 min read
This is one of those recipes you'll want to try when you're tired, don't particularly want to cook, stuff in the grocery store is way too expensive (like now), and everyone is hungry, you included. The recipe is easy, you can make it on top of the stove in about half an hour (or less), and it's really, really good--far better and more nutritious than "Hamburger Helper." The recipe also is cheap (well comparatively!) to pull together. The meal is made with inexpensive pork breakfast sausage. Yes, I know, it's full of fat. Just drain the sausage super well. The pork sausage is about half the price of turkey sausage, far less expensive than ground turkey or ground beef (which is between eight and nine dollars a pound here), and full of flavor. Chopped onions and apples work well with the sausage, and orzo pasta cooks in the pan and provides creaminess to the dish, along with sour cream. This skillet meal makes a great fall supper along with a salad and/or vegetable. Leftovers make good lunches reheated in the microwave. Enjoy!
Inexpensive Pork Breakfast Sausage and Orzo Skillet Meal -- Serves 4+
16 ounces of pork breakfast sausage
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup of orzo pasta
1 medium/large apple, cored and chopped
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 cups of water (or use 3 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of chicken base, like "Better
Than Bullion for more flavor)
1/2 cup of sour cream (I use light sour cream or sometimes Greek yogurt)
2 - 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley (optional but good--you can also use dried parsley)
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and crumble in the pork sausage. Saute the sausage until it has cooked through and browned a little. Tip the pan and pour/spoon off the fat. Return the pan to the heat and add the onion and apple to the sausage. Saute the onion and sausage with the pork for a few minutes. Stir in the pasta and saute it for a minute or two with the pork, onion, and apple mixture. Sprinkle in the cinnamon and add the water. Bring the mixture to a boil, stir it well, reduce the heat to a simmer, and partially cover the pan. Let the mixture cook for 10-15 minutes or until the orzo is tender and most, but not all, of the liquid is gone. Turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream and half the chopped parsley. You can add a little more water if you prefer a looser consistency to the pasta. Taste the dish and add salt and pepper, if you like. Sprinkle the remainder of the parsley on top of the pasta and serve the meal from the skillet.
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