Hawaiian Sausage and Rice Bake

I made this easy dish one evening this summer when it wasn't so hot that I didn't mind turning on the oven.  This dish takes a little bit of prep, but it gets assembled in the casserole dish in which it is baked, which saves me some time on clean up.  What I love most about this dish, though, is the flavor.  

I found this recipe in one of those small magazines sold near the checkout stand in the market.  This particular book contained recipes for casseroles and one-dish meals.  This dish gets all 8's on the Melnarik rating scale.

To a small saucepan, I added the water and butter.

I turned the heat on high and brought the mixture to a boil.

In the meantime, after preheating the oven to 375°F, in a 2 1/2-quart baking dish, I placed the Rice-A-Roni Fried Rice Mix (including the seasoning packet), pineapple preserves, kielbasa, onion, bell peppers, and the boiling water/butter mixture.  I apologize for not including pictures of chopping the vegetables and slicing the kielbasa.  The vegetables are standard chopping.  The kielbasa I cut horizontally, then cut into 1/4-inch slices.

Using a spoon, I stirred these ingredients until completely combined.

I then covered the casserole dish and placed it in the oven and baked it at 375°F for 45 minutes.

I removed the dish from the oven and took it directly to the table where it was ready to serve!

What Hawaiian flavored dish wouldn't be complete without a sweet Hawaiian roll on the side?  The pineapple preserves give this dish and unexpected sweetness.  Enjoy!

Hawaiian Sausage and Rice Bake

1 ¼ cups water

2 tablespoons butter

1 (6.2 oz.) package Rice-A-Roni Fried Rice mix

½ cup pineapple preserves

1 pound cooked kielbasa, halved lengthwise, cut into ¼-inch slices

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

Heat oven to 375°F.  In small saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil.  In ungreased 2 1/2 –quart casserole, combine all ingredients including contents of seasoning packet and boiling water; mix well.  Cover.  Bake at 375°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until rice is tender.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.