Lisa Black's Casserole

1 lb. Ground sausage

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup uncooked rice (not the 'minute' kind)

2 cups liquid (chicken broth with orange juice and/or pineapple juice, mixed into make 2 cups)

1 can pineapple tidbits, drained

• Kitchen Basics Original has no Natural Flavorings (which sometimes indicates milk).  You can get this brand from Smith's.

Cook rice al dente (haha I know al dente is usually used for pasta, but you know what I mean, but just to be more clear.... I use 2 cups of water instead of 3 per cup to make it “al dente”). Brown sausage and drain.  Add in vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add cooked rice and the 2 cups of liquid.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until all (or most) the liquid is absorbed.

Note: This recipe originally said to bake the uncooked rice, but that didn’t work so well so I adjusted it and it works better for me. Just so you know when I tried baking the rice it ended up taking 2 ½ hours, so there’s probably some secret I don’t know.