This sausage casserole and rice is a hearty oven-baked dinner made with sausages, zucchini and eggplant simmered together with a tomato-based Italian sauce. It's perfect for colder nights, freezer prep or getting ahead for the week because you can make five generous serves in one dish.
When I was a kid, I really only remember sausages showing up in two forms. My Nan's curried sausages or plain old bangers slapped onto a plate. But as an adult, sausages have become one of those genuinely useful proteins to keep in rotation because they're affordable, versatile and surprisingly good for meal prep.
My partner loves red meat far more than I do, so recipes like this sausage casserole and rice are an easy middle ground for us both because I can do 2 casseroles at the same time - one with chicken sausages and then his with beef or pork.
Plus, sausages tend to hold onto moisture much better than leaner cuts of meat which means this reheats really well throughout the week.
TL;DR
- Servings: 5
- Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes
- Meal prep: Perfect for meal prep because the tomato sauce keeps the sausages moist and the flavours become richer overnight. Pair with rice for a balanced meal with protein, carbs and vegetables.
- Fridge storage: 4 days (glass containers recommended to prevent staining).
- Freezer storage: 3-6 months (store separately from rice).
- Reheating: microwave recommended. Oven works for larger portions.
- Customise: Swap the rice for mashed potato, pasta or garlic bread. Change the sausages depending on the flavour profile you want.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
Seasonal. Using zucchini and eggplant makes this sausage casserole and rice affordable and full of flavour during Autumn when those vegetables are at their best.
Hearty. The rich tomato and herb sauce makes this sausage stew feel cosy and filling without needing complicated ingredients or hours of cooking.
One pan. Everything gets baked together in one casserole dish which means less washing up, similar to marry me chicken bake or my pesto gnocchi bake.
Meal prep friendly. 5 serves in the one casserole and the flavour deepens overnight with the herbs and tomato sauce making it great for a work lunch meal prep.
Ingredients
Sausage. The better quality and more flavoursome the sausages, the better the final sausage casserole will taste. I've made this with cheaper bland sausages before and you really notice the difference because the sausage flavour carries the entire dish.
Eggplant. Usually you want to prepare the eggplant a certain way (i.e. salt and let the moisture out like I do in my eggplant involtini), however because the tomato is quite acidic, I've found this is unnecessary.
Passata. Choose a passata that is mostly just tomato or tomato and basil with minimal fillers or added water because it gives a richer sauce and better flavour.
Fresh basil. Fresh basil gives the best flavour and freshness at the end, but dried basil also works well for convenience.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
Substitutions and variations
Instead of fresh? Fresh garlic and basil will give the best flavour, but dried herbs or jarred garlic work completely fine for convenience. I'd recommend adding slightly more dried herbs because they can taste flatter than fresh.
Sausages. You can easily change the flavour profile depending on the sausages you use. Italian sausages work particularly well for an Italian sausage stew vibe, while chicken sausages create a lighter version. You could also use vegetarian sausages but they might not be as flavoursome.
Rice. Rice works well because it absorbs the tomato sauce, but mashed potato, pasta or garlic bread are also really good options. If you like baked pasta recipes, sausage gnocchi bake has a very similar flavour profile.
Vegetables. Add mushrooms, capsicum or fresh tomatoes if you need to use up extra vegetables sitting in the fridge.
Cheese. Mozzarella or parmesan can be added on top during the final 10 minutes if you want the casserole slightly richer.
Stove top. I find my sausage tomato pasta which is made on the stovetop and has similar ingredients a richer version of this because you get the browning on the sausages. It does take slightly more effort though as it's not a dump and bake.
How to make sausage casserole and rice
Step 1: Dice the red onion, zucchini and eggplant into bite-sized pieces and add them to the casserole dish.
Step 2: Slice the sausages into large chunks and add them directly into a large casserole dish. If you want deeper flavour, you can brown the sausages in a frying pan first before transferring them to the dish.
Step 3: Add the passata, oregano, basil and crushed garlic. Stir everything together until evenly coated.
Step 4: Bake for 30 minutes then remove, stir, and add the spinach. Continue baking for another 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft, the sauce has thickened slightly and the sausages are fully cooked through.
Step 5: Serve the tomato sausage stew over rice with feta and fresh basil on top.
Lauren's Top Tips
Use better sausages. This recipe relies heavily on the flavour of the sausages, so using good quality ones genuinely makes a massive difference.
Taste before serving. Depending on the sausages and passata you use, you may need extra salt or pepper at the end.
Recommended Equipment
A large casserole dish with a lid works best for this sausage casserole and rice because it allows the vegetables and sausages to cook evenly without drying out. Glass meal prep containers are also useful for storing leftovers because the tomato sauce can stain plastic over time.
Meal prepping sausage casserole
This sausage casserole and rice is a really good meal prep option because it includes protein from the sausages, carbs from the rice and vegetables from the zucchini and eggplant all in one container. The tomato-based sauce also keeps everything moist during reheating which makes it far more forgiving than a lot of chicken-based meal prep recipes.
Like some of my other tomato-based dishes including spaghetti bolognese with vegetables, the flavours also deepen overnight as the oregano, basil and garlic settle into the sauce which means Day 2 and Day 3 honestly taste even better.
Storing
Allow the sausage casserole to cool at room temperature for no more than 2 hours before sealing in the containers as sealing while it's still piping hot will cause too much moisture to build up.
Store the rice and sausage casserole on opposite sides of your meal prep container to stop the rice soaking up too much sauce and becoming mushy. Once refrigerated, the tomato sauce will naturally thicken which is completely normal and actually helps the flavour develop further.
This will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days in airtight containers. If you know you'll be freezing some portions, it's better to freeze them sooner rather than after several days in the fridge.
Reheating
For the microwave, drizzle a small amount of water over both the rice and sausage casserole before reheating. This helps loosen the sauce and rehydrates the rice so it doesn't dry out.
You can either mix everything together before reheating or microwave for about 1 minute first and then stir through before continuing for another 1-2 minutes until hot. To freshen it back up, add extra feta or fresh basil after reheating.
The oven also works well if reheating larger portions. Cover with foil and bake at 180°C until heated through.
Freezing
Freeze the sausage casserole separately from the grain where possible for the best texture once thawed. I like using 1 cup Souper Cubes for both the sausage stew and the grain because it makes single serve portions really easy to stack in the freezer.
You can also freeze just the sausage casserole and cook fresh rice, pasta or mashed potato when serving depending on what you feel like later. If serving with pasta, halve the cooking time on the pasta before freezing so it doesn't become too soft after reheating.
I recommend freezing the casserole with as little air as possible (either in souper cubes which have been transferred to an airtight bag), or directly into a bag, as this will decrease the risk of freezer burn and keep it good for longer.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
Vegetables like zucchini and eggplant naturally release moisture during cooking. If your sauce looks too thin, bake uncovered for an extra 10-15 minutes so the excess liquid reduces.
Higher fat sausages can release a lot of oil while baking. If your sausage stew looks too oily, spoon off some of the excess fat before serving or use slightly leaner sausages next time.
Usually it comes down to either under-seasoned sausages or low quality passata. Because this tomato sausage stew uses simple ingredients, choosing sausages with proper flavour and a rich tomato passata makes a noticeable difference.
Other easy beef meal prep recipes you'll like
Or, you can have a browse through my beef recipes for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Sausage Casserole and Rice
Save Recipe
Equipment
- Large casserole
- Rice cooker, optional
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) sausages, approx. 6 large, see note 1
- 1 red onion
- ½ eggplant
- 1 zucchini
- 700 g (3 cups) passata, see note 2
- 2 tablespoon oregano
- 6 fresh basil leaves, or 2 tablespoon dried, see note 3
- 4 cloves garlic, or 2 tablespoon jarred, see note 3
- 1 cup packed spinach
- 1 ½ cups rice, yields approx. 4 cups cooked
- Feta + fresh basil, to serve, optional
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preparing
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Dice the 1 red onion, ½ eggplant and 1 zucchini into bite-sized pieces and add them to a large casserole dish.
- Slice the 500 g (1 lb) sausages (~6 large) into large chunks and add them to the casserole dish. Optional: Brown the sausages in a frying pan first for extra flavour before transferring them to the dish.
- Dice the 6 fresh basil leaves and 4 cloves garlic.
- Add basil, garlic, 700 g (3 cups) passata and 2 tbsp oregano to the casserole. Stir well until everything is evenly coated in the tomato sauce. Add Salt and pepper to taste (recommended at least 1 teaspoon of each)
Cooking
- Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and stir through the 1 cup packed spinach.
- Return to the oven for another 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft, the sauce has thickened slightly and the sausages are fully cooked through.
- While the sausage casserole finishes cooking, prepare the 1 ½ cups rice according to packet instructions.
- Serve the tomato sausage stew over rice with Feta + fresh basil, if using.
Leave a Reply