The shrimp and sausage skillet – a 20 minute dish

The hottest (no pun intended) craze to hit the dinner table lately has been the skillet. It’s a one-pan flavour-infused meal that’s starting to show up on ever restaurant’s menu – and it’s so easy that you’ll fill your meal repertoire effortlessly.

Cure your best cast-iron and start chopping because Amanda, a mother of 5  and (and newly grandmother of 1 – congratulations!!!) from Texas, makes a mean Shrimp & Sausage Skillet. She shared this fast and easy recipe with Urban Suburban Mommy. And while she laughs off the idea of eating Paleo, she did take inspiration from a Paleo recipe she found recently on Pinterest. This dish looked so good we had to try – and share with you!

What you need: 

– 1.5-2 sausages, sliced and pre-cooked
– 1 lb of shrimp (25 medium or 20 large)
– 2 cloves of garlic
– 3/4 cup green bell pepper,sliced
– 3/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced
– 1/2 yellow onion, medium, sliced
– 1 zucchini, sliced
– 1/4 cup chicken stock
– 2 tsp Old bay seasoning
– 1pinch red pepper flakes
– salt and pepper, to taste
– 3-4 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

What you do:

Over medium-high, heat skillet with oil. Meanwhile, season shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning. Cook shrimp about 3 to 5 minutes, tossing around to cook all sides, until they turn opaque. Remove these from heat and set aside.

Cook onions and bell peppers in skillet with 2 tbsps of olive oil or coconut oil for about 2 minutes
Add sausage and zucchini to the skillet, and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, just until veggies start to break down. Add the shrimp back into the skillet,  along with the garlic, and cook everything for about 1 minute.

Pour chicken stock into pan and mix through to moisten everything. Add salt, ground pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Remove from heat, garnish with parsley and serve hot.

You can add this to a side of rice – like our fool-proof rice if you like. This skillet is full of flavour, with great protein and veggies. If you want to create a more exotic flavour you can opt to change up the spicing.

Consider:
Ginger and lemongrass for a taste of Thai
Coconut milk, turmeric and curry for an Indian craving
A burst of cumin, cilantro and chili powder for an untraditional Tex-Mex sizzle

You can use chicken, beef, pork, calamari, shelled crab or even tofu for your protein. Don’t be afraid to give your meats and seafoods a good sear before blending in the vegetables and broth. The cooking time is quick but you always want to make sure they’re thoroughly cooked before eating.

You can really play with the flavours of this and swap in whatever veggies you’ve got hanging around in your produce drawer. Eggplant, sweet potato, kale, turnip, just adjust your cooking time accordingly.

Enjoy, and let us know of any interesting skillets you’ve created! We’re all about this fast, easy and tasty dish!