al fresco All-Natural Chicken Sausage with Veggies Recipe

Delicious al fresco all-natural chicken products have been featured here at The Classy Chics many times, with recipes such as Shelly’s Honey Mustard BLT’s with al fresco Uncured Chicken Bacon and Italian Style Cheesy Meatball Sandwiches. Now it’s my turn to share a recipe featuring al fresco’s fully-cooked chicken sausages!

* Complimentary Product Received for Recipe Feature.

But first, let me tell you about al fresco’s line of all-natural chicken products. The al fresco brand was established in 1994 with the goal of making foods that are good and good for you. Today al fresco has over 40 different varieties, from breakfast sausage and bacon to burgers and meatballs, all made from skinless boned chicken breast and thigh meat. Every al fresco product is free of preservatives, fillers, and artificial colors, and nearly all are gluten-free. I was pleased to learn that, compared to pork sausages, al fresco chicken sausages have 70% less fat and 35% less sodium!

For more information on al fresco and some great recipe ideas, visit their website, where you can check their store locator for an al fresco retailer near you. You can follow the company on Facebook too!

Some notes about my recipe: Since I don’t eat pork, I removed the pork casings from the sausages before cooking them. However, al fresco’s advice is that the casings retain moisture and flavor, so if they’re not an issue in your household, you can skip the step of removing them. Likewise, it’s not strictly necessary to brown the sausage slices, but I find it adds a nice depth of flavor. This recipe would also work well with different veggies, depending on what’s in season. For firmer-textured veggies, cook them in batches, setting them aside while cooking the others, then combine and reheat them with the sausage at the end (similar to a stir-fry). Pasta would be a good substitute for the rice, too. Using al fresco fully cooked chicken sausages makes this recipe particularly versatile; for example, try topping the vegetables and rice with heated-through whole sausages for an even easier weeknight meal.

al fresco Chicken Sausages with Vegetables and Rice
makes 4 servings

• 1-2 tbs oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Salt
• 4 al fresco roasted garlic and herb chicken sausages, casings removed if desired, sliced almost 1/2” thick
• 1 medium yellow squash, sliced into half-moons
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 oz grape tomatoes, halved
• 4-5 cups cooked rice
• Parsley, for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, sprinkle it with salt, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown.

In another skillet over medium-low heat, spread the al fresco chicken sausage slices in one layer, using tongs to turn and move them around to brown on both sides.

Meanwhile, add the squash to the onions and cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes more, until the mushrooms begin to release their juices. Stir in the garlic, then add the tomatoes, tossing them gently with the other vegetables. Fold in the browned al fresco chicken sausage slices. Serve the mixture over rice and garnish with parsley.

Disclaimer: A. Bailey received complimentary products for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ.