Cast-Iron Sausage, Rice & Oaxaca Melt

Ingredients

• 1 lb sausage suitable for crumbling
• 2–3 cups prepared yellow Mexican-style rice
• 8–16 oz shredded Oaxaca cheese
• Tortilla chips, for arranging around the skillet
• ½ tbsp minced garlic

Method

1. Brown the sausage. Place the sausage in a cold 10-inch cast iron skillet. Bring to medium-high heat, breaking it into small, beef-like fragments with a heavy spatula as it cooks.
2. Keep the fat. Once the sausage is crisp and fully rendered, remove the crumbles, leaving the liquid fat in the skillet.
3. Make the crisp rice base. Add the prepared yellow Mexican-style rice and minced garlic to the rendered fat. Press the rice firmly into one layer. Cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes, until the bottom develops a deep golden crust.
4. Layer the filling. Spread the sausage over the crisped rice. Cover with a generous layer of shredded Oaxaca cheese. Arrange tortilla chips around the edge or nestle them lightly into the cheese.
5. Finish in the oven. Place the skillet in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 7–10 minutes, until the cheese melts and the chips refresh as surface moisture evaporates.
6. Serve immediately. Scoop through the cheese and sausage with the chips to reach the crisp rice base.

Cooking notes

Choosing sausage

Use sausage that can be broken into small crumbles. Different varieties and brands may vary in fat and seasoning.

Choosing the rice

Use cooked yellow Mexican-style rice here. Our Dutch-oven jasmine rice is a related option with a different seasoning and color.

Sausage and pan safety

Cook raw pork or beef sausage to at least 160°F (71°C), or raw poultry sausage to 165°F (74°C). The cast iron handle will be very hot after the oven stage.

Bottom Up Iron · bottomupiron.com/recipes/cast-iron-sausage-rice-oaxaca-melt.html