Ingredients

　　1 pound fresh sausage

　　5 cups water

　　1 cup raw long-grain white rice

　　2 packages dry chicken noodle soup mix from a 4.2-ounce box

　　1 cup chopped onion

　　1 large green bell pepper, chopped

　　1 cup finely chopped celery

　　1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

　　1/2 teaspoon The Lady’s Seasoned Salt

　　1 teaspoon The Lady’s House Seasoning

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

　　1/4 cup slivered almonds

　　1/8 teaspoon paprika

　　Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Crumble the sausage and cook in a skillet over medium heat until nicely browned; drain well and set aside. In a large, heavy pot, bring the water to a boil, add the rice and soup mix, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, celery, butter, seasonings, and parsley. Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole, top with almonds, and sprinkle with paprika. Bake the casserole for 40 to 50 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.

　　The Lady & Sons, Too! by Paula Deen. © 2001 by Paula H. Deen. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Paula H. Deen was born and raised in Albany, Georgia. She later moved to Savannah, where she and her two sons, Bobby and Jamie, started the Bag Lady catering company. The business took off and evolved into The Lady & Sons Restaurant, which is located in Savannah’s historic district and specializes in Southern cooking. Paula is the host of Food Network’s Paula’s Home Cooking and is a regular guest on QVC, where her cookbooks are one of the newtowrk’s biggest sellers.