Red Beans and Rice Recipe

This recipe is for a classic dish of red beans and rice with sausage, but it's modified to use canned red kidney beans. It's made with 2 cans of red kidney beans (15 oz each), drained and rinsed, spicy sausage, diced onion, bell pepper, garlic, cayenne pepper, thyme, smoked paprika, chicken or beef broth, and it's served over cooked white rice. The dish is cooked for 15-20 minutes or until the beans are heated through. Then the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. You can also use a slow cooker by adding all the ingredients except the rice and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until the beans are heated through. This recipe eliminates the soaking step and reduces the cooking time but still allows you to enjoy the same rich flavors and spices of the traditional recipe.

Red Beans and Rice is something my family has grown to love. This from a wife and daughter who often say, "I hate beans", but they ask for this when the weather turns cold. It is very filling. If you make it with fat free sausage, it works pretty well as a diet food. I ate this for a week straight and dropped 10 lbs so I could fit into pants for a wedding.

While we eat this a lot in the winter, we occasionally have it in the summer too. We tend to make a big pot of it, and then heat it up a few times. Just like chili and other soups, the flavor tends to get better with time. I also like this with a little extra heat but my wife does not, so I add a little Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning to my bowl.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of red kidney beans (15 oz each), drained and rinsed
• 1 lb andouille or other spicy sausage, sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 cups of chicken or beef broth
• 4 cups cooked white rice

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, add the sausage and cook over medium heat until browned. Remove the sausage from the pot and set aside.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot and cook until softened. Add the cayenne pepper, thyme, and smoked paprika and stir to combine.
3. Add the broth, beans, and cooked sausage to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the beans are heated through.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve over cooked white rice.

You can also use a slow cooker to make the recipe, just add all the ingredients except the rice and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until the beans are heated through.

This recipe uses canned red kidney beans which eliminates the soaking step, also the cooking time is reduced to 15-20 minutes, but you still get to enjoy the same rich flavors and spices, and the same serving over cooked white rice.