Red Beans and Rice

This is a Cajun classic that is a good dish to serve on poker night or if you’ve got the guys over watching the Chicago Bears beat up on the New Orleans Saints. You have to start this at least a day before serving as the beans need to soak. The recipe calls for Andouille sausage, which can be hard to find sometimes, but if you’re from Chicago or Milwaukee, you already know that Kielbasa is a kick-ass substitute. Also, while any rice can be used, long grain rice works best once everything is mixed together. And if you really want to go all in on your Cajun meal, serve Beignets for dessert.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Dry kidney beans
  • 1 lb Andouille sausage – sliced, can use Kielbasa
  • 2 oz. Olive oil
  • 1 large onion – diced
  • 1 green bell pepper – diced
  • 2 celery stalks – chopped
  • 4 Garlic cloves – minced
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 TBL Dried parsley
  • 1 tsp Dried thyme
  • 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 0.25 tsp Dried sage
  • Rice
    • 4 cups water
    • 2 cups long grain white rice

Process

  1. Mise en Place – measure and prepare your ingredients prior to starting.
  2. Rinse beans, and soak in a large pot of water overnight.
  3. Heat a heavy bottom skillet (cast iron Dutch Oven works best) at medium heat. Once warm add oil and let it warm.
    1. Cook onion, bell pepper, and celery in oil for ~4 mins.
    2. Add garlic and cook 1 min.
    3. Remove from pot and set aside
  4. Rinse beans, and transfer skillet
  5. Add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil.
  6. Stir cooked vegetables into the beans.
  7. Season with bay leaves, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning.
  8. Reduce heat to simmer in covered skillet for 2 1/2 hours.
  9. Stir sausage into beans, and simmer and additional 30 minutes.
  10. Meanwhile, make rice
    1. I like to use a rice cooker.
    2. You can make in a saucepan by bring water and rice to a boil, then reducing heat to low and simmering 20 mins. in covered pan.
    3. You can also melt 2 TBL butter in a saucepan and once hot, add the rice. Let the rice cook for ~3 mins on med heat. You want the rice to get hot but not to toast. Then add 4 cups water, bring to a boil and simmer 20 mins in closed pan.

To serve, place rice on plate and cover the red bean mixture.

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