Dinner Tonight: Slow-cooked Red Beans and Rice

In case you are new around Fat Boy Heaven, let me make something clear:  I LOVE Southern cooking.  There is nothing like a nice bowl of Beans and Rice, a gumbo, a crawfish boil, or ribs and kraut in any other region of the USA.  These down-home simple recipes have amazing depth of flavor and amazing tradition that I try my best to uphold.  This recipe is how my Dad always made Red Beans and Rice.  
 

Slow cooking the beans for 7-8 hours gives them a texture and feel that I don't think you can replicate in 45 minutes on a stove, no matter how you dress it up.  Slow cooking also has an interesting effect on sausage that you wouldn't expect: it gets almost dry and loses the greasiness that most people fear when putting sausage into a soup.  The combination of flavors and textures, added to the ability to balance beans and rice to your preference for eating make this a great recipe for any gathering or occasion.

Southern food is the bedrock on which Fat Boy Heaven was built, and once you try this dish you will better understand why. 

CROCK POT RED BEANS AND RICE

Red Beans and Rice is considered a complete meal if you live in the South! Technically, I guess it should be called Sausage and Red Beans over Rice...but oh well! Let me tell you though...this recipe is packed full of awesome flavor and because of the beans and sausage, it is very filling. You can make a big pot of these beans and have left-overs which is awesome and I actually think it is better the second day.

YIELD

6-8 Servings

ACTIVE TIME

10 minutes

TOTAL TIME

8 hours, 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• • 1 pound red beans
  • 7 cups water
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped or minced
  • 24 oz Chicken Broth
  • 1 to 1/2 pounds sausage (I use Zellner's Linguica or Andouille)
  • 2 tablespoons Creole Seasoning (I Emeril's Bijou Blast )
  • Hot cooked rice

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Sort your beans taking out the halves or pieces and check for small rocks or pebbles.
  2. Rinse the beans thoroughly and pour into crock pot.
  3. Add water and chicken broth to beans.
  4. Add your chopped vegetables.
  5. Slice the sausage into bite size pieces.
  6. Add the sausage and the Creole Seasoning to the other ingredients in the crock pot
  7. Cook for 7 hours on High Setting.
  8. Put desired amount of rice in a bowl
  9. Ladle in the beans and enjoy