Before we met, my husband spent many years living in south Mississippi and developed a love for all things Creole. One of his favorite Creole dishes is Red Beans and Rice. He taught me how to make it, and over the years I’ve tweaked it a bit to develop my own recipe.
Some people make this with pinto beans or kidney beans, but I prefer it with red beans. It is “Red Beans and Rice” after all.
Ingredients:
1 (1 lb.) package of dried red beans
1 lb. pork sausage
2 to 4 oz. smoked sausage, sliced
2 (10 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. red pepper (optional)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
4 c. water
2 to 4 cups cooked rice
Directions: The first thing you need to do is soak the red beans according to the package directions.
After you have soaked them, be sure to rinse them well. Using a large stockpot or Dutch oven, cook the pork sausage until it is no longer pink. Use a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces as you cook it.
Add the sliced smoke sausage and cook until it is slightly browned.
Once the sausages are fully cooked and browned, add the beans, tomatoes, spices, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to low. Simmer for two hours.
As an alternative, you can use a Crockpot. Once you have cooked the sausage, add all the ingredients to the insert of a Crockpot. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or on high for 2 to 4 hours.
Serve over rice.
This dish is also great the next day. It also freezes well, so once any leftovers cool completely, freeze for another meal. This serves 4 to 6.
Click here for a printable version of this recipe.