Author Notes
Red beans and rice is inexpensive, simple, and delicious. Multiply the recipe to feed as many as you wish. It freezes beautifully. Serve red beans and rice with French bread or cornbread and a big green salad. —Waverly
Ingredients
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1 pound
dried, light red kidney beans
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4
quarts water, divided
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2
large yellow onions, chopped
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2
ribs celery with leaves, chopped
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1
large green bell pepper, chopped
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2 1/2 teaspoons
salt
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1 1/2 teaspoons
dried thyme
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1 1/2 teaspoons
dried oregano
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1 1/4 teaspoons
garlic powder
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1 teaspoon
cayenne pepper
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2
bay leaves
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1
lb. andouille sausage
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salt and pepper to taste
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6
servings hot cooked rice
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garnishes: grated cheddar cheese and chopped green onions
Directions
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SOAK THE BEANS: wash and drain beans. In a 4-quart saucepan, combine 2 quarts water and beans and soak overnight.
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THE NEXT DAY, YOU ARE READY TO GO: The next day, drain the water. Add 2 quarts fresh water. Add yellow onions, celery, and bell pepper to beans and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and SIMMER until beans are soft and begin to thicken, about 1 1/2 hours. Do not stir too much or the beans will get mushy. Stir in salt, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, cayenne, bay leaves, and sausage. Simmer until beans are tender, about 30 minutes more.
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SERVE: Serve beans over hot rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with cheese and green onions. Serve with slices of French bread or with cornbread.
Waverly used to be a lawyer and is now a mother 24/7. She has made a commitment to cooking for her family and absolutely loves it even when her family does not. She is teaching them, one meal at a time, to enjoy wholesome homemade food. She abhors processed food but recognizes its insidious nature and accepts the fact that her children will occasionally get some Skittles, Doritos, or the like. Her philosophy and hope is that if she teaches them well at home, they will prefer wholesome healthy foods when they go out into the world without her.
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