Red Beans & Rice

Red beans and rice is such a cozy dish that fills the house with the best aroma, while the beans simmer on the stove, and then warms your belly with every delicious bite. This comforting recipe uses dried red kidney beans, creole seasoning, the southern holy trinity of celery, onions, and bell peppers, andouille sausage, and U.S.-grown long grain white rice. I mean what’s not to love?! It’s a family favorite on slow days and goes well with a big chunk of garlic bread for dipping! Oh and don’t forget the hot sauce!

This post is sponsored by USA Rice. All opinions are my own and in my own words. I hope you enjoy! A fun fact: the US rice industry provides over 125,000 critical jobs in rural areas throughout the country, growing roughly 20 billion pounds of rice! Now that’s something we can all get behind.

Tips:

• Be sure to soak your red beans overnight. This will help soften them for the cooking process, helping reduce the cooking time. After the first hour or so, they may look shriveled with a rippled outside, but it’s okay. Continue to let them soak and they will be fine the next day. Once ready to cook sort through and discard any broken pieces and rinse thoroughly

• Be sure to store the browned sausage in the refrigerator until it’s time to finish cooking. This will help ensure your sausage is kept at the right temperature during the 3 hour window before it’s added back into the pot of beans

• Cook rice according to the instructions. I always find it’s easier to cook in an insta pot if you have one! But don’t run out and buy one just to cook rice

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Red Beans & Rice

*Servings: 8 - 10

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried red kidney beans

• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced

• 4 celery stalks, chopped

• 1 medium white onion, chopped

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 teaspoon creole seasoning - such as Tony Chachere

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon dry thyme

• 3 bay leaves

• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

• 6 cups chicken broth

• 1 ½ cups, uncooked U.S.-grown long grain white rice

• Green onions & parsley, for garnish

• Hot sauce (optional), for serving

Instructions

• Soak uncooked, dry red kidney beans overnight in a large bowl of water, removing any bad or broken beans. Drain water and rinse beans right before cooking

• In a large pot over medium low heat add butter. Once butter is melted, place sliced andouille sausage in the pan in an even layer to brown the sausage, flip after about 2-3 minutes and brown the other side for another 2 minutes. Remove sausage from pan and place in refrigerator

• Add in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant, then add in celery, onion, and bell pepper. Sauté the vegetables for about 2 minutes and use a wooden spoon to pick up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan

• Add in creole seasoning, smoked paprika, thyme, bay leaves, ground pepper, and red kidney beans. Give that a good stir and pour in chicken broth. Let the broth come to a boil and reduce heat to medium low, then cover pot with a lid. Simmer for 3 hours

• Add sausage back into the pot and simmer for another 30 minutes. Cook rice according to the package instructions and serve beans over rice. Top with green onions, parsley, and hot sauce

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