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. I made them last week for a family that was going through a very difficult time. I decided to make a recipe and a half. I brought the equivalent of a recipe over to the family and then I kept the extra half of a recipe for a quick meal for my family that night. It is a great recipe to throw in the crock pot in the morning and voila, you have a meal that afternoon! Your house will smell amazing! It is my idea of a perfect meal...some to eat and enough to share!
CROCK POT RED BEANS AND RICE
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
2 cans Campbell's chicken broth
1-1/2 pounds sausage (I used Richards)
2 tablespoons Creole Seasoning (I use Tony's)
Hot cooked rice
Southern Living, November 1997 (slightly adapted)
Sort your beans taking out the halves or pieces and check for small rocks or pebbles.
Rinse the beans thoroughly and pour into crock pot.
Add water and chicken broth to beans.
Add your chopped vegetables.
Note: I love that I can buy garlic that has already been peeled. That takes so long and this just makes cooking faster and easier (and you know how I feel about easier!)
Slice the sausage into bite size pieces.
You can skip this step and put the sausage directly in the crock pot but I like to boil the sausage for about 5 minutes to remove some of the grease.
Add the sausage and the Creole Seasoning to the other ingredients in the crock pot
Cook for 7 hours on High Setting.
Put desired amount of rice in a bowl
Ladle in the beans and......
ENJOY!
