Red Beans and Rice

Tonights dinner comes mostly from a Rachel Ray magazine that I get. I was looking through my latest copy and saw this recipe. It said that it was a quick and easy version of the Creole version. I had most of the ingredients. I have started working a part time job. It is while the boys are at school. I get home in time to work on homework with the boys, and try to get dinner made for the family, amongst other things I'm sure all of you hard working mothers know. I am still trying to cook dinners from scratch, while working, going to school myself, being a mom, wife, and everything, to everyone.

This recipe is quite easy. No soaking beans. I think the hardest part was smashing the kidney beans with a fork. I can see ways in which this recipe can be made even simpler, with precut onions and celery, even bulk sausage.

I used my rice maker to make the rice. It's just regular white rice. Nothing was done special with it.

Red beans
Ingredients:


3 cans kidney beans (rinsed)
1 tsp dry thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
6-8 dashes of tabasco sauce or hot sauce of choice
1 lb sausage link, sliced
1 16oz can chicken broth
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 tsp garlic, minced/diced
3 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Add the olive oil to the bottom of a hot dutch oven.  Add the onions, celery, bay leaf, thyme, tabasco, and sausage. Cook until the onions are translucent and yellow. Stirring occasionally. Next, add the garlic. Stir and cook about 1 minute. Then add the chicken broth and the cajun seasoning. Let that cook until bubbly. Stirring. smash 1/2 of the red beans with a fork, then add the smashed red beans and the regular red beans to the pot. Let simmer 10 minutes, stir occasionally.  after 10 minutes check the beans to make sure they are heated through and softened, liquid should thicken the longer it cooks.  Serve warm.

Serve over warm rice. sprinkle celery leaves on top, or cheese.

This is a delicious dinner. My kids each had a big bowl of this. I think I have enough for my lunch tomorrow. My husband said it was really tasty and delicious. I hope you enjoy this too. :)