Slow Cooker Red Beans, Rice, & Sausage
Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
About
Curious about the history of this classic dish? Red beans and rice are actually a native meal to Louisiana. Traditionally, this dish was prepared on Mondays using leftovers from Sunday dinner, cooked slowly in a pot, and served over rice. Typically comprised of red beans, veggies, spices, and meat such as ham or andouille — this dish serves a crowd and is now a staple in areas across the world. The best part of this particular recipe? Toss the ingredients in the slow cooker and voila, 6 hours later, you have a delicious and hearty dish to enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/4 pounds chicken andouille sausage, cut into thin slices
- 1 pound dry red kidney beans
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, optional
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 7 cups water
- 10 cups rice, cooked and warm, for serving
Directions
Step 1 -Start by rinsing the kidney beans under cool water and drain them well.
Step 2 -Add the onions, the bell peppers, the celery, the garlic, the sausage, the beans, the salt, the black pepper, the white pepper, the hot sauce, the thyme, the bay leaves, and the water to the slow cooker. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for about 6 hours or on low for about 10 hours.
Step 3 -Optionally, when there is 1 hour of cook time remaining, use a potato masher mash up some of the beans, then let it cook for the remaining hour.
Step 4 -Serve the sausage mixture over the warm rice and enjoy!
