The Good Life

Of all the good recipes in life, Red Beans and Rice done right has to be a top choice. It doesn’t cost a lot to prepare and this recipe will easily make enough to feed eight to ten people. Maybe you have seen mixes, recipes, etc or perhaps have not ever even tried them. One thing is for sure, you owe it to yourself to try Red Beans and Rice and using my personal recipe, I think you will like them. The key here is using quality sausage. Since moving from Louisiana, I haven’t been able to find any sausage worth mentioning until now. Johnsonville New Orleans Brand Andouille Spicy Smoked Sausage is what to use. Don’t let the word “Spicy” intimidate you because they are not hot. You can also use a good brand of Hickory Smoked Sausage if available in your area but the sausage is key! Trust me on this.

Ingredients:
1lb dry red beans (small or large size)
2lbs Johnsonville New Orleans Brand Andouille spicky smoked sausage
1 Large onion
1 bell pepper
1/4 tsp cheyenne pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
4 bay leaves
1 garlic clove minced or 1tbls spoon flakes
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1/2 Tsp Kosher salt
1 cup rice (cook according to my recipe on this site)

Rinse beans and place in a large 8qt+ boiler and and cover with water until water level is about 2-3 inches above beans. Cover and allow to soak overnight or bring to a boil, turn off heat and allow to soak for 3-4 hours covered. Once beans have soaked, place them on burner over medium heat and STIR often to prevent sticking.

Slice sausage into 1/4″ pieces and then cut those in half. Dice onion, bell pepper, and mince garlic.

Place sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic in a large skillet over medium heat and sautee until sausage is slightly browned and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.

Once beans begin to become tender, Add parsley, bay leaves (remove once dish is cooked), Cheyenne pepper, sugar, and salt. Add sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic to beans.

Stir then cover and allow to simmer for 1 hour stirring every 5-7 minutes.

When Beans are tender to your liking, serve over rice. Enjoy!