Slow Cooker Red Beans, Rice, & Sausage

Posted: November 5

Time: 6-10 hours

Yield: 10 servings

Curious about the history of this classic dish? Red beans and rice is actually a native meal to Louisana. 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, 6-10 hours later, you have a delicious and hearty dish to enjoy.

• 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 ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 bayleaves

• 7 cups water

• 10 cups cooked rice

Step 1

Start by rinsing the kidney beans in cool water and draining, dicing, and mincing the vegetables, and slicing the sausage.

Step 2

Add all the ingredients, except rice, to the slow cooker. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.

Step 3

Optional: When there is one hour remaining, use a potato masher to go in and mash up some of the beans, then let it cook for the remaining hour.

Step 4

Prepare the rice separately, according to package directions.

Step 5

Serve by putting beans and rice mixture on top of cooked rice and enjoy!