I totally forgot to start this meal this morning, so I frantically got to chopping onions a little after noon when I remembered. Then I realized I picked up the wrong kind of sausage at the store (I grabbed the bratwurst instead of the andouille). But everything was in the slow cooker by 12:30, and dinner was on the table at 6.
I’m saying this to tell you that, while the picture looks perfect, the preparation sure wasn’t! So if you’re a beginning cooker (this is my new word to describe myself, thanks to Jenny Mars), don’t let the unexpected throw you. Just go with the flow. And remember there is always dessert!
Laissez les bon temps roulez, y’all!
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
1 pound dried red beans
3/4 pound smoked sausage, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning (Tony’s)
4 cups chicken stock (additional water to cover beans if necessary)
hot cooked rice
In a large skillet, brown sliced sausage on both sides. Remove sausage from pan, and lightly saute onions, red pepper, and garlic in the sausage drippings. Pour the chicken stock into the pan with the onions to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits stuck to it.
Rinse beans and put them in the slow cooker. Add the hot chicken stock and onions, plus additional water to cover the beans. Add the sausage. Cook on high for 5-6 hours. Serve with hot rice and extra Creole seasoning.
