Red Beans & Rice

Red Beans & Rice is one of those cheap, easy to make comfort foods that almost always go well on cold or rainy day - and with Hurricane Sandy hitting us this week we needed all the "comfort" we could get. This is my crock pot take on this old Southern favorite.

Red Beans & Rice

Ingredients:

1 pound bag (16 ounces) kidney beans - make sure you soak them in water for 8 hours/overnight first
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, diced
4 strips of bacon, chopped into little pieces
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup 
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 bay leafs
1 1/2 cups of chopped Chorizo sausage... or any type of linked, precooked sausage would be.
Prepared white rice.
Salt & Pepper

* for an added "kick" you can add Cajun seasoning 
 


Directions:

1. In a nonstick skillet, on medium-high heat, cook the pieces of bacon. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then add garlic, onions, celery, bell pepper, sausage and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Saute for a few minutes until the onions become transparent.

2. Add kidney beans to crock pot. Pour contents of skillet on top of the beans. Stir. Add enough water or chicken stock to crock pot to just cover the beans.

3. Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and bay leafs to the crock pot. Stir.

4. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5-6 hours. Add water or stock if need be.

5. Salt & pepper to taste and serve over a bed of white rice.