New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipes

You can make the Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice.  If you are wanting to make it from scratch and cut down on the sodium in the box mix I have that recipe for you, too!

Red Beans and Rice (click to print both recipes)

Quickest Red Beans and Rice

1lb dry red kidney beans (If you can get blue runner beans these are the best to use)

2 qt. water

1 ham bone

1 bay leaf

1/4 c. rendered bacon fat or oil

1 1/2 c. chopped onions

1 c. chopped green pepper

1 c. chopped celery

3 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. thyme

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp creole seasoning (Love Tony Chachere's)

1 can Ro-tel tomatoes

Clean and prepare beans. Place in lg. pot. Cover with water and soak overnight or for 8 hours.  Then place beans over medium heat.  Add ham bone and bay leaf.  Bring to a slow boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat the rendered bacon fat or oil and add veggies.  Saute until soft and stir in garlic, thyme and creole seasoning.  Cook for 2 minutes and add to simmering beans.  Continue cooking until the beans are tender, adding more water as necessary.  Remove about 1/4 c. of beans and mash them. Put back into pot.  Add in tomatoes.  Simmer about 10 min. and serve over steamed rice.  Sometimes I add the rice to the beans and mix in.  You can add andouille or smoked sausage to this too.

Kitchen Note: You can cook these in a crock pot, too. I suggest you do the soaking of the beans overnight or 8-12 hours before you are going to put it in your crock pot.  Then just add everything as listed and cook another 8 hours in the crock pot.

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