Red Beans and Rice

Red beans and rice is a staple of New Orleans cuisine! The hearty dish can be a side with a meal, or it can be served as a main course. My red beans and rice will make you feel like you're right in the heart of the Crescent City enjoying a meal on a balcony on Bourbon Street!

New Orleans, my home away from home

In 2005 Hurricane Katrina decimated the city of New Orleans. The levees that keep the Crescent City from flooding broke and the damage eventually totaled over $125 billion. People from all over the country and even the world came to the city to help rebuild, and one of those people was my dad.

My dad moved to New Orleans in February 2006. As an expert general contractor, he was in high demand, so he went right to work. He fell in love with the city and decided to stay. Soon after, I started visiting the city on a regular basis, and I too fell in love. New Orleans is full of culture. It has a laid back attitude that is infectious. And the food is some of the best in the world! I've been to a lot of the local restaurants in the French Quarter and found some of the most amazing tasting food I've ever had! So, it was important to me that I bring those flavors back home.

On Mondays we have red beans

New Orleans is a city that's built on age old legends and traditions. red beans and rice is certainly one of those traditions. When the dish was brought over in the 1700's from Haiti, New Orleanians had a pretty set schedule. Sundays were the days that everyone came to visit. The host would make a ham to serve their guests and they enjoyed each other's company. Monday was "wash day" or laundry day. Red beans and rice developed as the Monday meal because the ladies of New Orleans could throw the left over ham and the ham bones into a pot of beans and let it cook all day while they took all of their clothes to do the laundry for the week. It was easy to throw on the stove/fire and forget about it

That tradition carries over today. Almost every restaurant in the city has red beans and rice on their menu on Mondays. One of my favorite places to pick up red beans and rice down in the French Quarter is a restaurant known as The Olde NOLA Cookery! Each place is a little different, but we know that they tend to have a few main ingredients. Typically we'll see some sort of sausage (andoullie is traditional, but smoked sausage is common as there is less spicy heat to contend with). We also see some other kind of pork product, traditionally it will be tasso ham, which is a spicy ham that originates right there in the city. We also have the standard Cajun spice mix that I'll cover in this recipe.

What the heck is tasso ham?

Tasso ham is a specific type of ham that's actually made from pork shoulder instead of pork leg. It's smoked and usually very spicy. Since "spicy" tends to be the default for all food in New Orleans, tasso ham fits right in. However, in my house spice is not as welcome! So, we have to find a suitable replacement to keep it traditional. I use smoked bacon! It keeps the smoky flavor taste and adds another layer of flavor in the dish overall. Definitely worth a try!

The trinity of Cajun cooking

When making a Cajun or Creole dish, you're likely to hear the term "the trinity" thrown around a lot. This is because "the trinity" makes up the base of almost all dishes made in that part of the world. It refers to celery, onion, and bell pepper. Almost every dish in Cajun and Creole cooking will carry these three ingredients, and this red beans and rice dish is no different! The trinity gets thrown in the bacon fat and cooks down to absorb that flavor while imparting their own to the dish overall. Couple this with a Cajun spice mix and you're in for one tasty dish!

Wrapping it up

Red beans and rice is one of my favorite dishes from the Crescent City! Not only does it taste amazing, but it's filling, and it holds a lot of nostalgia for me. It's a recipe that screams comfort food! The mix of the cooked beans, the trinity, the Cajun spice mix, and solid bite of the cooked rice will transport you straight to Mardi Gras! I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

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Red Beans and Rice

Comfort food straight from the heart of New Orleans!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cajun

Keyword Red beans and rice

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Red Beans

• 16 oz light red kidney beans rinsed*
• 6 slices smoked bacon – diced
• 14 oz smoked sausage sliced on bias**
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion – diced
• 3 cloves garlic – minced or crushed in garlic crusher
• 4 stalks celery – diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper – diced
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon flat leaf parsley - chopped optional
• 6 cups water
• 2 cups of cooked white rice***
• 4 tablespoon Cajun seasoning – your choice or recipe follows

Cajun Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon paprika – I prefer smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• Cayenne pepper according to desired spice level****

Instructions

• Add olive oil to large stock pot. Bring to shimmer over medium high heat
• Add in smoked sausage and bacon until bacon is crispy and sausage is seared on both sides
• Remove meat from stock pot with slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate; Drain most of the fat from the pot, leaving enough to cover the bottom
• Add in onion, celery, and bell pepper; sauté in remaining fat until soft
• Add in garlic and cook until fragrant – approximately 30 seconds
• Add in butter until melted
• Stir in flour over veggies until coated; cook flour, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and flour no longer has smell
• Add in chicken stock and stir, scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pot to de-glaze
• Add in water, beans, meat, bay leaves, and Cajun seasoning and stir together.
• Bring mixture to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cover and let simmer for 3 ½ to 4 hours
• Remove cover and bring back to boil. Boil for 10 more minutes to reduce
• Serve over cooked rice. Garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley if desired

Notes

*Beans should be rinsed thoroughly. Can be soaked up to 24 hours at room temp according to your preference

**It’s traditional to use Andouille sausage here, but smoked sausage can be used to cut down the spiciness

***1 cup uncooked rice makes 2 cups cooked. Add more or less per your preference

****Less Cayenne pepper results in less spice. This can be skipped altogether to avoid spiciness