Creole Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Directions

Pick over kidney beans, place into a large bowl, and pour in enough water to cover by several inches. Soak kidney beans overnight.
Drain kidney beans, transfer to a large soup pot, and cover with 3 quarts fresh water.
Stir in green bell pepper, onion, celery, salt, black pepper, Creole seasoning, and garlic.
Cover the pot, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer until beans are tender, about 4 hours.
Mix smoked sausage into the beans; cook an additional 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
About 30 minutes before serving time, place 2 cups water and margarine into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Stir in rice, return to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the pan and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand covered for 5 minutes.
Serve red beans over cooked rice.

Reviews (24)

lutzflcat

Feb. 19, 2012

"First, I want to say that this is as good (or better) than any red beans & rice that I've ever had. However, there were some red flags when I read the recipe, and although I don't like doing this the..." See more first time making a recipe, I did make some modifications. First, the beans are soaked overnight, so 3 qts of water is WAY too much. I used 2 qts, checked the beans at 1-1/2 hrs., and they were done (not four hours). Even with 2 qts of water, it still took close to two more hours to cook down the liquid to a serving consistency. The creole seasoning that I use is Tony Chachere's, and in looking at the ingredient listing, the first item was salt. IMO, you don't need 2 tbsp of salt. In fact, I didn't think it needed any and added no salt significantly reducing the sodium content. Creole seasoning is spicy, so again, I questioned 2 tbsp of pepper, and only added one. You can always add more if needed, but you can't take it out, so I wasn't going to risk messing up the entire dish. Please do NOT skip the creole seasoning, because I think it's the magic of this recipe. I also was concerned about four stalks of celery, so used three. I used Johnsonville Chicken Hardwood Smoked Sausage which worked perfectly and saved some fat and calories. Don't mean to be critical of this recipe because with these changes, this was five stars for us, but as written, only can give it four. I'll be interested to see what other reviewers have to say. Thanks Paige for sharing your recipe."

Mama Kain

Apr. 2, 2012

"My husband and I enjoyed this recipe very much! It has a great flavor and a nice kick to it. The only thing different I did was cook it in a crockpot but I think next time I'll use half the salt and p..." See moreepper it calls for. Definetly satisfied my taste buds though!"