What’s for dinner

Creamy Louisiana Red Beans and Rice with Andouille

Serves 10-12 from a full tray

Ingredients:

For the Red Beans:

1 lb dried red kidney beans - Camellia brand if you can find them

1 lb andouille sausage, sliced into ½-inch rounds

½ lb smoked ham hock, ham shank, or 8 oz diced ham

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 celery stalks, diced - that’s the “holy trinity”

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

2 tsp Creole seasoning - Tony Chachere’s or Slap Ya Mama

1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper - optional, for heat

6-8 cups water or chicken broth

2 tbsp vegetable oil or bacon grease

2 green onions, sliced - for garnish

Salt to taste - add at the end, the meat is salty

For the Rice:

3 cups long-grain white rice

6 cups water

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

Instructions:

Step 1: Prep the Beans:

Soak: Rinse beans and pick out any bad ones. Soak overnight in water, OR quick-soak: cover with water, boil 2 minutes, then turn off heat and let sit 1 hour. Drain. Soaking cuts cook time and helps them get creamy.

Brown sausage: In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Add sliced andouille and cook 5-6 minutes until it gets that nice brown edge like your photo. Remove sausage to a bowl, leave drippings.

Step 2: Build the Flavor:

Sauté trinity: Add onion, bell pepper, celery to the pot. Sauté 8 minutes until soft. Add garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Combine: Add drained beans, ham hock, bay leaves, Creole seasoning, thyme, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir 1 minute.

Simmer: Pour in 6 cups broth or water. Liquid should cover beans by 2 inches. Bring to a boil.

Step 3: Low and Slow:

Cook: Reduce to low simmer. Cover and cook 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Uncover: Remove lid. Add browned andouille back in. Simmer uncovered 45-60 minutes more. This is where it gets thick and creamy like your tray. Stir every 15 min and smash some beans against the pot side. That releases starch and makes the gravy.

Finish: Fish out ham hock. Shred any meat off the bone and stir it back in. Discard bone, skin, bay leaves. Taste for salt. The sausage and ham are salty, so you probably won’t need much.

Step 4: Make the Rice

Cook rice: About 25 minutes before beans are done, bring water, butter, salt to boil in saucepan. Stir in rice. Reduce to low, cover, simmer 18 minutes. Turn off heat, let steam 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Step 5: Serve:

Plate: Spoon white rice into bowls or onto plates. Ladle that thick, creamy red bean + sausage mixture over the top.Garnish: Sprinkle with sliced green onions like your photo. Hot sauce on the side - Crystal or Louisiana brand.

Becky’s Tips for Beans:

Creamy, not watery: That thick gravy comes from two things: simmering uncovered the last hour, and smashing beans. Take a spoon and mash 1 cup of beans against the pot side, then stir them back in. Do that 2-3 times.

Andouille: You want smoked andouille, not fresh. It should have that reddish-brown color and firm texture you see in your tray. If you can’t find it, smoked sausage or kielbasa works.

Don’t salt early: Beans stay tough if you salt before they’re tender. Wait until the last 30 minutes. Ham hock and sausage add salt too.

Too thick? Add hot broth or water ½ cup at a time. Too thin? Simmer uncovered longer and mash more beans.

Make ahead: Red beans are better next day. The flavor deepens and they get even creamier. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze 3 months.

No soak option: If you forgot to soak, cook the beans 3-4 hours total. They’ll still get there, just takes longer.

Veg version: Skip meat, use vegetable broth, add 1 tsp smoked paprika + ½ tsp liquid smoke for that smoky flavor.

Food safety: Cook beans to tender and hold at 165°F. Cool leftovers within 2 hours and refrigerate. The ham hock needs to hit temp too.