Red Beans and Rice

Though we will be able to buy most everything we need in Scotland, there are a few food staples that can be hard to find. In fact, when I asked my Mom what we need to put in our shipment, the first thing she listed was Rotel tomatoes. According to my mom, other weirdly scare items include chocolate chips, pre-packaged cake mix, and peanut butter.

When I spotted these Camellia Red Beans in Target, I loaded a few in my basket, figuring it’s a safe bet that if I can’t find chocolate chips in Aberdeen, I surely won’t be able to find these beans from Harahan, Louisiana. I have a hard enough time finding them in Texas and was actually planning on stopping by Albertson’s on our Louisiana trip this weekend to pick up a few packs. Well at least that’s one more thing I can go ahead and cross off my list. Now I just need to buy a year’s supply of Rotel and I’ll basically have all the fixings for Red Beans and Rice. Mmmmm….I bet some red beans and rice would taste mighty good on a chilly Scottish day.

As a bonus for reading the blog today, I’ll let you in on an authentic Louisiana family recipe for Crockpot Red Beans and Rice. I promise you it is the easiest recipe you have ever made. Like most of my favorites, it only contains 6 ingredients and requires minimal supervision. The beans do require 24 hours of soaking before cooking, so it requires just a teeny bit of foresight. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

1 package of red kidney beans (I suggest Camellia if you can find them)

3 or 4 bay leaves

1 can Rotel tomatoes

Tony Chachere’s or other Cajun seasoning

Sausage

Rice

Directions:

1.       Soak red beans in water for 24 hours. You may have to keep adding a bit of water throughout the day.

2.       In the morning, add Tony’s seasoning (about 2 tsp initially and you can add more throughout the day if you think it needs more kick), a can of Rotel, and 3-4 crumpled up bay leaves.

3.       Cook in the crockpot on high for the next 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Add seasoning as preferred.

4.       An hour before serving, slice sausage and place in crock pot and continue cooking on high for 1 hour.

5.       Serve over rice.

6.       Thank the Lord for southern food. Amen.

It is so simple, truly delicious, and not unhealthy. What more could you want from a meal?

For extra credit, you could also make this super easy cornbread:

Ingredients:

1 package Jiffy Cornbread mix (milk and eggs required for prep)

1 can rotel

Directions: Prepare jiffy cornbread mixture as directed on box. Drain a can of Rotel and add tomatoes to jiffy mix. Bake as directed. I prefer making cornbread muffins so I bake mine in a cupcake pan. To each his own. No judgment from me if you prefer a loaf of cornbread to cornbread muffins (weirdo).  

To all of my friends who have been impressed by my authentic Red Beans and Rice before, now you know my secret that it’s actually embarrassingly easy to make. I hope you enjoy cooking like an authentically lazy Louisianan.

For now, I’m off to visit my homeland and enjoy friends, family and crawfish. I’ll be back Monday with the weekly progress report. Have a great weekend!