As the cold weather approaches and the trying times are still lingering around, we all may need a little bit of good old-fashioned comfort food to help put us at ease.

Nothing is better than an easy-to-make soul food staple to put us right where we need to be.

Our new favorite recipe site, Cooking Professionally, is sharing their recipe for “Red Beans, Rice & Sausage,” and of course, we are bringing it to our readers.

Make a pot, say “yum” and thank us later. Enjoy!

Curious about the history of this classic dish? Red beans and rice is actually a native meal to Louisiana. Traditionally, this dish was prepared on Mondays using leftovers from Sunday dinner, cooked slowly in a pot, and served over rice. Typically comprised of red beans, veggies, spices, and meat such as ham or andouille—this dish serves a crowd and is now a staple in areas across the world. The best part of this particular recipe? Toss the ingredients in the slow cooker and voila, 6-10 hours later, you have a delicious and hearty dish to enjoy.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/4 pounds chicken andouille sausage, cut into thin slices
  • 1 pound dry red kidney beans
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, optional
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 bayleaves
  • 7 cups water
  • 10 cups cooked rice

Directions

  • Rinse the kidney beans and drain.
  • Add all the ingredients, except rice, to the slow cooker.
  • Cook in the slow cooker on LOW for 10 hours or HIGH for 6 hours.
  • Optional: When there is one hour remaining, use a potato masher to go in and mash up some of the beans, then let it cook the remaining hour.
  • Prepare the rice separately, according to package directions.
  • Serve slow cooker ingredients atop rice and enjoy!

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