I’m making this for the neighborhood association potluck tonight, and had decided to bring along a copy of the recipe in case anybody wanted it. And, what the hey, might as well post to the blog, right?
The key modification is that it’s made in the slow cooker instead of on the stovetop. Otherwise, it’s just ditching veggies that I don’t like (texture, mostly) and minor adjustments to the spices. (I don’t usually have garlic powder, for example, so I’ve subbed in garlic salt & reduced the kosher salt.)
Red Beans & Sausage
Modified from Red Beans and Rice with Sausage (via Derrick)
- 1 pound dried red kidney beans (about 2¼ cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- ¾ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 generous teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
- sometimes I remember to include about ½ tsp of onion powder, forgot this morning!
- 5-6 links sausage (approx 1.2-1.5 lbs)
- 6 cups water
The night before:
Pour the beans into a 6-quart slow cooker pot and add enough water to cover the beans about 3 inches.
In the morning:
- Drain & rinse the beans, then pour them back into the slow cooker.
- Add seasonings.
- Cut sausages lengthwise, then cut each half into bite-size chunks. Add to the slow cooker.
- Pour over the water.
- Cook on low at least 8 hours.
Before serving:
Scoop out about 1 cup beans. (Fish out any sausage that tries to come along.) Mash or puree the beans into a paste. Add the bean paste back into the slow cooker and stir, while leaving cooker on warm or low.
This is tasty with bread, cornbread and/or rice – the original recipe calls for 6 cups cooked long-grain rice, but I don’t always get around to that part. Makes good leftovers.