Ciao Bella Red Beans & Rice

Are you scratching your head wondering what kind of name this is for a Cajun recipe?  I got hungry for some Cajun Red Beans & Rice but the only sausage I had on hand was my good old standby…Italian sausage.  Hence, the name.  It turned out so good that I think I’ll continue using Italian sausage whenever I make this dish.  By the way, this is done in a crock pot so you can put it on and leave it alone for the rest of the day.

1 lb. dry kidney beans
Olive oil, a couple of swirls around the pan
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 stalks of celery, sliced thin
6 cups of water
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere’s)
1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed and torn into bite size pieces

Rinse the beans and put into a crock pot along with the water.

Swirl the olive oil around in your skillet and let heat.  Add the vegetables and cook for 3-4 minutes to give them a head start on softening.

Add the vegetables into the beans along with the seasonings.  Stir to mix and cover.  Cook on high for 2 hours and then on low for six hours.

When ready to serve, put some hot rice into a bowl and ladle the beans over it.

Bits & Pieces

If you want to stay true to Cajun Red Beans & Rice then use Andouille sausage in place of the Italian sausage.

I substituted a red pepper in place of a green one, just our personal preference.  I also used ground Chipotle red pepper rather than cayenne.  This recipe is certainly adaptable to any way you want to cook it…unless you want the genuine article.  In that case, follow the recipe as written.  Either way, you’re going to be please.

Oh, don’t forget to serve this with cornbread baked in a skillet.  You can’t beat it for a slightly crunchy crust.