My version of Red Beans & Rice

I am not a southern girl.

I have nary a southern root in my family tree.

I know that there are lots of southern cooks out there that may rolls their eyes at this recipe. I'm sure it's not authentic. I'm sure I should have added a lot more heat, but and heat and me aren't very good friends. I don't like my food spicy. Call me a wimp if you must, but that's just the way I am.

I do know that my husband loves red beans and rice and if I made it for him, that it would make him very happy. So I did.

This is my own version. Pulled from ideas that I read in recipes all over the Internet. You have no clue how many versions of this dish there are! Tons.

So I went with what I thought would taste good and give it great flavor.

I put everything in the crock pot and let it cook all morning. By afternoon my husband was smiling with a bowl that was steaming over a plate of brown rice.

Doesn't take much to make him happy and I kinda like that quality in a person.

True southerns look away....my version of Red Beans and Rice.....



Lisa's Red Beans and Rice
Printable recipe
1 pound red kidney beans, soaked at least 8 hours or overnight.
1 pound kielbasa, chopped
1 ham bone (I had one in the freezer. You can always ask your butcher for one)
3 stalk of celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leafs
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon worceshire sauce
Enough chicken broth to cover the beans
Prepared rice (I used brown rice)

Add the first 6 ingredients to the crock pot.

In a small bowl combine spices. Stir to combine. Add to the crock pot and stir to incorporate. Add the bay leaves, worcheshire sauce and just enough chicken broth to cover the beans. Stop when you see the liquid just barely hit the beans.

Cover and cook for 2 - 3 hours on high, then lower the crock pot to low and cook an additional 2 hours.

Pull out the ham bone and pull of any meat that may remain on it. Add the meat back into the pot, stir. Serve over rice.