Crockpot Red Beans and Sausage

I love a dinner recipe that can be thrown in the crockpot and forgotten until it's time to eat. This recipe fits that bill to a "T" and it's delicious to boot! Now, we are from the West coast and so unless you have a southern granny, red beans and rice isn't something you're going to find on most menus. I was looking through Pinterest the other night and came across this recipe.

I was immediately drawn in by the simple ingredients and the fact that it uses beans. In my very humble opinion, beans are an under utilized source of quality protein in most American diets. The are cheap to buy, filling, full of fiber and easy to store if you buy them in bulk. I am always on the lookout for a new bean recipe for this reason. Want to stretch your grocery budget?? Incorporate beans into your meal plans.

The red beans simmer all day in a spicy broth and spices, sausage and vegetable flavorings. No need to pre-soak these beans, just dump everything in and let it cook! I found the recipe at Little Magnolia Kitchen and I adjusted it a little bit. She notes that it is originally a Southern Living Recipe (2007) that she has adapted a bit as well.

Crockpot Red Beans and Sausage

• 10 cups water
• 2 cups (1 pound) small red beans
• 2 lbs sausage, sliced into coins (I used smoked sausage)
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 cup green pepper, diced
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
• 2 tablespoon creole seasoning

Dump everything in the crockpot and cook on high for 7-8 hours. Serve over warmed cooked rice and have some hot sauce ready on the side. A pan of Cornbread Muffins served on the side would really round out the meal.

This makes a fair amount of dinner. It fed 3 adults, 1 kid who eats like an adult and 3 kids with enough leftover to send off 2 good sized lunches today. Good news, though, this (minus the rice of course) will freeze beautifully. If you don't need this many servings, still make the entire recipe and freeze the rest for later. Or, make the entire recipe and take it for lunch several times. Either way, you'll be as glad as I am to have a wonderful, easy and delicious bean recipe under your belt to pull out on busy or lazy days. I think I'm going to can some of the bean/sausage/broth mixture up and see how that goes. Wouldn't it be handy to have this on your shelf and just heat it up while you cook some rice? Comfort food at it's finest :)