Recipe: Red Beans & Rice with Andouille Sausage

As a working mom, and now a grandmother, being able to feed my family on the fly is a must. I usually don’t even think about what I’m going to cook for dinner until the afternoon – and if something needs to come out of the freezer for it – yup, it’s not getting made!

In Louisiana, red beans and rice is a tradition and much like every down-home dish, we all have our own twist on this classic Cajun meal.

Did you know that beans and rice were served up on Monday, the traditional day for doing the wash, and as a way to use up any leftover Sunday meats – because Southerners love to put on a full spread for Sunday dinner!

You’ll see it served up any day of the week now, for just about any meal. It’s also a great side dish to have on hand that you can make in 15 minutes – and it’s filling as well!

Here Is What You Will Need

• 2 cups Minute Rice
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 15 ounce can red beans, rinsed and drained
• 14 ounces beef broth
• 1 tablespoon Louisiana Cajun Seasoning
• Hot Pepper Sauce (optional)
• 1 14 ounce package of Zatarain’s Andouille Smoked Sausage (already cooked – cut each link in half and then slice thin)

When I make this, I usually double the recipe so that there are leftovers. The leftovers are great as a snack or quick lunch! In addition, if you want red beans and rice with more of a gravy (think Popeyes Louisiana Red Beans and Rice side dish) there’s an awesome recipe on BudgetBytes.com that is delicious as well.

Step 1

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bell peppers and onions, cook and stir until tender. (I don’t add bell peppers to the mix because I’m the only one who will eat them)

Step 2

Add the beans to the bell peppers and onion mixture, add broth, sausage, and cajun seasoning. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Since I made a double batch of this recipe, I transferred it to a large pot to bring to a boil so there was room once I added the rice.

Step 3

Stir in rice and cover. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve with pepper sauce, if using.

Great Sides to Serve with Red Beans and Rice

This simple fare can be paired with so many different things – really anything your family would like. To make it easy on you though, we’ve listed a few dishes that pair nicely with this Southern staple to help you out.

• Cornbread
• Tostitos Scoops (scoop up the red beans and rice for an extra crunch)
• Crunchy Fried Chicken
• Fried Pork Chops
• Coleslaw
• Collard Greens with Bacon
• Corn on the Cob
• Pulled Pork
• Brisket
• Spare Ribs
• Simple Tossed Green Salad
• Savory Black Pepper and Gruyere Beignets (such a favorite!)
• Southern Ratatouille (sneak those veggies in)
• Cajun Shrimp (use that Louisiana Cajun Seasoning on everything)

We truly hope that your family will love this dish as much as ours does! Drop us a line and let us know what you thought of it!