Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice

I love red beans and rice. I've posted several versions before, but this one fit the bill today by allowing everything to cook in the crock pot all day while errands were completed one by one. Yes, it takes about 20 minutes of prep work to get the ingredients ready to be added to the crock pot, but it's worth the time.

1 lb. bag of dried red beans, rinsed and sorted through

Water to cover beans

1 T. olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

1/2 t. salt 

1 T. chopped garlic

2 t. Cajun or Creole Seasoning

1 bay leaf

1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Hot cooked rice

Chopped parsley or green onions

your favorite hot sauce

In a large bowl, soak the beans, covered in water for 6 hours or overnight.  Drain. Place beans in crock pot and cover with fresh water.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add oil. Add onions, peppers and celery.  Sprinkle with salt and allow to cook until vegetables begin to soften, 5 - 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add vegetables to crock pot along with the seasoning and bay leaf.

Brown sausage in skillet, stirring frequently. Browning the sausage will add a great flavor to the red beans and rice. Please take the time for this step! When sausage is browned, add to the crock pot along with the other ingredients.  

Set crock pot to high and cook 6 - 8 hours or low 10 - 12 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings. You may need to add additional salt or Cajun/Creole Seasoning. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Serve with hot cooked rice.Top with parsley or green onions. Serve with hot sauce on the side for your guests.