Red beans and rice is an everyday cajun food, and is popular in many areas as a main course.  However, I grew up on red beans as a side dish with smothered meat with rice and gravy.  I guess the "poor folks" (or those that did not hunt much or were not very good at it, neither being a problem in my family) ate just red beans and rice.  For a little history on red beans and rice go to http://www.outlawcook.com/Page0201.html.

Late last century, I headed up a Gumbo Cook Fundraiser for St.Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, in College Station, TX.  Well, some of those Texans did not take to the gumbo too well, so we decided we needed a second main dish for the non-gumbo eaters.  We settled on red beans and rice to keep with the cajun theme of the meal.  The following is a modification of the recipeI  used for the red beans and rice. The basic recipe is for a family-sized serving , and the 40 to 60 quart pot recipe is for feeding a whole bunch of people. 
 

Ingredients dry red or kidney beans smoked sausage or andouille sausage tasso or ham hock onion, medium bell pepper celery garlic green onion tops parsley bay leaf Worcestershire sauce Tabasco hot sauce boullon, chicken Cajun seasoning mix  Serves

Basic Recipe 1 lb 1 lb 0.5 lb 1 count,  chopped 1 count, chopped 1-2 stalks, chopped 3-5 cloves, chopped 1/2 cup, chopped 1/2 cup, chopped 1 leaf 1 tbs 1 tsp 1 cube 1 tsp Approx. 6

40-60 Qt Pot Recipe 16 lb 16 lb 8 lb 1 gal, chopped 1 gal, chopped 2 quart, chopped 2 cups, minced 2 quart, chopped 2 quart, chopped 16 leaves 8 oz 4 oz 16 cubes 8 tbs Approx. 100

Soak and Simmer Beans 

• Red beans or kidney beans are the traditional bean used. 
• Wash the beans and remove any "non-bean stuff".
• Soak beans overnight covered in water.

• Drain beans and add fresh water.
• Add cajun seasoning mix (homemade, Chachere's or Zatarain's) and boullon.
• Heat to a light boil and cook beans for about an hour.  Keep the beans covered with water.
• Allow another hour cooking time for the 40-60 quart pot recipe, because it takes longer to heat up.

• Add sausage, tasso or ham hock, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaf, Worcestershire and Tabasco.
• If you like, you can brown the sliced sausage and tasso in a little oil before adding to the beans.  If you decide to brown the sausage, then go ahead and sauté the vegetables in the sausage grease before adding to the beans. 
• Simmer 2-3 hours or until the beans are tender.
• Allow another hour cooking time for the 40-60 quart pot recipe, because it takes longer to heat up.
• Add water to keep the beans covered with water.

• When almost done, add the chopped green onion tops and parsley.

• Serve over cooked white rice.  Don't eat those bay leaves! 

• Add more Tabasco sauce or cajun seasoning mix to taste at the table.

©David Wm. Reed