Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

This recipe was given to me by my sister. It's a hearty dish, and wonderful for the cold winter months. To make a little meatier, I cut up a small ham steak in cubes and add the cubed ham the last 20 minutes. Serve over cooked rice.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr
• Total Time: 3 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 345 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
• 1 ham hock
• ½ teaspoon dried minced garlic
• 2 cups dried red beans

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Pick over the dried beans, and soak them in water overnight.

Step 2

The next day, drain off the soaking water, and place the beans in a large pot or slow cooker. Cover with water, and stir in the dried garlic and onion, salt, bay leaf, sugar, cayenne pepper, celery seed, cumin, and crushed red pepper flakes. Push the ham hock down into the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer over low heat for 3 to 4 hours.

Step 3

Stir in the smoked sausage, simmer for 20 more minutes, and serve.