Crockpot Red Beans and Rice
As soon as I read through this recipe for Crockpot Red Beans and Rice I fell in love with it, and I just had to share it! Red Beans and Rice is a classic southern comfort food made with red Kidney beans and Andouille sausage slow cooked in a flavorful broth, then ladled over soft steamy rice. The thing is, it’s usually cooked on the stove top in separate pots. This recipe moves both the beans and rice to the crockpot yet still cooks them separately! How cool is that?
Traditional Red Beans and Rice just got a makeover.
Once again the chefs over at America’s test kitchen have shown their penchant for innovative thinking; this particular concoction originates from their kitchen. In this recipe, the sausage is first browned in a dutch oven, and the rendered fat and fond (the brown stuff stuck to the bottom) is used to sauté the vegetables and aromatics. Then chicken broth and beans are added, and the beans get a kick start simmer on the stove for about 20 minutes, before being placed in the slow cooker.
A Few Important Notes.
Make sure your bread pan will fit into your slow cooker before making this recipe. When you remove the rice, the pan will be hot! Make sure you protect your fingers from burning. It is soooo cool to take the foil off and have hot fluffy white rice ready with your meal. Simply ladle the beans over a serving of rice and savor the flavors!
Many people like slow cooker recipes because they like to dump all the ingredients in with little to no prep, and think they’ll have a great tasting meal ready by the end of the day. But really delicious slow cooker recipes usually do require a little prep to build depth of flavor. By far the prep that goes into this recipe is worth it! I really enjoyed the Andouille sausage in this dish, but Kielbasa would be a fine substitute. I have suggested in this recipe to use Jasmine Rice. It’s aromatic quality and borderline sweet flavor are outstanding compared to other types of white rice and has grown tremendously popular in the western world recently. I won’t use any other white rice in my cooking anymore. If you’re looking to eat beans and rice to cut back your food budget, this is the perfect recipe for you. Enjoy, and let me know how it turns out for you in the comments below!
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Crockpot Red Beans and Rice
- Total Time: 5 hours 33 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
This savory southern dish done all in the crockpot~ even the rice!
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound andouille sausage (Kielbasa will do just fine too), halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half-moons
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
- 1 celery rib, chopped fine
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound dried red kidney beans, rinsed and picked over
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups Jasmine rice (not instant rice)
- 2 3/4 cups water
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or pot, brown the sausage over medium high heat for about 7 or 8 minutes, to coat the bottom with a thin layer of rendered fat (grease) and brown fond. Remove the sausage and set aside to be placed in the fridge.
- Add in the onion, celery and bell pepper and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift up all the fond. It should loosen as the vegetables’ moisture is released.
- Add in the garlic, oregano and thyme and saute for about 30 seconds. Pour in the broth and stir in the beans, bay leaf and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and set the heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes, then turn the heat off.
- With a soup ladle, transfer the bean broth mixture to the crockpot. In a bread pan, add the rice and water. Cover tightly with foil and nestle the pan into the beans and broth. Place the lid onto the cooker and set it for 4 or 5 hours, or until the beans are soft.
- When the beans are done, carefully remove the bread pan (it’s hot!) and set it in the sink or over paper towels. Scoop out about one cup of the beans and broth and puree them in a blender or food processor. Mix the puree back into the beans to make them creamier. Add in the Andouille sausage that’s been in the fridge and let it warm for about 10 minutes. Scoop servings of rice out of the pan and ladle beans over. Serve.
- Prep Time: 33 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: American
