Red Beans and Sausage

  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

1pound dried red beans
1 meaty ham bone
1 1/2cups chopped yellow onions
3/4cup chopped bell pepper
3/4cup chopped celery
2cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 1/2teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2teaspoons salt
Black pepper to taste
dash cayenne pepper
2pounds hot smoked sausage links or andouille
Hot cooked rice

Instructions

  1. Sort and rinse the beans. Soak the beans in water to cover in a bowl for 8 to 10 hours; drain.
  2. Rinse the beans and place in a large heavy saucepan. Add the ham bone and enough water to cover.
  3. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaves, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and mix well.
  4. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  5. Cut the sausage into slices. Fry in a skillet until brown; drain. Add to the beans.
  6. Mash a portion of the beans against the side of the saucepan using the back of a spoon to make the beans thick and creamy.
  7. Cook for 15 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaves. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Recipe reprinted with permission from the Junior League of Monroe, Inc., Cooking in High Cotton, the Cotton Country Collection (the Junior League of Monroe, Inc., 2008)