Quicker & Easier! This is a New Orleans Rice & Bean recipe that I think you'll find very flavorful, yet easier and a lot quicker than most! In fact it is so fast that it can be made in 30-45 minutes or just about the time it takes to make white rice. The reason it is so fast to make is that I use canned kidney beans instead of dried beans that must be soaked over night and take up to 1 1/2- 2 hours to cook. I don't think you can honestly tell the difference taste wise, but you'll have a lot of extra time for other things, like making a great desert!

Some like it hot! Some not so much, for this reason I recommend that you use a mild Andouille sausage and control the heat with the cayenne and the hot sauce that you carefully add and taste to insure that the beans aren't too spicy for your guest (more hot sauce can be added to plates that want more heat individually)!

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Large onion chopped

3/4 Cup chopped banana peppers or bell peppers

5 Slices thick bacon

1/2 Cup chopped celery

1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 Cup chopped green onion tops

1/4 Teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 Teaspoon thyme

3 Bay leaves

1 Pound fully cooked ham cut into 1/2 inch pieces

14 ounces Andouille sausage cut into 1/4 inch pieces

4 - 15 oz. cans of red kidney beans

1 Teaspoon hot sauce

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

3 Cups of long grain white rice

6 Cups of water

Directions

Rice Begin by adding 6 cups of very hot water to large pot, bring to a boil and add 3 cups of rice and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes, turn off drain and let set for 5 minutes before serving.

Beans Add 3 cans of kidney beans to a large pot, puree 1 can of kidney beans in a blender. and add it to the pot. Add 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. thyme, and 1 tsp.hot sauce to the pot with the kidney beans and put on lid and put heat on simmer. Continue to stir with wooden spoon every 5 minutes,( if at any time beans look too thick, add a little water)

Meat While the beans are simmering and the rice is cooking, brown 5 thick strips of bacon, remove bacon chop up fine and add to beans. In the bacon dripping brown up the Andouille sausage half way then add diced ham until both are done, then add to the beans.

Vegetables Add 1 Tbs. olive oil to the sausage and ham drippings and add 1/2 of chopped celery, cook for about 2-3 minutes and then add the 1 chopped onion, 3/4 cup chopped banana peppers and 2 Tbs. minced garlic. When the onion is transparent and celery no longer crunchy add to pot with beans and meats. You are now finished, as soon as the rice has simmered 20 minutes and rested for 5 minutes you are ready to serve!

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