One of the things that really sucks about long term preps is that beans and rice, though long lasting, are rather boring. Not only that, but those who have blood sugar issues can’t eat a lot of rice. I am posting this recipe for Cajun style red beans and rice. It is delicious, and this is the one that my mama taught me all those years ago. Authentic Louisiana Red Beans and Rice.

The blood sugar issue is fixed by serving rice with beans. It turns out that the fiber of the beans prevents your blood sugar from spiking, and is actually beneficial to diabetics.

In a traditional Louisiana family, Red Beans and Rice is served on Mondays. The reason for this is that Monday is laundry day, and mama needed a meal that she could prepare without too much fuss, so she could get the laundry done. So this is my childhood on a plate.

  • One pound of Red Kidney Beans
  • One large white onion
  • One large Bell pepper
  • Rice
  • 1 tbs. Butter
  • Red (Cayenne) pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • One pound of Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage

Now you can use other kinds of sausage like Kielbasa, Andouille, or the like. The essence of Cajun cooking is that it is simple country food. You use what you have. My advice here is to use the ground hot sausage. The beans dilute the heat of the sausage. The meal isn’t too hot- trust me on this one.

Dice the onion and the bell pepper. Melt the butter in a hot pan, then add the peppers and onions. Cook them, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to soften. Add the crumbled sausage and cover. Occasionally stir, and cook until the sausage is browned.

Put the beans in a large pot with 6 cups of water, and add the contents of the pan into the pot with the beans and cover the pot. Heat on high until the water just starts to boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Let simmer until the beans are soft (about 2 and a half hours). Walk by every 15 minutes or so and give them a quick stir, because you don’t want the beans on the bottom of the pot to burn.

Once the beans start to soften, smash some of the beans against the side of the pot with a spoon, and they will cause the water to thicken into a nice sauce. Add salt and cayenne to taste. If the consistency of the beans is too thick, you can add some water.

Serve over rice.

In my family, we serve it at the table with ketchup and Louisiana Hot Sauce. Those eating it can use those to flavor the beans to taste.

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13 Comments

Simeon · October 12, 2021 at 2:18 pm

Excellent! Thank you.

Weetabix · October 12, 2021 at 2:42 pm

I assume you soak the beans overnight and not just put dry beans in the pot?

    Divemedic · October 12, 2021 at 5:04 pm

    You don’t have to soak them. I don’t.

a stitch in time · October 12, 2021 at 4:58 pm

Do crawdads keep well? Maybe frozen?
It is just a small chunk of meat in the tail but protein is important.
Built up a good larder thanks to the church pantry and using all extra money for food supplies, even if there is already a decent amount.
Got some MRE’s that are nearing the end of line and my use those before the time of the spice rack arrives.

    Divemedic · October 12, 2021 at 5:05 pm

    They freeze well. I don’t eat them often, but my wife really likes them.

    why · October 12, 2021 at 10:46 pm

    Rice and beans by themselves are incomplete proteins that when combined form complete proteins. The only thing I’d add to above is sweet cornbread. We had red beans and rice several times a week – easiest way to feed growing boys and like a good wine, got better with time. Speaking of wine, swap out a cup of water with wine (flavor of your choice) for a different flavor.

Jonathan · October 12, 2021 at 5:12 pm

Don’t forget to stock a variety of spices and seasonings to help with boredom.
Do you have a reference you can share for shelf life of spices? I know some lose potency forever and some, like salt, never do.

    Divemedic · October 12, 2021 at 5:45 pm

    I don’t know. Pepper and salt are good. We grow our own herbs. Basil, peppers, rosemary, and mint are all easy to grow.

      it's just Boris · October 12, 2021 at 7:48 pm

      In fact, you need to be a little careful of mint … it’s pretty aggressive about extending its territory.

        Divemedic · October 13, 2021 at 4:26 am

        Yes, but its very good about keeping insects away from the other plants.

          it's just Boris · October 13, 2021 at 12:41 pm

          Indeed. My first house, I planted several kinds of mint in the flowerbed alongside the kitchen. Great for making iced tea.

          It’s also the only house I have ever lived in that didn’t have ants at some point or other. After a few months, it smelled wonderful when I mowed the lawn by that flowerbed, as the mint tried to invade the yard. 🙂

Skyler the Weird · October 13, 2021 at 6:01 am

My Dad’s family lives in New Orleans. I fix Red Beans or Cranberry Beans and Rice at least once a week in the crock pot. Sometimes instead of sausage I add a small pork roast to the pot. I also add a whole onion instead of chopped onions.

    Divemedic · October 13, 2021 at 9:46 am

    There are as many recipies for beans as there are Cajun grandmothers.

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