Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

It dawns on me that the title to this post is all wrong... this is not a post about making rice at all.  It's all about the beans.  But here in the South, it's just hard to say the "red beans" part without saying the "rice" to go with it.  You could call it red beans with smoked meat, I suppose... but that just doesn't have the right ring to it at all.  Anyway, y'all know what I mean.

When I was a little girl, we had red beans and rice EVERY Monday at school.  This is a very Southern tradition.  Mondays in the South were traditionally considered "wash day" for as long as anyone can remember.  This goes back to the old plantation days.  Folks back then put the beans on to soak overnight and then enjoyed the slow cooking smell of the beans simmering with some good smoked meat and seasonings all day while they did the wash (by hand).   Lord Jesus, I'm so thankful we don't live back in those days!  But one thing hasn't changed... the smell of those beans simmering with that smoked meat all day sure makes your house smell amazing!  I don't have enough forethought to put them on the night before, so I just throw mine in the crockpot.  This works like a charm.  What I also love about crockpot cooking is that you don't have to tend to it.  Just hit the button and walk away.  Yes.  Score!


#glutenfree #dairyfree #highfiber #southern #easy #budgetfriendly  #crockpot  #crowd  #potluck

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Ingredients:  (serves 6-8)

• 1 pound dried red beans
• I highly recommend Camillia brand if you can find them
• 1 pound smoked meat, cut into bite sized pieces 
• the smokier the better
• I have 1/2 pound smoked andouille sausage and 1/2 pound tasso
• 1 cup diced bell peppers
• I keep some frozen for easy dinner prep
• 1 cup diced onions
• I keep some frozen for easy dinner prep
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 7 cups water
• 2 Tbsp Creole seasoning 
• (there are gluten free formulas available)
• 1/4 cup dried parsley
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• Steamed rice for serving with the beans
• Optional - fresh parsley for garnish

Step-by-Step:

Rinse your beans and check for any small pebbles or anything that may have been left in the package accidentally.

1 pound dried red beans

First comes our vegetables seasonings.  Add the beans to your slow cooker and then just start dumping all the other ingredients in.   I'm using frozen veggies because I usually always have some on hand in the freezer.  This makes my meal prep so fast and easy! 

1 cup diced bell peppers

1 cup diced onions

Next comes our meat seasonings.  I'm using 1/2 pound each of smoked andouille sausage and 1/2 pound tasso.  Use what you prefer, but the smokier the better.  A smoked ham hock, perhaps?  Pork has a long history in the South, so it would be a common seasoning for the beans.

1 pound smoked meat

 Add in your dry seasonings.

2 Tbsp Creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere's)

1/4 cup dry parsley flakes

1 Tbsp minced garlic

 Okay, let's add our liquid in here.

2 cups chicken stock

7 cups water

 Give it a good stir to mix all the ingredients.

Now.. here's the good part.  Press GO.  On my slow cooker, I select HI and set the time to 8 hours.  That's it!  You do have to endure the smell all day.  It's a tough job.

*If you like a soupier red beans, let it go for the whole 8 hours.  I like mine a bit creamier.  So around hour 6-7, I lift the lid and use either a potato masher or the back of a spoon and mash up some of the beans.  I allow it to continue cooking the rest of the time.  Something happens with the interaction between the mashed beans and juice that makes it thicken and get creamier.

**Also, consider that these are even BETTER the next day.  Yes, seriously.  They will also thicken by the next day.  This makes it a great make ahead dish to bring to a function to reheat.

My kids would absolutely revolt on me if I didn't serve this without cornbread (another Southern staple)... so of course we are having cornbread muffins, which are very kid friendly.

There are a TON of new food fads out there.  You know it.  I know it.  But sometimes, there's something very comforting about going old school.  Really old school.  You can almost feel the humid breeze blowing the Spanish moss and hear the whistle of the riverboats.

Here's some bonus recipes I hope you'll enjoy:
Spicy Sausage and Sweet Potato Hash - #paleo #glutenfree #dairyfree #whole30compliant

Chicken Fajita Burrito Bowls - #glutenfree #dairyfree #mealprep #mexican

Baked Chicken Parm - #baked #healthier #familyfriendly #italian

Skinny Mexican Pizza - #teens #reducedfat #turkey #mexican

Chicken Cordon Bleu - #dinnerparty #french

Written Method:

Rinse your 1 pound of beans and check for any small pebbles or anything that may have been left in the package accidentally.  First comes our vegetables seasonings.  Add the beans to your slow cooker and then just start dumping all the other ingredients in.   I'm using frozen veggies because I usually always have some on hand in the freezer.  This makes my meal prep so fast and easy! 1 cup diced bell peppers + 1 cup diced onions.  Next comes our meat seasonings.  I'm using 1/2 pound each of smoked andouille sausage and 1/2 pound tasso.  Use what you prefer, but the smokier the better.  A smoked ham hock, perhaps?  Pork has a long history in the South, so it would be a common seasoning for the beans. 

Add in your dry seasonings. 2 Tbsp Creole seasoning, 1/4 cup dry parsley flakes, 1 Tbsp minced garlic.  Okay, let's add our liquid in here.  2 cups chicken stock + 7 cups water.  Give it a good stir to mix all the ingredients.  Now.. here's the good part.  Press GO.  On my slow cooker, I select HI and set the time to 8 hours.  That's it!  You do have to endure the smell all day.  It's a tough job.

*If you like a soupier red beans, let it go for the whole 8 hours.  I like mine a bit creamier.  So around hour 6-7, I lift the lid and use either a potato masher or the back of a spoon and mash up some of the beans.  I allow it to continue cooking the rest of the time.  Something happens with the interaction between the mashed beans and juice that makes it thicken and get creamier.

**Also, consider that these are even BETTER the next day.  Yes, seriously.  They will also thicken by the next day.  This makes it a great make ahead dish to bring to a function to reheat.

My kids would absolutely revolt on me if I didn't serve this without cornbread (another Southern staple)... so of course we are having cornbread muffins, which are very kid friendly.

There are a TON of new food fads out there.  You know it.  I know it.  But sometimes, there's something very comforting about going old school.  Really old school.  You can almost feel the humid breeze blowing the Spanish moss and hear the whistle of the riverboats. 

Freezer Friendly Breakfast Burritos

So I was just looking through my photos and realized I had done this fun little breakfast recipe but had never put it on here!  Sometimes I don't know how things get past, but life happens, right?  First of all, I know a ton of kids who love breakfast items that come from a "box."  That runs the gamut of pop-tarts and cereal to frozen breakfast sandwiches, frozen pre-made French toast and croissants to toaster strudels.  Well guess what?  Not mine.  I'm rolling my eyes as I type.  I never felt these processed things were healthy so even when I bought them (for emergency breakfasts and such), I still always tended to make my kids a hot breakfast.  It just became our habit.  

Fast forward to times when I WANTED the kids to "just go grab yourself something and heat it up."  They balked.  "Those frozen breakfast sandwiches taste like 'plastic.'" Or "That frozen French toast is gross."  This is the beast I've created.  But I digress.  So in an effort to encourage more independence in kids getting old enough to get their own breakfast occasionally, I made these breakfast burritos.  Of course you could totally put whatever you wanted in them to personalize them... just label, wrap and freeze!  Voila!  Breakfast on-the-go filled with tons of protein and maybe a few veggies if you can sneak them in.  This also works fantastic if you live alone or just take your breakfast alone and need something fast and healthy!  Have a dorm kid?  Send them off with some of these to throw in that dorm freezer to reheat in the morning or for a midnight snack in their microwave! 

Print this Recipe!

Ingredients: (4 burritos)

Ingredients for this are very touchy feely.  I made this as more of a concept.  Feel free to completely add your choice of ingredients.  Make a theme of it if you'd like!  *Have leftover fajita meat with onions and peppers?  They would fantastic in these!

• 4 pork sausage patties
• You could use turkey sausage, chicken sausage, andouille, or even just chopped ham/turkey, cooked bacon.  But enough where each person has enough protein/portion.
• 6 eggs
• I allowed 1 1/2 eggs per portion.  Change as desired.
• Generous portion of kosher salt and ground black pepper
• A bit of water added to the egg mixture (allows them to steam while cooking)
• If desired, a handful of frozen mixed peppers
• A handful of chopped frozen onions
• The frozen ones break down faster!  
• A pat of butter added to the peppers (maybe a Tbsp)
• Shredded cheese of your liking, probably a cup more or less

Step-by-Step:

I'm cooking pork sausage.  Use whatever protein you'd like.  This one was raw.  If you want to use one that is precooked, you can just chop it up into bitesized pieces and skip this step.

pork sausage patties

 Cook sausage only until cooked.  Not until dry.

So now I just fix my scrambled eggs like I normally would.  Season them well as the tortilla does not come pre-seasoned.   If you have additional seasonings you enjoy, add them. 

6 large eggs (1 1/2 eggs per person)

 Add seasonings...

To save myself both time AND an entire pan to clean, I'm just gonna throw my frozen onions and peppers in the microwave with a bit of butter for a couple of minutes to cook them down.   

Frozen onions + peppers + 1 Tbsp butter

 Microwave x 2 minutes or until veggies or soft.

 You may need to drain out extra liquid.

So just cook your scrambled eggs soft - but do NOT overcook them.  Only until they are softly set.  Add in your cooked veggies.   Turn off the heat.  

Have your tortillas sort of ready and staged, waiting for the filling.  I precut some pieces of cling wrap and set my tortillas out.  Use the tortillas of your choice - regular, whole wheat, low carb, paleo, whatever you choose.  

Divide the filling into four equal portions and add to the tortillas.  Add as much shredded cheese as you desire. 

Fold in the sides of the tortilla.

 Fold up the bottom.....

Then roll up!

Wrap the whole thing in the cling wrap. 

Don't forget to date and label the burritos.  This is especially important if you are using different fillings for your family members.   

The great thing about them being individually wrapped is that they won't stick together in the freezer; and they are super easy to take out to thaw and reheat. 

To reheat:  Remove from wrap, wrap in a paper towel, place on a microwave safe plate and heat up to two minutes or until hot.  Even better if you want to take them out the night before to thaw. 

Written Method:

I'm cooking pork sausage.  Use whatever protein you'd like.  This one was raw.  If you want to use one that is precooked, you can just chop it up into bitesized pieces and skip this step.  Cook sausage only until cooked.  Not until dry.

Fix your scrambled eggs like you normally would.  Season them well as the tortilla does not come pre-seasoned.   If you have additional seasonings you enjoy, add them. 

To save myself both time AND an entire pan to clean, I throw my frozen onions and peppers in the microwave with a bit of butter for a couple of minutes to cook them down.   Microwave x 2 minutes or until veggies or soft.  You may need to drain out extra liquid.

So just cook your scrambled eggs soft - but do NOT overcook them.  Only until they are softly set.  Add in your cooked veggies.   Turn off the heat.  

Have your tortillas sort of ready and staged, waiting for the filling.  I precut some pieces of cling wrap and set my tortillas out.  Use the tortillas of your choice - regular, whole wheat, low carb, paleo, whatever you choose.  Divide the filling into four equal portions and add to the tortillas.  Add as much shredded cheese as you desire.  Fold in the sides of the tortilla.  Fold up the bottom.....Then roll up!  Wrap the whole thing in the cling wrap. 

Don't forget to date and label the burritos.  This is especially important if you are using different fillings for your family members.   The great thing about them being individually wrapped is that they won't stick together in the freezer; and they are super easy to take out to thaw and reheat. 

To reheat:  Remove from wrap, wrap in a paper towel, place on a microwave safe plate and heat up to two minutes or until hot.  Even better if you want to take them out the night before to thaw. 

Southwestern Chicken Salad

I love the flavors of Southwestern food so, so much... and I'm even happier when I can get those flavors in a healthy recipe like a salad.  The problem arises when you have a great salad with all your favorite toppings and your lovely dressing and it all gets wilted down and soggy.   A few weeks ago I had the idea to mix all those great flavors into a chicken salad that was supposed to be moist and see what came of it.  

Turns out,  this idea worked great as a lunch prep.  The flavors were huge with  all the things you expect in your southwestern salad - a mixture of bright cilantro, sweet roasted corn, black beans, shredded cheese, and red onions all mixed into chopped rotisserie chicken.  The dressing is super healthy but has a kick starting with high protein, nonfat Greek yogurt, cumin, chipotle chili powder, garlic, and lime juice.  I loved this high protein chicken salad as lettuce wraps, but I admit it was also great with crackers.

#clean #glutenfree #highprotein #mealprep #lowcarb 

Print this Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 - 4 cups cooked chicken chopped as large/fine as you'd like
• I used a rotisserie chicken
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ear corn, roasted
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Dressing (you may like to double this to add more later if salad starts getting dry)

• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 large lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Step-by-Step:

Combine first six ingredients (cooked chicken through shredded cheese).

1 rotisserie chicken typically yields 3-4 cups cooked chicken

1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 ear sweet corn, roasted (over gas stove, BBQ pit, under broiler of oven)

1/3 cup red onion, diced

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 cup shredded cheese

** You might also like to add the diced flesh of a roasted, seeded jalapeño if you really like a spicy kick.  That's too hot for the people in our house.

Combine dressing ingredients.  Adjust seasoning to your tastes.  

1/2 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

juice of 1 large lime

1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
**add more to kick up the heat factor!! 

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

 Pour dressing over salad ingredients and mix to combine.

So here we have a mixture of sweet, spicy, sour, savory, crunchy, smooth... all in one spoonful!  Oh what I wouldn't give to eat this with a big pile of tortilla chips!  But I guess that would completely defeat the purpose.

What I DID choose, as I mentioned earlier, was lettuce wraps.  Okay, so they aren't exactly tacos, but they ARE a healthy choice... and one good decision leads to another, right?

Bonus Recipes: 
Stuffed Zucchini -  one of my most popular side dish recipes to date in 8 years!  #lowcarb #glutenfree #familyfriendly #easy

Spicy Garlic Shrimp - #fast #easy #spicy #pasta #seafood A definite favorite in our house!

Oven Baked Fajitas - Let the oven to the work for you!  #mexican Can be #glutenfree if you don't use flour tortillas.  Also great over a salad!  

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas - Every now and then, you just need a little something to snack on, right?  So make it something healthy!  #highprotein #healthysnacking #highfiber

Steamed Asian Dumplings (Gyoza)  - One of my daughter's favorite things in the world!  They do take a bit of time, due to making the dough and all, but it's a lot of fun and they are delicious!  You could save some time by purchasing pre-made wonton wrappers and just making the filling if you needed to.  #asian #dumplings #appetizer This filling is #pork but you could swap that out for #chicken if you wanted. 

Grilled Tilapia with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette - #seafood #highprotein #lowfat #lowcarb #glutenfree #dairyfree 

Written Method:

Combine first six ingredients (cooked chicken through shredded cheese).

** You might also like to add the diced flesh of a roasted, seeded jalapeño if you really like a spicy kick.  That's too hot for the people in our house.

Combine dressing ingredients.  Adjust seasoning to your tastes.  Pour dressing over salad ingredients and mix to combine.   If you find, the next day perhaps, that the salad is getting dried out, you might choose to add more dressing.  Some of the ingredients may start drinking up the dressing as it sit in the fridge.