DSC_0453_thumb.jpg' alt='Red Beans And Rice Slow Cooker Food Network' title='Red Beans And Rice Slow Cooker Food Network' />My slow cooker red beans and rice is a reader favorite And it is one of our favorites in my family too. But sometimes you just cant wait all day to make dinner. If youre a fan of burrito bowls, youll love this flavorful, nutrientrich Brown Rice Red Beans Bowl Slow Cooker red beans rice made with dried beans, and cooked with a ham bone, bacon and smoked sausage, in the CrockpotSlow Cooker Red Beans and Rice. Dutch Baby. January 1. 5How to Prepare and Save Time. A Modern Twist on a Beloved Tradition. Here in New Orleans, many of us observe the weekly tradition of cooking red beans and rice on Mondays. The traditional method takes several hours to cook from scratch on the stovetop assuming youve not soaked them. Most of todays modern, busy workers leave their homes early on weekday mornings making that four hour stovetop cook time pretty unrealistic. What to do If you love red beans but havent the time to cook them, meet your new best friend the slow cooker. With just a little ahead of time preparation, you can have red beans not long after you get home. Hows that for convenience Not only is the consumption of red beans a big deal here in New Orleans, but the ritual of preparation is also a time honored tradition. Slowly chopping the trinity can be the closest thing to a meditative experience as youre likely to find in the kitchen. Red Beans And Rice Slow Cooker EasyHomemade red kidney beans made with dried beans, and slow stewed with the Trinity, bacon, smoked sausage and a good ham bone or ham hock, served over hot rice. Lets get this pot on the stove Classic Camellia Red Beans, dried but soaked. Major soup flavors like onion, garlic, celery, pepper, and pancetta. Parsley and. This is the ultimate in thriftiness and convenience beans in a slow cooker. The long, slow cooking time coaxes all the flavor from the sausage into. Classic cajun red beans and rice with all of the classic Southern creole flavors throughout. So delicious So comforting So soulfulHowever, if you dont have the time, several companies here in Southeast Louisiana figured that out so you can now find pre chopped trinity in most, if not all, grocery store refrigerated produce sections. Todays busy home cook doesnt always have the time for a lot of prep work, especially when its just as cost effective to use the pre chopped version. Meat, Beans and Trinity. Advantages of Cooking Red Beans in a Slow Cooker Abound. Lets loop back to the slow cooker. Clearly, advantages abound here. Not only are slow cookers convenient and easy to use, theyre also a major time saving device. Plus they eliminate the need for soaking, especially when youre cooking them low and slow, as does the recipe presented here. While youre busy at work all day, the slow cooker is busy, too its turning the red beans, smoked sausage, and trinity into a delicious meal for you. When you arrive home, your beans are ready. Simply throw on a pot of rice and slice a few green onions, and youre all set This is so easy that a child could do it. In fact, cooking red beans in the slow cooker is a great way for you and your kids to bond over meal preparation, and it also provides a convenient way for you to pass the red beans and rice tradition on to them. While cooking traditions persist, modern day time crunches call for modern day solutions. The slow cooker provides that answer. Embracing slow cooking allows you to cook traditional meals like red beans more often. Between using it as family bonding time and having Mondays be an easy dinner night, youll wonder why you didnt start this tradition earlier. Red beans also make great leftovers for lunches during the week or they can be frozen to eat later, especially on those weeks when you dont even have the time to use the slow cooker. You know those weeks. The versatility and storability of red beans makes them an ideal weekly tradition. Slow cooking your red beans is also ideal for parade season and parties for the big game you can enjoy the festivities while the beans are cooking, and serve directly from the slow cooker so that everyone can enjoy a piping hot bowl of New Orleans most beloved dishes. SLOW COOKER RED BEANS RICEPrep Time 1. Cook Time 1. 0 hours low or 4 hours high2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil. Camellia Brand Red Kidney Beans. Hot sauce, to taste. Salt and black pepper, to taste. Directions In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the trinity, stir well, and cook until vegetables start to soften, about 3 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure that the vegetables dont stick. Add the smoked sausage, stir well, and continue to cook until sausage is browned and vegetables are tender, about 5 7 minutes. Continue to stir occasionally to make sure trinity and sausage arent sticking. Once done, remove the skillet from heat and transfer the contents to a slower cooker. Add the water and red beans along with garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaves, and dried thyme. Stir well and place cover on the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker on low for 1. Stir occasionally. Before serving, stir in thinly sliced green onions and the desired amounts of salt and black pepper. Serve over rice and with hot sauce. Notes If you cannot find pre chopped trinity in your local grocery store, substitute 2 cups of chopped onions, 1 cup of chopped celery, and 1 cup of chopped bell pepper. Steps 1 through 3 can be done the day ahead of time, if needed. Store the cooked vegetable and sausage mixture in an air tight container in the refrigerator then just pick up on Step 4 when youre ready to add everything to the slow cooker. If youre strapped for time, skip Steps 1 through 4. Sauteing the trinity and the sausage will add a depth of flavor, but its not a requirement. If you skip over to Step 5, add the raw vegetables and sausage to the slow cooker with everything else. Omit the vegetable oil. Depending on your beans and your slow cooker, the beans may have more water than youre used to on the stove. The beans will thicken upon standing. Mash some of the beans on the side of the slow cooker crock if you prefer a creamier style of beans. The beans can stay in the slow cooker for another couple of hours on the Warm setting on the slow cooker. Beans will continue to thicken as they warm longer. Makes 6 to 8 servings.