The Covered Dish - Quick Red Beans and Rice

Well; by the time everyone reads the column turkey, potatoes, dressing and gravy will be behind us for 3-4 more weeks. Personally; I never get tired of fresh sliced turkey, unless it was dried out!
Our son, Phillip, insisted I run this recipe for red beans and rice because he ate every bit of it last week, and I didn’t have any leftovers, whatsoever. His statement for prosperity was stated like this: ‘Mom, make sure that recipe is down, because I’ll want to make it on down the road.’ Interpreted in Debbie’s rendition: ‘When you croak I want to be able to make that dish again!’
Most of the time when I’m suggesting or chatting about red beans and rice I will be soaking the beans the night before in stock, probably around 7 cups worth, and then making beans the next day. When you don’t have time, and you don’t own a pressure cooker, I think you will find this dish quite pleasing.
Here are a few things to pay heed to in this recipe. I only used 1⁄2 pound of andouille sausage, because on a whim I threw in about half a broasted chicken. Definitely say good bye to the chicken and use a full pound of the andouille. I’ve never had red beans and rice with shrimp etc., but I suppose you could.
In some of my recent studies on prize winning recipes I found that many southern cooks put a bit of butter in their beans and rice. Hey; you can’t go wrong with a bit of butter, right? So, the question was how much to use? I went with 2 tablespoons, and I was amazed at the change it made to the dish. It was very smooth on the palate, and it seemed like the tomato twist had settled a bit. All I know is I will be doing it in every batch of red beans and rice I make in the future.
This dish could be made at the campfire or about anywhere. You could make it fly in a crockpot, if need be. For the rice I would use a regular long grain. At serving time I like to put the beans in a flattering bowl, and using a 3 tablespoon scoop, put a rounded mound of rice on top. For a nice garnish I would use green onions, chopped fine. Personally; I would like cilantro, but hey, everyone is different!
What would accompany this yummy dish? Most likely cornbread. Try not to make ‘Yankee’ cornbread, which is what folks in the Ozarks call, sweet cornbread. Also; cook in a cast iron skillet for the best of everything! Heat the butter in the skillet and when it is bubbling, pour in the batter. Place in a 425 oven for maybe 5-8 minutes, then pull it back to 350 degrees. This will yield a nice crunchy bottom. If you put cheese inside, do not use the fine grate, use a box grater and make the pieces a large shred.
As you approach the holiday weekend, this might be a nice touch for something different, yet easy and yummy. Simply Yours, The Covered Dish


Quick Red Beans and Rice
Olive Oil, 2-4 tablespoons
3-4 ribs celery, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 pepper your choice, I used red
2 cans red beans, undrained, chopped small-fine
1 can chili beans, undrained (Beans & tomatoes are 15.5-20ozs.)
1 can of diced tomatoes, use garlic, if desired
1.5 teaspooons Fila Powder*
1 teaspoon black pepper
1.5 teaspoons dried sage
1.5 - 2.5 cups chicken stock Rotisserie hen, about half of the hen, chopped into bite size pieces
1⁄2 pound Andouille sausage, chopped into thin slices, then halved**
2 tablespoons butter
(The recipe is missing garlic, you may want to put some in. I have issues with the ingredient, so I left it out, and not a mention of it was made....)
Gather a large saucepan or small stock pot Saute or sweat the trinity, (celery, onion, pepper) in the olive oil before combining the rest of the ingredients into the mixture. I left the butter to the very very end, why? So I could totally make a taste comparison with and without the addition of the butter. It was truly surprising! I enjoy letting the mixture set for at least 30-45 minutes before serving time.
In the meantime you can cook the rice and throw a quick batch of cornbread into the oven.
This makes great leftovers for the lunchbox, and a meal that is packed with protein.
• The recipe will be very different without the Fila Powder. I noticed mine came from a Mennonite store versus the regular grocery store. You can tell by the packaging style, etc. Fila is made with dried sassafras, making it both an interesting flavor and a great thickening agent in your beans.
• Andouille Sausage is from the Cajun and creole cooking styles. We love it at our home, but if your family has issues with heat, well; you may want to go to just a polish sausage. I used Petit Jean Meat’s Andouille Sausage. Manufactured in Morrilton, Arkansas