Quick and Easy Red Beans and Rice

This dish is as simple to make as it is completely delicious. If you're
looking for a recipe that's on the table in no time and totally
satisfying, your search is over!

Quick and Easy Red Beans and Rice
from Crisco® Collection

Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 30 min.

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small green *or* red pepper, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 ounces smoked sausages, cut into thin slices
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 cup Swanson® Chicken Stock * or* Beef Stock
2 cans (about 15 ounces *each*) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Hot cooked rice
Chopped green onion
Hot pepper sauce

1. Heat the oil in a 6-quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the onion,
green pepper, celery, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until the
vegetables are tender. Stir in the ham, sausage, bay leaf and thyme.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Stir the stock, beans, cayenne pepper and black pepper in the
saucepot and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes
or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Discard the bay leaf.

3. Spoon the bean mixture over the rice. Serve with the green onion and
hot sauce.

/Tip*:*/ While the bay leaf infuses wonderful flavor into this dish, it
is important to remove it before serving. Even after cooking, bay leaves
are too tough to eat.
Makes: 8 servings (about 1 1/4 cups each).

Kitchen Clip
                              When mincing garlic, sprinkle a pinch of coarse kosher salt on
top of the cloves first. The salt will help keep the garlic from
sticking to the knife blade.
Received on Sun Sep 19 15:00:20 2010