Tonight we are having ribeye steaks and frankly I don't generally do much with those.
Usually I sprinkle just a little bit of Worcestershire sauce on both sides, let 'em come to room temp and then grill them on the outdoor grill. Add a salad, and a starch like some potatoes and we're good to go for dinner.
I came up with this bean recipe as another way of using those Bean Soup Mix packages, like Hayes Star Brand, that showed up in co-op boxes fairly regularly. My first try with the bean soup mix was to create a soup and that actually did turn out really tasty, but this recipe is my next experiment of what in the world to do with this soup mix!
I didn't want to make a soup this time, but rather something that would be thicker, served with rice and kind of mixed together - think like Hoppin' John style, to go with those steaks. If you want it a bit more soupy, just use extra chicken stock.
I also used some andouille, which is a very spicy smoked Cajun sausage. Andouille has quite a lot of heat to it, so if you don't want that much kick, you could substitute regular smoked sausage, though I would bump up the heat just a tad bit with my favorite standby Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning and a tablespoon or so of sliced pickled jalapenos, chopped up. I really like the Mezzetta brand Deli-Sliced Tamed Jalapeno Peppers because they have lots of flavor and a little kick, but aren't overpowering.
I was very pleased with the flavor of this dish, and The Cajun loved it too, so it was a winner. Hope you enjoy it too!
