A mix of kidney beans with pintos, chili seasonings and browned, smoked sausage, served over rice.
Chili Beans with Rice
Any kind of a beans and rice dish is a winner for me.
- It's hearty and filling.
- It's high in protein and fiber.
- It's inexpensive.
- If you use a brown rice and a turkey smoked sausage, it's pretty good nutrition.
- And, the most important thing. Done well, with a great blend of herbs, spices and seasonings, they are delicious!
By the way, I absolutely love when y'all give me your own recipes to try, so yes, please do!
My version is based heavily on his, but, of course, I did put a little bit of my own spin to it. I think he will approve!
I'm interrupting the post here to remind you that this is a blog, not just a "recipe site," and yes, there is a difference! I want to first thank all of you who have supported my work over the years, but if you aren't interested in the chit chat, info, photos, tips and such in a post, as always, you'll find the complete recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll down to the bottom of the post!Here's what you'll need for these chili beans and rice:
- Some good smoked sausage. Cajun andouille, a highly seasoned smoked sausage, brings a lot of flavor - and heat, depending on the brand - to the mix, but milder versions of smoked sausage are fine too. Just adjust your seasonings to taste!
- The "trinity." This is our Deep South "mirepoix," if you will, of seasoning veggies, including onion, bell pepper and celery, along with "da pope" addition of minced garlic. You'll find this blend in many of our southern recipes.
- 4 standard size cans of beans. I suggest 2 kidney beans and 2 navy or pinto beans (or a mix of those), drained and rinsed. Rinsing removes a good bit of the sodium present in canned beans.
- A quality chicken stock or broth, preferably low sodium. Even though you are rinsing the canned beans, I prefer to control any additional salt. Kitchen Basics is my favorite chicken stock - loaded with flavor and much tastier than plain broth. You can visually see the difference!
- Just a bit of yellow mustard.
- A mix of seasonings, including, cumin, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and marjoram.
- A bay leaf.
- Creole or Cajun seasoning and/or salt and black pepper, to taste, only as needed though, and at the end of the cooking process, after you taste. The brands of Cajun seasoning, which are typically salt with black and red pepper, sometimes a little garlic powder, I use the most are Slap Ya Mama and Justin Wilson's original. The primary Creole seasonings, which typically have additional herbs and spices, are Tony Chachere's or Zatarain's. Yes, I use them all!
This blend of seasonings brought in a chili-like flavor, which is why I decided to call it chili beans and rice instead of red beans and rice.
The ultimate test though was the flavor and it turned out to be absolutely delicious!
The Cajun and I really enjoyed it and frankly, it's perfect for this rollercoaster cold weather we've been having here lately. Still no snow in the Deep South, though this very weekend as I write this in January 2022, north Mississippi is going to see some snow and I hear that Memphis is expecting as much as 18 inches. I feel so left out!
I hope that you also enjoy these Chili Beans with Rice as much as we do. Here's how to make it.
The ultimate test though was the flavor and it turned out to be absolutely delicious!
The Cajun and I really enjoyed it and frankly, it's perfect for this rollercoaster cold weather we've been having here lately. Still no snow in the Deep South, though this very weekend as I write this in January 2022, north Mississippi is going to see some snow and I hear that Memphis is expecting as much as 18 inches. I feel so left out!
I hope that you also enjoy these Chili Beans with Rice as much as we do. Here's how to make it.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-to-6-quart pot and brown sausage; remove and set aside.
Add remaining olive oil, onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté for 3 minutes stirring regularly.
Add garlic and cook another minute.
Add beans.
Add seasonings.
Toss.
Add chicken stock or broth. The grocery store was out of my favorite brand of stock, so I had to substitute a broth this time. It was still good though!
Add mustard if you're using. This was Ike's addition to the mix and it just adds a little tang and light heat to the beans.
Stir gently and bring to a boil.
Return sausage to pot.
Reduce to a simmer with a low bubble and cook, stirring several times for about 45 minutes or until creamy and thickened. Taste and add Creole or Cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's this time), salt and/or pepper, only as needed, to taste. Remove and discard bay leaf before serving over steamed rice.
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