Red Beans and Rice

Hello friends!

I'm back with one classic made completely from scratch! For those cold winter days in Chile or if you so happen to have a rainy summer here in the US and need some comfort food, here is your recipe!  Very easy to make and incredibly delicious!

Ingredients:

3 cans of Dark Red Beans, Low Sodium

3 tablespoons bacon grease
1/4 cup chopped tasso, or chopped ham
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 pound smoked sausage, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound smoked ham hocks
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
4 cups chicken stock, or water

1/4 cup chopped green onions, garnish

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the tasso or ham and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers to the grease in the pot. Season with the salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, parsley, thyme, sausage, and ham hocks, and cook, stirring, to brown the sausage and ham hocks, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans with the juice and stock or water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are starting to thicken, about 45 minutes.

Remove from the heat and with the back of a heavy spoon, mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until the beans are creamy, 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

Enjoy!

 Source:  Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, through Food Network - Adapted