Crockpot Red Beans and Rice

This week has been one of those crazy busy week so ....I took out my trusty crockpot and have been using it religiously for the past few days.  It was suppose to rain today but it didn't :( ....so I thought I would make some comfort food.

Ingredients:
2 lb red beans---I didn't soak this time since I was gonna use the crockpot but usually when I make it on the stove I would soak the beans over night.
14 Cups of water (make sure that the water cover the beans)

1 large bell pepper--chopped
4 stalk celery--chopped
1 large onion--chopped

1 TBS garlic powder

1 TBS onion powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 bay leaf

1 stick butter--add this last right before I serve


MEATS:
1 lb pickle pork
2 lb hot links
2 lb  cubed salted ham

Garnish:
green onion
parsley
Tabasco sauce ;)



Direction:
I pour the red beans into my crockpot...picking out all the broken ones or funny looking ones ;)
then I rinse with water once and pour that water out. Next I pour enough water to cover my beans and add my diced celery, onion, bell pepper. Then I would add all my spices...garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, crushed red pepper, ground pepper, worcestershire sauce and BAY LEAF.

I dont add any salt until the end because most times my pickle pork and salted cubed ham is salty enough that I don't have to add any salt.

Then I add my pickle pork and cubed ham and COVER and turn on my crockpot ...set it to 8 hrs on low.

If I am home and about half way through I usually stir it around a little so the flavor can incorporate a little. THEN I ADD MY HOT SAUSAGE LINKS---I CUT THEM INTO 3 in PIECES and throw it in. I DONT like to cook it in there at the beginning because it will break up. Then about 7 hrs into my cooking I would take a wooden spoon and take some beans and smash  it against the crockpot so that it can make it a little creamy.

I like to cook my sausage in a pan then just add it on top of my red beans and rice when I am eating it so I cook it separately. I LOVE the Hillshire Farm brand. I usually buy 1 regular and 1 spicy because my kids don't like it too spicy.


When your ready to eat...add the 1 stick of butter in the crockpot and stir around ...this makes a huge difference!!!  Then taste to see if you need to add more salt or seasoning to your red beans.

Serve over white rice and garnish with some sliced parsley and green onions. If you like it SPICY..add some TABASCO sauce. I find that its spicy enough for my family because of the HOT LINKS and the spicy sausage


ENJOY!!!

I like to cook my sausage separately so that I can taste the flavor. 

We love adding HOT LINKS to our red beans and rice...gives it TONS of flavor. 

 Pickle pork pack that I used.. I don't use ham hock :)