Football / Fall Food

One of my favorite parts about fall and football season is the opportunity to make some of our favorite recipes. Even though it's still a tad hot here today, we're making one of the classics, red beans and rice, and having friends over.

Red Beans and Rice

I use a recipe that's adapted from one of the Baton Rouge Junior League River Road Recipes cookbooks. My favorite part about this recipe is that it's SO easy.

--2 pounds dried kidney beans (camellia brand if possible)

--ham (I use the lean pre-cut cubes)

--sausage (I use turkey sausage to keep it lean)

--salt

--hot sauce

--worcestershire sauce

--onion powder

--bay leaf

--white rice

1. Soak beans overnight - this is a must, so don't skip this step!

2. Drain the beans in the morning. In a large pot, add everything together (told you this was easy) and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. This may be obvious, but include about 12 cups of water. There's no point in measuring the seasonings - just use your judgment and adjust based on smell.

3. Add water as necessary as the beans cook. We let the beans cook for a loooooong time because we like them super soft. It can take all afternoon.

4. Serve over rice. I love to add sherry vinegar to my plate, but that's a learned habit.