Budget Friendly Red Beans and Rice with Sausage 
Ever have those nights when it just looks like there's nothing to eat, but it turns out you had something delicious all along?
Well, the other night this is all I had on hand. Two cups of cooked leftover pinto beans, 1 cup rice and one package of skinless sausage.
First, I cut the sausage into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and seared them in a large pot over medium high. The beans were too cold to throw directly in the pot, so I warmed them up in the microwave, then added to the large pot.
Next, I tossed in
- 1 cup of dried parboiled rice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/4 cup water.
I may have added more water to keep the ingredients from getting too thick. When the liquid came to a strong simmer, I covered the pot and turned down the heat to low. I made sure to cook the rice for 20 minutes. Then removed the large pot from heat and allowed to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. The extra liquid has a chance to thicken while it cooled down.
While the rice was doing it's thing, I made a quick batch of moist cornbread muffins. Everything was ready to eat at the same time and everyone was pleased.
Hey Jill I had a few more items on hand so between yours & mine I made Gumbo. I did make the cornbread cause I just love cornbread. From great minds comes great ideas.
You got that right, Sister Jan!
I’ve never made Gumbo. I absolutely love it, but I have never made it.
Care to share your recipe for gumbo?
Looks good! We love leftovers because it often means less time slaving in the kitchen. When I make lasagna, I usually make a lot more ground turkey or beef (whatever I use at the time) and use it for burritos/ tacos. Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking but due to a busy schedule when I am not preparing dinner after work, my husband and I can go to the gym.
I hear ya, Deby! I love cooking, but I don’t do it everyday. That’s exhausting and I have way too much going on.
What’s that they say? “Work smarter, not harder.”
I’m always happy to take the time to double a recipe or cook ingredients ahead of time, just so I can have a few nights of fast heat’n-eat meals.
how were the pinto beans prepared before this?
Hi Ed, thanks for asking, I left that part out on this post.
I normally cook them in a pressure cooker for 50 minutes, with four cloves of garlic, 1 tsp salt, and about 3 tablespoons of canola oil.
I keep the seasonings simple, because I tend to use the beans for different soups, refried beans and burrito filling.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, go to this recipe link for the other stove top method.
http://simpledailyrecipes.com/beans-n-cornbread/
Definitely a family favorite with the cornbread muffins for sure!
Karyn Campbell
Ohio
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