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New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
by Melanie Foster
serves: 6
  The quintessential Monday meal. Southern moms would put this on monday morning and let it cook all day as monday was laundry day and huge chore "way back when..." Read more about me and my cooking philospohy at mjcooks.com
Ingredients:
  2 cups   small red beans (1 lb), Camilla brand if you get them
  1 cup   ham, diced (optional, or a ham hock)
  1 lb   kielbasa, andouille or other smoked sausage, sliced
  4   garlic cloves, minced
  1   large onion, minced
  1   green pepper, minced
  1 cup   celery, diced
  2   bay leaves
  1 Tbsp   Tabasco sauce
  3/4 tsp   powdered cloves
  1 Tbsp   dried parsley
  1 tsp   salt and pepper, more to taste
Directions:
  Soaking the beans (you don't have to soak them at all, you'll get better color in your final dish if you don't):

Slow Method--Put beans in a large pot; cover by at least 2 inches with water. Soak overnight.

Quick Method--Cover beans in a pot with at least 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Boil hard for 10 minutes, then let stand off the heat, covered for 1 hour. Drain and return to pot with the rest of the ingredients, except the salt. Pour in enough water to cover everything well and bring to a simmer. Simmer covered or not 4-5 hours until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. At this point you can mash the beans with a potato masher a few times for a creamier consistency. You may have to add water at some point if it’s getting too thick. This should not be soupy however. It should be the consistency of chili. Add the salt after the beans are tender and it's the right consistency. Serve over hot rice.

This would not be the same without fresh sliced French bread spread with butter and yellow mustard served alongside.

Slow Cooker Option: Soak the beans or not. Add everthing to the slow-cooker, except salt and sausage. Add water just to the level of the beans, cover and cook on low 6 hours or so. Check for tenderness. Add more water if needed. Once tender, add the sliced sausasge and cook 30 minutes more or until heated through.