Red Bean Monday Recipe

Soak and prep beans (overnight or quick method)

If using dried beans, rinse and pick over for debris. For overnight soak: cover beans with 4 cups cold water and soak 8–12 hours, drain and rinse. For quick soak: place rinsed beans in a pot, cover with 3 cups water, bring to a boil 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit 1 hour, then drain and rinse.

In a heavy Dutch oven or large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sliced sausage and brown 4–5 minutes until edges caramelize. Remove 2/3 of the sausage to a bowl (leave some in pot for flavor).

Reduce heat to medium, add diced onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot. Cook, stirring, until softened, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Return reserved sausage to the pot. Add drained beans, 6 cups stock, bay leaves, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Partially cover the pot and simmer gently, stirring every 20–30 minutes, until beans are very tender and sauce is creamy, 1.5–2 hours (longer for firmer beans). Add more stock or water 1/2 cup at a time if mixture gets too thick while cooking.

Once beans are tender, mash about 1 cup of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to thicken the sauce (or use an immersion blender for a couple quick pulses). Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining salt and pepper and a dash more cayenne if desired. Remove bay leaves and stir in chopped parsley.

Rinse rice under cold water until water runs mostly clear. Combine the rinsed rice, 3.5 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place an 8-inch cast-iron skillet into the oven while it heats to warm the pan.

In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Pour wet into dry and stir until just combined (do not overmix).

Carefully remove hot skillet from oven, add 1 tablespoon melted butter to coat the bottom and sides. Pour batter into skillet, smooth top, and return to oven. Bake 18–22 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Let cornbread rest 5 minutes, then slice into wedges to serve with beans and rice.

Spoon a generous scoop of fluffy rice into bowls, ladle the red beans and sausage over the rice, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with a wedge of warm cornbread on the side. Offer hot sauce and lemon wedge at the table.