This post was sponsored by S&W Beans and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
With back to school means getting used to a whole new routine. It’s a huge adjustment, at least for us. This year, Peyton has to read out loud, every night for 20 minutes. So I’m trying to find quick, healthy, nutritious meals that I can prepare in that time frame so she can read to me while I cook. S&W Beans is helping me make tonights dinner, red beans and rice.
Why beans and rice? Well, S & W Beans are full of protein and nutrients. They have been in the bean business for over 120 years creating quality products to help parents make healthy meals. They have the classic, traditional beans as well as some new varieties that can be used to help spice up dishes or be a base.
To make my Red Beans & Rice you’ll need the following –
2-4 Shallots thinly sliced or diced
2 Celery Stalks thinly sliced
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cans Diced Tomatoes with Basil
3-4 cloves Garlic, crushed or diced
2-3 cans S&W Beans Kidney Beans, drained
1-2 lbs Fully Cooked Sausage (I used a Cajun spiced Andouille sausage) cut into bite size chunks
6 ounces Tomato Paste
1 tsp Ground Cumin
The most time-consuming project for this recipe is all the chopping. But it’s something you can do ahead of time to help prep for the week.
First, take a large pot and heat the olive oil over medium to high heat. Once heated saute the shallots, celery, and garlic for about 5 minutes. This will make the kitchen smell amazing!
Then add all the other ingredients. If you like more of a soup like consistency do not drain the kidney beans. But if you like a thicker red beans and rice drain them. It will make a big difference.
After everything has been added to the pot set the burner to simmer and let it cook for about 15-20. You can go longer if you feel it’s too runny to try and thicken it up.
While the red beans mixture is cooking, make your rice. I like to use minute rice and cook it in the microwave but you can really cook it any way you would like. Corn bread goes very well with this dish too.
Once you are done cooking the mixture let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes, this will help it thicken just a smidge and cool down some.
This is a hearty dish perfect for fall and weeknights. Peyton loved it. If your children do not like spicy food you can control the intensity of the spiciness by using a mild sausage.
Remember to print out your own coupon before heading to the store to stock up on S & W Beans.
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