For  FACCC

A tribute to my dear close friend  cajunkitty

This one is for you buddy. ;3

Red beans and rice... I never would've found out about this dish if it weren't for Cajun. Dear goodness I thank him so much for showing me how to make this heavenly dish.

The best way that I can think of describing this is pure bliss and comfort.

Once again simple, yet incredibly tasty. I promise this is worth the wait.

Ingredients are as follows

3-4 Andouille sausage links *medium dice*
3-4 Strips of Bacon *Diced like bits*
2 Small cans red beans *Like the ones that around 10.5 ounces or so*
1 tbsp olive oil
4 Cloves garlic *minced*
2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning *I used a mix of Slap Ya Mama and some Cajun seasoning I got from a local marketplace*
2 - 3 Vidalia Onions/Sweet Onions *Half Moons*
3 tbsp Water
A small knob of butter
Salt *To taste*
Pepper *To taste*
*I don't feel I should list ingredients for the rice, cook the rice however you want/ however much you want*

Again, you don't need green stuff. But i'm a bunny, I like my greens >.>

ALSO! It'd be very helpful to have a potato masher. ;)

Estimated Prep Time - Roughly 2 minutes
Estimated Cook Time - 1 hour - 1 1/2 hours
Serving Size - Serves about 3 very hungry critters or 6-7 with a normal appetite. :p

*Best to start in a large pot*

- Start heating up your pot to low, medium/low heat and put your bacon strips in. Cook them evenly to your desired crispness.

- If you haven't cut the sausage or onions yet, now would be a good time to do so. :)

- Once bacon is cooked to your liking, remove and drain the grease. Also drain the excess bacon grease and clean the rest of the bacon grease from the pot. Be sure to keep the stuck pieces of bacon though.

- Once cleaned, put the pot on medium/high heat and add your olive oil.

- When the oil is ready add your onions, sausage and minced garlic to the pot. Stirring occasionally.

- About 2 minutes later, add your cajun seasoning and a pinch of salt. Then mix it up.

- Now would also be a good time to dice up your bacon.

- Once it becomes aromatic and well mixed add your water and bacon. Stir occasionally till onions become translucent.

- After the onions are cooked, now would be a good time to add your beans. HOWEVER... Do not throw away the cans. Empty out the cans, and fill em up with water again *mix it up a bit to get the leftover bean stuff*. Then add that water to the pot.

- Now you can throw away the cans. :p

- Now... Time to play round 1 of the waiting game. Bring it up to a simmer, once it's at a simmer lower the heat to medium. And let the waiting begin! Wait about 30-50 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Scrape the sides of the pot too!

- While it cooks be sure to add the salt and pepper to your taste.

- Once 30 or 50 minutes have passed, get that potato masher ready! *If you don't have a potato masher just use the back of a spoon. It'd be harder but it works* and start mashing up that mixture. You wanna mash it gently, you don't want to squish the sausage. Just enough to get those beans squished.

- Once it's mashed well, it's time to play round 2 of the waiting game. This part is critical.

- Crank that baby up to high, medium/high. And stir frequently *Let it sit a bit to make it thick* until your desired consistency is reached. I like mine quite a bit thick. So I let it cook for about 5-7 minutes.

- Once it's cooked to your consistency turn off the heat... Then add that little knob of butter and gently stir in. Yeah... That secret little creamy ending. ;)

And that's it! Super easy n tasty. :)

Once again holds very well and keeps its' consistency well in the fridge.

Let me know how this goes please! Enjoy, and happy cooking! <3