And the obsession continues……….I still absolutely LOVE my Instant Pot and was surfing Pinterest to find something new to try since my youngest son came to the table for dinner and said “Gosh Mom, how many times a week are we going to have Spaghetti?” I would normally take offense to such criticism but he was right…..I had made it at least once a week since I got my Instant Pot and although my hubby and I could eat it even more often, it was time to try and find something new. So, what does every other self-respecting person do? We turn to Pinterest……..I surfed and read and surfed and read and as the day turned to night (just kidding) I found several recipes and the heavens opened up and the angels sang – or was that the song on the radio? Well, either way, there were a few things that spoke to me:
- No pre-soaking the beans (which would require forethought on my part)
- Dinner in under an hour and a half -Can I get an Amen???
- Cajun flavors – One of my hubby’s favorite cuisines!!
I know some are shaking their heads right now and saying “dinner in under an hour and half?? Is she crazy – that’s a LONG time!” Yes, but consider this…..Traditional red beans and rice takes ALL day to cook, yes I am crazy, and while this is cooking in the Instant Pot, all I have to do is cook the rice on the stove…..The rest of that time can be spent watching the latest episode of Fixer Upper or better yet, the Food Network. Sounds like a match made in heaven to me!
You start with the “Holy Trinity”of Cajun cooking and the dried beans with a few spices and that’s it……..Seriously, that’s it.
If you hear nothing else, hear this……Do NOT put the sausage in the Instant Pot! One of the recipes that I read, the blogger said the first time she added the sausage at the beginning and the consistency was “hinky” (that is a technical cooking term, I swear). So, her solution was to cook the beans for 28 minutes, do a quick release, add the meat and re-seal the pot and cook for an additional 15 minutes. This sounded reasonable to me and I tried it and even when adding the meat later on in the cook cycle, it came out still VERY hinky. My solution is to use the Instant Pot on the Saute mode before you put the vegetables in and brown the sausage. Remove it and set aside. When you add the veggies and water, stir to mix and scrape the bottom of the pot to get all of the yummy browned bits mixed in with your holy trinity and beans.
This recipe, once I tweeked it, has made my monthly rotation and my family couldn’t be happier…..Especially my hubby!!!! Food is love and that makes me so happy!!!
Here is a bowl of that Cajun dreamy yummy bowl of goodness…..
The recipe:
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound dry red kidney beans
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (optional)
- 1 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
- 2 leaves bay
- 7 cups water
- 1 pound andouille sausage cut into thin slices (I have also used smoked sausage and it is just as good)
- 10 cups cooked rice
Instructions
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Add all ingredients, except for sausage and rice to the Instant Pot.
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Place the lid on, lock it, and set to manual high pressure for 40 minutes.
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At the end of the 40 minutes use a natural release.
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When the Instant Pot is fully depressurized the pin will fall, and you can remove the lid.
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Add the sausage, place the lid back on and let it sit for about 10 minutes. (This will allow the sausage to soak up the flavors and for it to thicken slightly. .
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Serve the bean mixture over a cup of cooked rice.
Enjoy!!!!
Be safe out there and be kind to each other!!!!
Janet
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