Easy Cajun Beans and Rice

Sometimes flavor takes time.  Since I don’t have a pressure cooker (and I’m just slightly scared of what might happen if I did) this recipe takes a little over an hour to cook, but it’s completely worth it.  It’s not even that much work actually.  You just have to set aside enough time to let all the ingredients simmer to the perfect texture. That’s not too hard, right?

If you don’t have any Cajun seasoning in your cupboard you can whip up your own blend with a few common ingredients.  Here’s what you’ll need:

• black pepper
• cayenne pepper
• cumin
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• oregano
• red pepper flakes
• salt
• smoked paprika
• thyme

That’s it!  Just a dash of this and that and you’ll have perfect Cajun flavor.  Don’t leave out the thyme.  It’s kind of that secret ingredient that you can’t put your finger on, but if it’s missing…there’s just something missing!  Play with the ratios and make the blend as hot as you like it.

We begin our recipe with bell peppers, onions, and celery.  Ahhh!  Delicious base of amazing flavor.  You could also add in some crunchy, sweet carrots.  That would make a perfect combination of Cajun vegetables.  I subbed in the super-sweet bell pepper because that’s what I had on hand. It turned out great!

Easy Cajun Beans and Rice

So easy and tasty that you'll feel like a real Cajun cook!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Lauren Cobello

Ingredients

• 1 cup pinto beans dried (or 1 1/2 14 oz cans of pinto beans)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 white onion chopped
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper seeded and chopped
• 12 oz smoked sausage sliced
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning mix
• 1 cup brown rice

Instructions

• If using dried beans, soak the beans overnight in 4 cups of water.
• Drain and rinse the beans. Set aside.
• In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
• Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to the hot oil. Stir to coat the vegetables with oil. Saute over medium heat until onions begin to look almost transparent.
• Add sausage, water, and seasoning mix. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.
• Stir in brown rice and return to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes until the rice and beans are tender.
• If the water gets low, you can add up to a cup more during the cooking process.

Have you grabbed my freezer meal plans, yet? I might be biased but I think they are pretty amazing! They have saved our dinner hour for years now. Check them out!