Slow Cooker Louisiana-Style Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, diced small
• 2-3 tsp. olive oil
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 cups cooked small red beans
• 3 cups diced lean ham or Louisiana Hot Sausages
• 3 cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. Green Tabasco Sauce
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 3 cups cooked white rice for serving

Directions

1. If you’re starting with dried beans, soak them overnight, then simmer them on the stove until they’re mostly tender, or use a pressure cooker for about 25 minutes. Drain well. If you’re using canned beans, rinse them under cold water until the foaming stops, then drain.
2. Dice the ham or sausage very small, aiming for pieces about the same size as the cooked beans.
3. Warm the olive oil in a heavy skillet, add the diced onion, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is beginning to take on some color.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the Creole Seasoning, dried thyme, and dried oregano, and cook for another 1-2 minutes, just long enough to wake up the spices.
5. Transfer the onion mixture to a small crockpot. Add the cooked beans and the diced ham or sausage. Pour in the chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, Green Tabasco Sauce, bay leaves, and red wine vinegar, then stir everything together.
6. Cook on high for 4-8 hours, stopping when the beans have broken down as much as you like. This is especially good when at least 3/4 of the beans have softened into the liquid; canned beans tend to be softer, so they usually reach that point sooner.
7. Serve hot with white rice on top. The New Orleans-style way is to fill a bowl about 2/3 full with the soupy beans, then add a scoop of rice over the top.