20 Summer Potluck Recipes — The Red Beans That Cook All Day

Labor Day and Daddy had the day off again, which meant a second cookout. Less official than Fourth of July, more comfortable. The Washingtons came back. MawMaw Shirley came back. There was chicken again, but this time Daddy tried ribs for the first time on this grill — the rebuilt house came with a slightly bigger backyard and a slightly bigger grill, two upgrades from the old house that Daddy takes seriously. The ribs took three hours and Daddy checked them every twenty minutes and they came out exactly right because he is a man who commits to a task.

MawMaw brought her red beans this time, the full pot, not the potato salad. She said it was Labor Day and Labor Day needed something that cooked all day, because that was the point of the holiday — to honor work by doing the kind of work that produces something worth eating. I thought about that. MawMaw has a philosophy for every occasion and most of them involve food.

School has been in session three weeks and the rhythm is solid now. I like eighth grade. I like the teachers and I like the challenge and I like that I can feel myself getting smarter in real time in chemistry class, which is a feeling I want to hold onto because it is not available in every class. Louisiana history is less immediate, but I am finding the food parts interesting — the Creole and Cajun influences, the way the bayou shaped what people ate and cooked, the way geography and history and what you put in a pot are all the same story told in different languages.

Mama made red beans on Friday, because Friday is red beans and rice day. Louisiana gospel. We had the Labor Day leftovers from MawMaw on Saturday. On Sunday Mama made baked chicken and rice. On Monday there was jambalaya. The week tracked exactly as it was supposed to track, and that is deeply satisfying.

MawMaw’s red beans were the thing I kept thinking about all week — the way she said the holiday was meant to honor work by doing work that produces something worth eating. When I went looking for a recipe to recreate that pot, this summer potluck collection had exactly what I needed: a slow-simmered Southern red beans and rice that earns its place on the table the same way MawMaw’s does, low heat and patience and time. If you want to bring something to the next cookout that people will still be talking about on Tuesday, this is it.

20 Summer Potluck Recipes — Southern Red Beans and Rice

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 3 hours | Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
• 1 lb andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups long-grain white rice, cooked, for serving
• 3 green onions, sliced, for garnish
• Hot sauce, for serving

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage. Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sliced andouille and cook 4–5 minutes until browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving drippings in the pot.
2. Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Season and add beans. Stir in smoked paprika, thyme, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Add the drained beans, browned sausage, bay leaves, and chicken broth. Stir to combine.
4. Simmer low and slow. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover partially and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 20–30 minutes, until beans are completely tender and the broth has thickened. If the pot looks dry, add water 1/2 cup at a time.
5. Smash for creaminess. Use the back of a wooden spoon to smash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot. Stir well — this is what gives the dish its thick, creamy consistency. Taste and adjust salt and cayenne.
6. Finish and rest. Remove bay leaves. Let the pot rest uncovered for 10 minutes before serving — it will thicken a little more as it sits.
7. Serve. Ladle red beans and sausage over cooked white rice. Top with sliced green onions and a dash of hot sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 52g | Fiber: 9g | Sodium: 780mg