Saturday Share Recipe - Sausage and Bean Stew

If you're trying to eat healthier by adding more legumes to your diet, today's recipe can help.

If you want a vegetarian version of this dish, simply eliminate the smoked sausage.

A WORD ABOUT BEANS

Use this recipe as is, or cook your own beans rather than using canned beans. Of course, that takes advance preparation so if you need to make this quick and easy, add canned beans to your pantry.

You can use any kind of canned bean you like. In fact, you can mix and match beans different from the ones in the recipe.

Your local supermarket probably has several brands. As far me, I try to get Trappey's, for sentimental reasons I guess. We lived near a Trappey's cannery when I was a kid so my Mom always used Trappey's brand.

They also come as plain beans or a spicy variety wtih hot peppers and slab bacon seasoning. Just another way to add seasoning. 

To make this dish spicy without the Trappey's brand or even with it, use Rotel tomatoes instead of stewed tomatoes.

If you don't use Tony's, maybe give it a try. Since I grew up in Louisiana, Tony's Creole Seasoning is almost a requisite ingredient in many of the things I cook.

For those who really like big, bold flavor and who isn't afraid of heat, try Tony's sidekick  spice,Slap Ya Mama. 

SAUSAGE AND BEAN STEW

Ingredients

1 pound of smoked sausage, sliced

1 medium bell pepper, diced

1 medium to large onion, diced

2 cans stewed tomatoes or Rotel

1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven, brown the smoked sausage, remove from pan and set aside.

2. Drain all the beans and rinse.

3. Saute the onion and bell pepper in the drippings from the sausage. 

If that's too much fat for your diet, drain the rendered fat away and use some olive oil to saute the vegetables.

4. When the vegetables are soft but not browned, add the tomatoes, all the beans, and the seasonings.

5. Simmer about fifteen minutes on low then add the seasonings and the cooked smoked sausage. Simmer another 10 minutes. Make sure the liquid doesn't cook down too low.

6. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

7. Serve over rice and with cornbread.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

This is actually an economical dish to make, and it serves a lot. Even better, it's the kind of comfort food we all love.

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