White Beans

We've talked about red beans and rice in these pages, it's a Cajun staple, served across Louiisana in various ways.  As in all good recipes, the cook is able to make minor adjustments, add spices or subtract to make the dish uniquesly his or hers.  Beans are economical, a good way to feed a crowd cheaply.

Today we explore a variation.  White beans.  And, rather than the stove top, I use a slow cooker.  This is not a recipe you make in one day.  It can be done sooner, but if you want beans tomorrow, start today.

White Beans

2 lbs great northern beans (dry)
2 lbs smoked sausage
1 quart chcken broth
Salt and Pepper.

Prep.
In your slow cooker, put two pounds of beans and one quart of chicken broth.  Let them sit all day.  The beans will soak up the chicken broth.  After they've soaked six or seven hours, chop up your sausage and add it to the mix.  Add salt and pepper.  Plug in the slow cooker, set it on low, and go to bed. The next morning, the kitchen will smell like heaven.

Serve over rice for lunch.  The beauty of this kind of cooking is that it takes very little actual cooking time.  I started these on Saturday morning, about 10:00 I washed two pounds of white beans, put them in the cooker, then covered them in chicken broth.  Maybe five minutes work.  Along about dark I cut up my sausage, added salt and pepper, and plugged-in the cooker.  Another ten minutes.  Then I went to bed and let the slow cooker do its magic.  Along about noon today, I'll make a pot of rice.  Total cooking time, 24 hours.  Total cook time, less than 20 minutes.