Easy Red Beans and Rice for the Hectic Life

I often get asked how I have time to cook every night with three boys, my dad, their busy schedules, and a husband who is gone a lot.  The truth is I don't, but I find short cuts to awesome recipes and I play with them until they work for my family.  I love to cook and share any recipe my family enjoys.  

The Berry boys LOVE red beans and rice, but there is no time to match the cajun style.  However, I finally succeeded with a version that would even make my cajun friends happy! Unfortunately I had to use canned red beans but the seasoning I used tied everything together. It will make ya want to slap ya mama!  

Ingredients:

1lb Hillshire Farm Polska Kielbasa cut into round pieces or chopped if your family prefers it smaller

1 chopped onion

3 cloves of minced garlic or 1 to 1/2 teaspoons of bottled minced garlic

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

2  (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I like the diced tomatoes with oregano)

Hot pepper sauce to taste

pinch of salt and pepper to taste 

1 tablespoon of slap ya mama cajun seasoning or something similar

2 cups of cooked rice

Slap Ya Mama All Natural Cajun Seasoning from Louisiana, Original & Hot Blend, 8 ounce canisters, 2 Pack

"SLAP YA MAMA"

Prep:

If you are really in a hurry you can skip sauteing your onions, garlic, and veggies,  but I really like to saute them in a separate pan and then add them to my slow cooker.

In a pan add olive oil, onion, and garlic and saute for about 2 to 3 minutes then add diced tomatoes and saute another 1-2 minutes.  Once they are all nice and juicy pour the mixture into your slow cooker and add sausage, beans, hot pepper sauce, salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning.  On the seasonings and hot pepper sauce go slow knowing you can always add more at the end if you need more pop or pizazz!  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.  When you are ready to serve, ladle the mixture over your cooked rice.  I serve this with a quick salad and bread because my boys love their bread!  I also doubled this because the left overs are even better! So give this hectic mom's version of red beans and rice a whirl and let me know what you think!  

What are you cooking this week that is easy?  I am always looking for easy and good recipes to feed the men in my life so if you have something I would love to try it and even share it!   

xo, 

Amy