Mondays are Made for (Instant Pot) Red Beans

Mondays Are Made For (Instant Pot) Red Beans

As a transplant, one of the things I appreciate most about living in Louisiana is the culture. It’s something I really wanted my kids to grow up with. For just about everything that’s done in the Bayou, there is sure to be a story behind it. A good example of this is the Louisiana tradition of eating red beans and rice on Mondays.

Red beans are traditionally made on Mondays down here, but do you know why?

As the story goes, back in the day, Monday was typically wash day and since all the laundry was done by hand little time was left for preparing an elaborate meal. Red kidney beans soaked overnight and simmered all day with the “holy trinity,” onions, bell peppers, celery and a hambone left over from Sunday dinner provided an easy yet hearty Monday meal. So now every Louisianan knows that Mondays are for red beans!

Now you can certainly cook red beans the traditional way on the stove top, or you can make them in your slow cooker which is my go-to method.

If you are short on time – and who isn’t on Mondays – this Instant Pot recipe is the way to go!

Ingredients:

• 1lb bag of Red Kidney Beans (rinsed and sorted)
• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 4 celery stalks (diced)
• 1 medium green pepper (diced)
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound of turkey* sausage (sliced into rounds)
• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley (chopped)
• Seasoning salt, creole seasoning and pepper to taste
• Butter for sautéeing

Instructions:

1. Turn the instant pot on to the Sauté setting. Add onions, celery and bell pepper. Add garlic, bay leaves and seasonings. Cook and stir until soft.
2. Add the broth, beans, and sausage. Stir and put the lid on the pot and lock it in place. Turn steam release knob to the sealing position.
3. Cancel the Sauté function and press the Manual button then set it for 60 min. (Add more time if needed)
4. When the cooking cycle has finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 20 minutes before turning the steam release knob to vent remaining pressure.
5. After all the steam is released open the lid carefully. Stir the beans with a long-handled spoon.
6. Mash some of the beans and stir to make a creamier consistency. Taste and add more seasoning if desired. Stir in the chopped parsley.

And just like that, a quick and delicious weekday meal for your humans! Meal prep by dicing and freezing your trinity for the week and save yourself even more time. *Note: my family prefers turkey sausage, but you can certainly use traditional andouille sausage in this recipe.

Serve over white rice with corn bread and don’t forget the hot sauce!