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This makes a nice big pot. Freeze the leftovers! Save for lunch the next day! Bring it to work and share with co-workers! It’s that GOOOOOD!
You will need:
1 bag of Hurst’s HamBeens brand 15 Bean Soup, rinsed, picked over, soaked overnight, and drained (don’t get the Cajun kind–you won’t use the seasoning packet)
1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into medallions
2 quarts plus 1 cup of chicken broth or water (I prefer chicken broth)
1 TBSP chili powder
Juice of 1 lemon
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
Dash (or two or three) of Tabasco sauce, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked rice (I prefer Jasmine, cooked with chicken broth)
This is whatcha do:
1. Throw away that seasoning packet that comes with the beans.
2. Heat oil in stock pot or Dutch oven. Saute’ onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic in oil until vegetables are tender.
3. Add smoked sausage to pot and cook for a few minutes. Add the beans and the broth (or water).
4. Bring beans to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 2 and 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.
5. After simmering, add tomatoes, chili powder, lemon juice, and Tabasco (to taste). Simmer for another 30 minutes.
6. Salt, pepper, Tabasco to taste. 
7. Serve over rice. Enjoy!!
2 Responses to Kick-Butt 15 Beans and Rice
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Do you have a preferred brand of chicken broth and/or flavor of diced tomatoes?
I started out using Swanson Reduced Sodium chicken broth. It’s pretty good. The latest kind I use isn’t a ready-to-serve kind. (Minor’s Chicken Base) It is a base that you reconstitute. I really like it because just one little 1 pound container makes up to 5 gallons reconstituted broth. I get it at BJ’s for about 5 to 8 dollars or so, if my memory serves me correctly about the price. When 1 Quart of chicken broth can cost up to and over 2 dollars, it’s MUCH more cost effective to get the Minor’s.
Let’s break it down:
5 gallons= 20 quarts. At the cheapest price I have found (www.Amazon.com), each Swanson RS chicken broth quart costs $1.43 at time of writing this. 20 quarts x $1.43= $28.60 for 5 gallons (20 quarts)!! Compare that to approximately $5 to $8 for Minor’s Chicken Base reconstituted chicken broth. You would save anywhere from $20.60 to $23.60! The taste is pretty good, and you can use it just like regular chicken broth after it is reconstituted. (By the way, Minor’s also has a beef base, as well!!)
Now, on to the tomatoes. I like to use diced tomatoes for the bite-sized bits, as opposed to stewed tomatoes, which can be quite large if you don’t crush them up first. I have successfully tried Contadina, Hunt’s, and Del Monte plain diced tomatoes, and they all taste pretty similar. I have also had Muir Glen fire roasted organic diced tomatoes on hand, but I didn’t care for them too much, because the charred bits of tomato interfered with the flavor of the beans. I have also tried reduced sodium varieties of some canned diced tomatoes, and they are pretty good, as well. You are in control of your sodium intake when you make food, so I say, “go for it” if you want to shave your sodium intake and still have good flavor. The acidity of the tomatoes with the lemon juice is what gives this dish the bite and flavor that is so unbelievable. I often get whatever is on sale. I am ALL about saving money!! Just be aware of the fact that some brands have “Italian-style” or “Mexican-Style” diced tomatoes. You don’t want those for this recipe.
Bottom line: Go with the Minor’s Chicken Base and any brand of plain diced tomatoes you see that is on sale. I am pretty sure that you and your family are going to love this recipe!!