Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 9 hours

This recipe includes a ham hock, yes a ham hock! Not an everyday ingredient, but I'll try anything once. My husband has been talking about this dish since I first made it some years ago. So I thought to surprise him and make it. Forgot how delicious this is! And the best part? After prepped, forget about it for 9 hours!

Ingredients
4 cups hot cooked rice
1 pound dried, small red chilli beans
3 celery stalks chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
2 garlic clove minced
2 2/3 cups condensed beef broth
1 ham hock scored in diamonds
2 tbsp oil
1 onion chopped
3 green onion chopped
3 1/3 cups water
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp salt

Directions
In a large pot, combine the bean with enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover the pot and let stand for 1 hour. Drain well. (Beans can also soaked overnight.)

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion, bell pepper, green onions and garlic. Cook stirring often until the onions are softened, about 6 minutes.

Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in the drain beans, water, beef broth and the hot pepper flakes. Bury the ham hock in the bean mixture. Cover and slow cook until the beans are very tender, 9 to 10 hours on low.

Remove the ham hock and separate the meat, discard the rest. Return the meat to the pot and stir in salt. Serve beans in bowls spooned over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle with extra green onions.

**Foodie Fran's Note: Any small bean will work. To make this dish tastier, I added 1 cup of pasta sauce and black pepper when the beans were added. Just before serving, I added some Parmesan cheese because....wherever there is pasta sauce, there has to be Parmesan cheese! :)