This week is all about meals that do most of the work for you. We’re starting with a slow cooker pot of red beans and rice that you can dump in and forget about. Then we have a sheet pan gnocchi that proves you really can make a great dinner with one pan and about ten minutes of chopping, a breakfast-for-dinner frittata for the night you’d rather not think about it, and sesame noodles that are on the table in 30 minutes. Plus a prep-ahead breakfast sandwich so your mornings run a little smoother too. As always, use what you have, swap what you don’t love, and trust the process.
DINNER #1: Red Beans and Rice | Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes | Active Time: 20 minutes | Serves: 6
Though this is not necessarily a traditional red beans and rice, this simple version gives a nod to our beloved cajun food. We make this when everyone is running in different directions and we just need to get dinner on the table before everyone is hangry.
1 yellow onion
1 bell pepper (yellow or orange)
1 pkg of smoked link sausage (like Hillshire Farm - about 13 oz pkg)
2 cans of red beans
1 can of black beans
1 teaspoon of season salt (or 1 tsp salt & ½ tsp garlic powder)
1 cup of uncooked rice
Chop the onion and bell pepper. Thinly slice the smoked sausage. We like to cook this low and slow in the slow cooker but you can absolutely do it on the stove top. Once you chop everything, dump it in your pot then add the cans of beans and the seasoning. If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 2-4 hours. If using the stove top, simmer for at least an hour. All of the ingredients are cooked already, but we find that the flavors are better the longer you let it cook. About 20 minutes before you are ready to eat, cook the rice according to package instructions. Serve bean and sausage mixture over rice.
Notes: You can swap any kind of sausage you like here. You could absolutely use Ready Rice or minute rice here to make it quicker. You could even serve without rice and do something like cornbread on the side.
