South Louisiana-Style Camellia White Beans and Rice

photo: Anne Prince

I don't remember where I found this recipe...somewhere on the web.  We made it for dinner last Monday night.  :)  

As I was making this, I did a few things differently than the recipe calls suggests.  I'll put the actual recipe and directions below, but put notes of what I did/didn't do.  :)

Recipe is Courtesy of Camellia Brand.

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound smoked or Andouille sausage, sliced*
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large stalk celery, chopped*
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound Camellia Brand Great Northern Beans*
• 8-10 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Creole seasoning to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions, plus extra for garnish
• Hot cooked rice

Directions:

1. Rinse and sort beans.
2. To a large heavy pot over medium heat, add oil.  
3. Add sliced sausage to pot, and saute' for 5 minutes. 
4. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to pot, and saute' till soft and translucent.
5. Add beans, water, cayenne, and bay leaf to pot.  
6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 1-2 hours, or until beans are tender.  Add additional water as necessary.* 
7. For a creamier consistency, mash some beans against the side of the pot.  
8. Add salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning to taste.*
9. Just before serving, stir in fresh parsley and green onions, and serve with hot cooked rice.* 

*NOTES:  

• I used just one package of Andouille sausage.  I sliced and quartered the pieces.  Afterward, I pulled the sausage out and drained some of the grease.  
• I like a little more celery, so I used 3 stalks, but they were smaller...so it would probably equal 1 1/2 large stalks.  
• I didn't have Camellia beans on hand so I used HEB ones.
• My beans took a LONG TIME to get soft.  I started cooking them after lunch and simmered them for close to 4 hours...even put the lid on for a while.  Maybe I'll soak them first next time.  
• We did not mash any of the beans this time.
• I forgot to add the salt, pepper & Creole seasoning...but the flavor was great without it.  I don't think we added the parsley or green onions either!  

This was a fun change to the usual Red Beans & Rice we sometimes fix on Mondays.  Edd liked this!  :) Mattie said she prefers the spices I use in the Red Beans & Rice recipe.  

Here is a link that I just found for the recipe from the Camellia website.  It looks like they updated the recipe a little bit from the one I have above by adding Camellia Navy beans as an alternative choice for the Great Northern Beans.  

https://www.camelliabrand.com/recipes/south-louisiana-style-white-beans-rice/ 

FAMILY RANK:  

• EDD: 3-4/5 stars...would have been better if the beans were all soft.
• THOMAS: 7/10
• MATTIE:  likes Red Beans & Rice better