Creamy Crock-Pot Red Beans Recipe

I’ve pretty much been called the Master of Red Beans and Rice. But, I prefer the title “Red Bean Queen”. Or maybe, “The Sensei”! Anyway, I love making some dang on red beans! I’ve worked hard at perfecting the taste and texture in different cooking methods. There’s the stovetop version and the pressure cooker one. But, I was missing the slow cooker method. Not anymore!

It’s a dump and go slow cooker meal. Don’t we love those? I brown the sausage. Then, saute the veggies, the Trinity, in those yummy and flavorful sausage drippings. After that’s done, you just dump it all into the slow cooker along with quick soaked, red beans.

5 from 3 votes
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Crockpot Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dry red beans
  • 1 lb sausage coined
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 diced bell pepper
  • 2 celery stalks diced
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 TBS onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 5 TBS butter
  • Cajun seasoning and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Sort beans to remove the bad ones and rinse well.
  2. Add the beans to a large pot and cover them with about 2 inches of water
  3. Bring the pot to a boil
  4. Boil for 5 mins then turn off the heat
  5. Allow the beans to soak in the pot for 20-25 mins
  6. Drain water off of the beans; set aside
  7. Brown sausage in a pan
  8. Remove sausage leaving sausage drippings in pan. Set aside.
  9. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the same pan.
  10. Sauté for 3 minutes
  11. Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray
  12. Add in all ingredients EXCEPT the butter, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper
  13. Stir well.
  14. Cover with the lid and cook on HIGH for 4 hours
  15. Stir in the butter
  16. Season to taste with the Cajun seasoning and black pepper.
  17. Cover and continue cooking on HIGH for 1 hour.
  18. Remove the lid and stir
  19. Allow the beans to cook on HIGH for the last hour uncovered. Do NOT place the lid back on the slow cooker during the final hour of cooking.
  20. Serve over warm rice.
  21. Enjoy!

Crock-Pot Jambalaya Recipe

There are countless slow cooker jambalaya recipes across our wonderful, worldwide web. To my dismay, none of them resembled the Jambalaya I’m used to. You know I had to change that! Growing up in Southern Louisiana, I’ve had my share of bowls of the best Jambalaya! The Jambalaya I’m accustomed to isn’t red. It’s more brown based. Instead of a soup being served over rice like Gumbo, our version is comprised of rice. It’s spicy goodness and I have to show to how it’s done in my neck of the woods!

All in the Seasoning

The heart of this recipe is the spiced broth! I like to start by blooming spices in chicken broth. I pour the broth in the bottom of my Crock-Pot, then pile on the spices! I do this because I do not season the actual chicken pieces. I solely rely on the broth to flavor the chicken. Works like a charm!

Release the Grease

Since we’re using a slow cooker, it’s impossible to achieve those nice crisp edges on our sausage coins. We have to brown them a bit before adding them in. You can do this by sautéing them on the stove. Or, popping them in the oven for a few minutes. I choose the oven. This will also reduce the amount of added grease in our dish from the sausages.

Ditch the Fork

Down here, we shred the chicken after it’s cooked. An easy way to do this is to dump the chicken into a stand mixer and let it rip! 30 seconds of mixing will yield perfectly shredded bird. No more forks!

Parboiled Rice is the Trick

Parboiled rice…I’ll give my beginner cooks a chance to google it. Got it? Cool. This is what I like to call “Jambalaya Rice”. The worst kind of situation is to have gummy rice in this dish. It’s not the business! Parboiled rice is also great to use in any slow cooker recipes containing rice. It’s cooks beautifully in Crock-Pots.

Don’t Forget the Shrimp

I totally did this initially. Prepared the dish and became so excited with the outcome that I forgot to incorporate the shrimp! It’s really perfect without the shrimp for those with allergies. You won’t miss it. But, my seafood lovers should definitely add in the shrimp!
Now, this is good ole Southeast, Louisiana Jambalaya!

Happy Cooking,

B. Coop

5 from 1 vote
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Crock-Pot Jambalaya Recipe

The absolute best Cajun style Jambalaya recipe. Patterned after the traditional Jambalaya served in southern Louisiana, the recipe is flavorful and filling. Loads of chicken, sausage, shrimp, and rice. This is a full meal all in one.

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 lb smoked sausage browned*
  • 1 lb large peeled raw shrimp
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 1 bell pepper finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks finely diced
  • 1 TBS minced garlic
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 2-3 TBS Cajun or Creole seasoning
  • 2 TBS paprika
  • 1 TBS onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 TBS Italian seasoning
  • 1 TBS tomato paste
  • 2 cups parboiled rice**
  • Fresh parsley to garnish
  • Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray
  2. Pour in the chicken broth
  3. Add in the Cajun seasoning, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
  4. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste
  5. Add the chicken thighs
  6. Add in the onion, bell pepper, celery, and smoked sausage
  7. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or on LOW for 4-5 hours.
  8. Remove the chicken and shred it.
  9. Return the chicken back into the slow cooker
  10. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  11. Stir in the rice
  12. Cover and continue cooking on HIGH for 1 hour or on LOW for 2 hours.
  13. Stir in the shrimp.
  14. Cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes on HIGH or until the shrimp are fully cooked
  15. Stir and fluff.
  16. Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley
  17. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*To brown the sausage, place it into a shallow pan and bake on 375°F for 10 minutes.
**Using long grain white rice will alter the timing and texture. Parboiled rice is recommended for this dish.

Crockpot Cajun Smothered Potatoes with Sausage and Shrimp

My Cookies know that the most important element of any and every recipe to me is flavor. And I wholeheartedly believe in building flavors. You never want to rely on one aspect of a dish for flavor. It’s best to add and build it with each component. This is especially true when slow cooking. It provides the perfect scenario to layer on the taste! And my Cajun style smothered potatoes does not slack in taste.

Potatoe, Po-tah-toe?

I love russet potatoes in this recipe. However, any will do. Skin on or off? Totally up to you. Use the sausage of your choice as well. You always have the option of browning the sausage before adding them into the crockpot. I opted not to. I just add them in first, and add the other ingredients on top. Doing so will allow all of the grease and flavor from the sausage to meld with the broth and liquid shrimp and crab boil concentrate. And when you mix it all together in the end….whoa! Yeah. Flavors unite!

Cajun or Creole Seasoning? Doesn’t matter.

I keep the seasoning super simple. The Cajun or Creole seasoning and the shrimp and crab boil does all of the work! Just make sure you evenly distribute the seasonings while sprinkling them on top. Also, we don’t need much liquid at all. I add a splash just to keep the potatoes from sticking. It helps move the cooking process along as well.

Save the Best for Last

Allow the shrimp to chill in the fridge until the potatoes are fully cooked. You don’t want to overcook the shrimp. I give them a good 10-20 minutes to cook in the slow cooker. This is just the right amount of time for the shrimp to cook completely and soak up all of those spices. No need to season the shrimp. There’s plenty of seasoning in the crockpot to cover them.

This is basically a complete meal on its own. I add a green salad and call it dinner! Garnish with some chopped, green onions for freshness and it’s time to eat!

Happy Cooking,
B. Coop

5 from 1 vote
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Crockpot Cajun Smothered Potatoes with Sausage and Shrimp

Spicy and flavorful smothered potatoes with sausage and fresh shrimp made easy! Toss it into a slow cooker and forget it.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb smoked sausage coined
  • 2 lbs russet potatoes diced in 1/2 pieces
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 diced bell pepper
  • 1 TBS minced garlic
  • 2 TBS Cajun or creole seasoning
  • 1 TBS onion powder
  • 1 TBS Herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 TBS liquid shrimp & crab boil concentrate Garlic & Onion flavor
  • 1 lb uncooked shrimp

Instructions

  1. Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray
  2. Add the sausage
  3. Pour in the potatoes, onion, bell pepper, and garlic
  4. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning, onion powder, and Herbes de Provence evenly on top.
  5. Mix the liquid shrimp and crab boil with the chicken broth
  6. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker
  7. Cover the cooker with the lid and cook on HIGH for 3 hrs or on LOW for 6 hrs
  8. Add in the shrimp and continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes or until the shrimp are completely cooked.
  9. Garnish with fresh green onions.
  10. Enjoy!

Crock Pot BBQ Meatballs

Cookies, our month of slow cooking is coming to a close. Don’t frown! We’ll still break out the crock pot more than we did last year! But, we’re closing with a bang. Easy, bbq meatballs! Down here, everyone refers to them as “Swedish meatballs”. This has annoyed me forever! Swedish meatballs are a totally different animal. Well, recipe. See…

Easy, right? Told ya! And you can half, double, or triple this recipe to meet your needs. I’ll share my BBQ recipe with you at a later date. For now, use your favorite store bought bottle.

I HATE using the precooked meatballs in the bag. I have trust issues, so I season, roll, and cook my own. But, hey, if you’re in to that bag, buy the bag! Sometime about that texture I just don’t enjoy. 

Thanks for hanging with me this month! I appreciate all of the slow cooking recipe requests. Keep em coming!

Love,

B. Coop

Crock Pot BBQ Meatballs
Yields 50
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Meatballs
  1. 2 lbs lean ground beef or turkey
  2. 2 T cajun seasoning
  3. 1 T onion powder
  4. 1 tsp garlic powder
  5. 1 tsp Accent seasoning
  6. 2 T Worcestershire sauce
  7. 1 egg
  8. 3 T water
  9. 12 oz Grape jelly
  10. 12 oz BBQ sauce
  11. 1/2 sliced green bell pepper
  12. 1/2 sliced onion
  13. cooked meatballs (about 50)
Meatballs
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
  2. Season meat and roll into small balls
  3. Place in baking pan and bake 15-20 mins or until completely cooked
  4. Drain grease and set meatballs aside
  5. Mix jelly and BBQ together in the slow cooker
  6. Add in meatballs, peppers, and onions.
  7. Stir.
  8. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hrs or on HIGH 3-4 hrs
  9. Enjoy!
Coop Can Cook https://coopcancook.com/
 

 

Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Chicken

I’m over here excited! Just jubilant ya hear me?! Why you ask? Well, for one, I’m posting a second recipe this week! You guys know I’m NEVER this productive. And, most importantly, I’m beyond myself, because this chicken just blessed my soul! My WHOLE soul! Chile, you know I love a good sauce! But, Honey, this sauce right here?! Mannnnn….just try it!

I’m LOVING this slow cooking month! I hope you guys are finding these recipes helpful. This one has to be my new favorite. The sweet and tangy chicken will literally fall apart if you breathe on it. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating, but it’s just good. lol

You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs and add some red pepper flakes for a little heat. Have it your way! But, definitely give it a try!

Love,
B. Coop

Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Chicken
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1 inch pieces)
  2. 1/2 green pepper (sliced)
  3. 1 T onion powder
  4. 1 T Accent seasoning
  5. 1 T minced garlic
  6. 1 tsp minced ginger
  7. 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  8. 1/2 cup ketchup
  9. 1 cup brown sugar
  10. 1/3 cup soy sauce
  11. 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  12. 3 T honey
  13. 1 T apple cider vinegar
To thicken
  1. 1 T cornstarch
  2. 1 T water
  3. green onions for garnish
Instructions
  1. Pat chicken dry well
  2. Season with onion powder and Accent
  3. Add green peppers and chicken to the slow cooker
  4. In a bowl, whisk all remaining ingredients together (Except green onions)
  5. Pour over chicken and peppers
  6. Cook on high for 3-4 hrs or on low 6-7 hrs
  7. Whisk cornstarch and water together
  8. Pour into the slow cooker and stir
  9. Garnish with green onions
  10. Serve with rice
  11. Enjoy!
Coop Can Cook https://coopcancook.com/