Beans And Sausages, Two Ways

When my daily routine leaves little time for preparing dinner, I often raid my pantry and freezer for ingredients to create a quick and easy weeknight meal. Recently, I’ve prepared Beans And Sausages, Two Ways…both using canned beans and fully cooked sausages which make dinner a cinch. Each one dish meal is easy, satisfying and delicious. I believe either dish would be very welcomed by those sitting around your own kitchen table.

Cannellini Beans With Sage, Brown Butter And Chicken Sausage

The first dish is creamy cannellini beans cooked with lots of fresh herbs, then topped with roasted garlic chicken sausages, browned butter and fried sage leaves for a very flavorful Tuscan inspired meal. You will also find similar dishes on French and British tables.

Cannellini Beans With Sage, Brown Butter And Sausage

Serves 2, adjust the recipe accordingly

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 6 large sage leaves, cut in half
• 1 – 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 (3 oz. each) sausages, I used fully cooked roasted garlic and herb chicken sausages
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. each of chopped fresh parsley, sage and thyme
• 1 tsp. of chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cans (15 oz.) cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed or 4 c. cooked white beans of your choice
• 2 c. chicken broth
• a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• freshly grated Locatelli Romano cheese (optional)

Melt butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat, add sage leaves and cook stirring occasionally until butter is brown (do not burn) and leaves are crisp. Place the sage leaves on a paper towel and reserve the brown butter.

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat and brown the sausages on all sides. Remove the sausages and keep warm until ready to serve.

Add the onions to the same pot and cook until soft, then add the garlic, chopped parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme and cook for a minute. Add the chicken broth and simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Add the beans, season with salt, pepper and red pepper, if using. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes. Mash a few of the beans with the side of a spoon and continue to cook until the beans are very soft and the mixture is a little creamy.

To serve, cut the sausages part way through and put pieces of the fried sage leaves in the cut. Place beans in individual serving bowls, drizzle with the reserved brown butter and top with a sausage. If you wish, serve grated cheese with the beans for additional flavor.

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Andouille Sausage With Red Beans And Rice

The second dish is prepared with small red beans and mildly spicy, smoked Andouille pork sausage. This is a Cajun dish inspired by the New Orleans classic red beans and rice often eaten for lunch on Mondays in this and other Louisiana cities. Andouille sausage is also featured in Cajun and Creole dishes such as gumbo and jambalaya.

Andouille Sausage With Red Beans And Rice

Serves 2, adjust the recipe accordingly

• 1 – 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 6 oz. Andouille sausage, sliced in half lengthwise, then into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 or 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 c. ham stock (chicken broth may be substituted)
• 2 (15 oz.) cans small red beans, rinsed or 4 c. cooked red beans of your choice
• several sprigs each of fresh thyme and parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• Tabasco, to taste
• 1/2 tsp.  more or less, Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. more or less, smoked paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooked rice for serving with the beans
• chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onion for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a pot, add sausage and brown. Add the celery, onion and bell pepper and cook until soft. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute then add the chopped tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the ham stock and beans, stir well. Add the next 6 ingredients, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the beans are very soft. For a creamy consistency, mash some of the beans with the side of a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.  Remove the bay leaf, thyme and parsley sprigs before serving.

To serve, mound some rice into individual serving bowls, cover with a generous helping of the beans and garnish with chopped parsley or sliced green onions. Serve with addition tabasco at the table for those who want a spicier dish.

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Variations of either recipe can be made to suit your preferences or the ingredients you happen to have on hand. If you have time, you can make both of these dishes using dried beans that you have soaked and slowly cooked until tender. In that case, use about two cups of cooked beans for each can of beans called for in the recipes.

Whether you cook beans from scratch or use canned ones for convenience, beans are a nutritious, tasty and inexpensive ingredient on which to base a meal. It is no wonder that beans are a staple for people all around the world who rely upon them to provide a meal for their families that is healthy and satisfying.