Louisiana-Style Bacony Red Beans & Rice

🥘 Ingredients

• Cajun Spice Blend
  2 tbsp
• Fry Seasoning
  2 tbsp
• bacon
  8 oz
• black pepper
  1 tsp
• celery salt
  2 tsp
• cooking oil
  1 tsp
• cumin
  2 tsp
• flour
  4 tbsp
• green bell pepper
  2 unit
• kidney beans
  2 unit
• salt
  1 tsp
• scallions
  4 unit
• sugar
  ½ tsp
• tomato
  2 unit
• tomato paste
  2 unit
• white rice
  1.5 c

🍳 Cookware

• small pot
• medium pot
• small bowl

1. 

   1

   Heat cooking oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add white rice and a pinch of salt ; toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant, ⏱️ 2 minutes . Add 1¼ cups water (2¼ cups for 4 servings); bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, ⏱️ 18 minutes . Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

   cooking oil: 1 tsp, white rice: 1.5 c, salt: 1 tsp
2. 

   2

   Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon ; cook, turning occasionally and adjusting heat if browning too quickly, until crispy, ⏱️ 10 minutes . Turn off heat; transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop. Carefully transfer bacon fat to a small bowl (you'll use it in Step 4). Wipe out pot.

   bacon: 8 oz
3. 

   3

   While bacon cooks, wash and dry produce. Core, deseed, and dice green bell pepper into ¼-inch pieces. Trim and thinly slice scallions , separating whites from greens. Dice tomato into ¼-inch pieces.

   green bell pepper: 2 unit, scallions: 4 unit, tomato: 2 unit
4. 

   4

   In pot used for bacon, heat 2 TBSP reserved bacon fat (4 TBSP for 4 servings) over medium heat. TIP: If your bacon did not render enough fat, use oil or butter instead. Slowly whisk in flour and cook, whisking, until no lumps remain and mixture is darkened and bubbling, ⏱️ 2 minutes . TIP: Mixture should have a toasty, nutty aroma. Add bell pepper, scallion whites, Cajun Spice Blend , Fry Seasoning , cumin , half the celery salt , ¼ tsp sugar (½ tsp for 4), and black pepper . Stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are softened and spices are fragrant, ⏱️ 3 minutes .

   flour: 4 tbsp, Cajun Spice Blend: 2 tbsp, Fry Seasoning: 2 tbsp, cumin: 2 tsp, celery salt: 2 tsp, sugar: ½ tsp, black pepper: 1 tsp
5. 

   5

   Add tomato paste to pot with veggies and cook, stirring, until combined and slightly darkened, ⏱️ 2 minutes . Stir in diced tomato, kidney beans and their liquid, and 1 cup water (2 cups for 4 servings). Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, ⏱️ 15 minutes .

   tomato paste: 2 unit, kidney beans: 2 unit
6. 

   6

   Fluff rice with a fork. Taste beans and season with more celery salt and pepper if desired. Divide rice and beans between shallow bowls. Sprinkle with bacon and scallion greens and serve.