Red Beans and Rice with Corn on the Cob Recipe

Better Than the Box Dinner from Convenience Foods

Jul 12, 2009
V. Wayne Hughes

Ingredients for Red Beans & Rice Quick Dinner - V. Wayne Hughes

Delicious, spicy red beans and rice made quick and easy from a box and your imagination. Wondermous Cajun dinner recipe that is better than the box.

Start with a boxed Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice dinner, add some fresh vegetables and meat from the kitchen - whatever you have available - and in a short time, you'll have a great meal. The beauty of this type of culinary endeavor is the creativity comes from what is already available in the cabinets and refrigerator.

List of Ingredients

Box of Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice
4 Frozen Ears of Corn
1/2 cup Peppers: Red, Green, Jalapeno, Banana, Yellow (Whichever you have.)
1/4 Large Onion: Red, White, Yellow (Whichever you have.)
2 Teaspoons Cajun Spice (or Hot Sauce)
1 Can Tomatoes (Diced or Whole)
1 Pound Ground Turkey or Beef
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Roast the Peppers First

The peppers can be raw right out of the refrigerator, but roasting them brings out a smoky flavor that adds a deeper level of flavor. It isn't hard to do either. Turn a stove burner on and lay the peppers across the flame. Let them char (they'll make a cool crackling noise as the do) on all sides. Put them in a bowl and cover with a plate for five minutes. Use a knife to scrape off most of the blackened parts. Don't worry if some is left on; it will just add flavor. Now the peppers are ready to add to the dish.

Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Put the olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the thawed ground turkey or beef and sprinkle on the Cajun spice or hot sauce. Brown the meat. Grease will need to be drained if ground beef is used, for ground turkey it isn't necessary.
Rough chop the onion and peppers, nothing fancy, this is home cooking after all. Add this to the browned meat.
Follow the Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice directions. Pour 3 1/4 cups water and the contents of the box into the pot. Stir. Add the four ears of corn. Raise to medium high heat and let mixture come to a boil stirring occasionally.
Lower the heat so the pot simmers. Put on the lid and set the time for twenty minutes. Come back and stir enough to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
When the timer goes off add the drained can of tomatoes. Cut up fresh tomatoes will work well here too. The trick is to put the tomatoes in during the last five minutes of cooking. They will add flavor, texture and color without breaking down to a mush.
Reset the timer for five minutes and wait.