Mb'S Mardi Gras Red Beans N' Rice

• 1 pound dried kidney beans
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegtable oil
• 1 large white onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 5-6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 3 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 pound smoked or andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2-14 ounces cans beef broth
• 1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons gumbo file ground sassafras leaves + extra for garnish preference is Tony Chachere's brand
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley + extra for garnish
• Ground cayenne pepper to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Hot cooked rice
• 2-3 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish

1. Place beans in colander and pick through to remove debris (i.e. bad beans, dirt clumps, rocks. etc.). Rinse beans two or three times; place in Dutch oven and add enough cold water to cover beans by 2 inches. Cover and soak overnight. Drain beans and rinse; leave in colander.
2. Add oil to Dutch oven and place over medium to medium-high heat; add onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, just until veggies start to soften. Add sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes longer. Add beef broth, Worcestershire, bay leaves, thyme, basil, gumbo file and parsley along enough water to cover beans by 2 inches. Bring to boil; cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook beans for 1-2 hours, or until beans get tender, stirring occasionally. Use back of spoon to mash some of the beans for a creamier texture. Season to taste with ground cayenne, salt and pepper.
3. Place rice in bottom of bowl and top with beans. Sprinkle additional parsley, gumbo file and green onions over beans. Serve with hot crusty bread. Bon appetit!
4. NOTE: If you don't want to soak beans overnight, place beans over high heat and bring to boil. Turn heat off and allow beans to sit for 1 hour. Proceed with recipe as directed.rnrnTo make this vegetarian, omit sausage and substitute beef broth with vegetable stock.rnrnI usually do this recipe in my CrockPot. I just put everything in the CrockPot and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

kidney beans, extra virgin olive oil, white onion, garlic, celery, sausage, beef broth, worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme, basil, gumbo filue, parsley , ground cayenne pepper, fresh ground black pepper, rice, green onions

Taken from food52.com/recipes/17718-mb-s-mardi-gras-red-beans-n-rice (may not work)