And no Jazz Fest dish has more history than the red beans. In 1970, legendary French Quarter restaurateur Buster Holmes, the undisputed “King of Red Beans,” sold his beans from a truck at the very first Jazz Fest. A few years later, Judy Burks took up the torch and became the festival’s beloved “Red Bean Queen,” cooking for over 50 years and going through 1,200 pounds every single festival.

Whether you’re heading to the track this year or catching the live stream at home with a few good friends, the food is half the fun. We pulled together eight of our favorite bean recipes that capture the spirit of festival season: dishes that feed a crowd, fill a porch, and taste like New Orleans in spring.

Buster Holmes’ Red Beans & Rice

The original Jazz Fest red beans, adapted from the New York Times and the Buster Holmes Restaurant Cookbook. Our Red Kidney Beans simmer with a smoked ham hock, the trinity, garlic, and a half stick of butter. Holmes was famously light on the spices, preferring to let his diners season their beans to taste.

Devin’s “Feed the Krewe” Red Beans

From Devin Meyers, who leads the Red Beans Parade in New Orleans, this is red beans built for a crowd. Two pounds of our Red Kidney Beans cooked down with smoked ham, smoked sausage, bacon, and a generous hit of cayenne. The name says it all: this one feeds the krewe.

Red Beans and Rice Boudin Balls with Dipping Sauce

A handheld festival classic, made for sharing. Ground pork, smoked sausage, cooked rice, and our Red Kidney Beans get rolled into bites, breaded in corn flour, and fried golden.

Easy Crawfish & Red Bean Dip

From Chef Jayda Atkinson, this creamy, smoky baked dip blends our red beans and Red Bean Flavor Infusion with crawfish tails, a melty mix of mozzarella and sharp cheddar, and a Creole-spiced kick.

Zydeco Chop Chop Red Beans & Rice

A streamlined take on the classic, using Zydeco Chop Chop, a dried blend of Cajun cooking vegetables, in place of fresh trinity. Our Red Kidney Beans simmer with butter and smoked sausage, then get finished with a final hit of Zydeco Chop Chop sautéed with the meat.

Camellia’s Shrimp, Andouille and White Bean Cassoulet

A New Orleans take on a French classic, made for festival season. Our Navy Beans get cozy with andouille and Gulf shrimp in a Creole-spiced base, then finished under the broiler with a Parmesan-Panko crust. Serve it bubbling hot from the Dutch oven with French bread for sopping. Pure Louisiana, top to bottom.

Stovetop Cajun White Beans

A no-fuss white bean classic. Our Great Northern Beans simmer with our White Bean Flavor Infusion, a tried-and-true blend of Cajun spices and vegetables. Add smoked sausage or ham if you want to make it meaty, serve over rice with French bread, and you’ve got dinner.

Cajun Caviar

A chilled, scoopable bean salad that earns its place at any festival spread. Green Baby Lima Beans, Crowder Peas, and Lady Cream Peas toss with poblano, corn, red onion, cilantro, and a Cajun-spiced lime dressing. Served cold with tortilla chips, it’s bright, fresh, and built for porch weather.

However festival season finds you this year, on the grass at the Fair Grounds or on the porch with the speakers up, the best part is always the same: good food, good music, and the people you love crowded around the table.

Stovetop Southwest Pinto Beans

A classic that works as a side or a base for tacos, bowls, and more — and thanks to our Southwest Pinto Beans Flavor Infusion, it comes together with minimal effort so you can spend less time measuring and more time with your family.

Bean & Poblano Chile Soup

Robust Black Beans and velvety Pinto Beans blend with roasted poblano peppers, cilantro, onion, and garlic in this rich, creamy soup. Each spoonful delivers just the right amount of heat.

Enfrijoladas

A rich, satisfying dish that puts beans front and center, created by Chef Guillermo Peters of Canal Street Bistro in Mid-City New Orleans.

Pinto Bean & Kale Enchiladas with Spicy Tomatillo Salsa

These enchiladas are a crowd-pleaser with the perfect balance of hearty and fresh. This recipe comes from our friends at Taste of the South and is well worth the effort.

Southern Quesadillas

A Southern twist on a classic, these quesadillas combine pulled pork, barbecue sauce, collard greens, and Blackeye Peas. Simple to make, it’s a go-to favorite that’s perfect for sharing.

Stovetop Chipotle Black Beans Flavor Infusion

Rich, smoky, and satisfying straight from the pot. Our Chipotle Black Beans Flavor Infusion does the heavy lifting — clean ingredients, perfectly balanced spices, and a dish worth coming back to for seconds.

However you celebrate, the best part of Cinco de Mayo is the same as any good Southern holiday — an excuse to cook something from the heart and share it with the people you love. Set out the toppings, warm the tortillas, and enjoy every bite together.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Lima beans, green beans, corn, pork, and sweet potatoes are among the ingredients in a Caldo soup served at Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society’s 41st annual Fiesta in St. Bernard, Louisiana. (Photo by Marie de Grado)

When it comes to exotic Louisiana subcultures that have captured the popular imagination, the Cajuns and Creoles have cornered the market. Thanks to larger-than-life culinary ambassadors such as Paul Prudhomme and Justin Wilson; Hollywood depictions such as Swamp People; and music crazes such as Rockin’ Sidney’s zydeco hit “My Toot Toot,” most of America has pegged the whole of Louisiana as happy-go-lucky, alligator-wrestling, French-speaking bon vivants.

But let’s not forget Louisiana’s “Spanish tinge,” to lift a phrase from New Orleans jazz giant Jelly Roll Morton. Past the Lower 9th Ward and down the road through St. Bernard Parish toward Delacroix Island live the Isleños — “masters of the marsh” who are just as culturally intriguing as the Cajuns, except they habla español rather than parle francais.

A Louisiana Isleño checks his muskrat trap in the marshes near Delacroix Island in 1941. (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)

Los Isleños: Canary Islanders Who Settled in Louisiana

Under the radar for centuries, and yet practically in New Orleans’ backyard, are the descendants of Canary Islanders, or “Isleños,” who immigrated from the archipelago off the African coast in the 1770s and ’80s and settled in four Louisiana locations, the most enduring of which is St. Bernard, just east of New Orleans.

Charbroiled oysters are served at Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society’s 41st annual Fiesta in St. Bernard on March 9-10. (Photo by Marie de Grado)

Isleño Culture and Food Traditions Survive for Generations

Like the Cajuns, the Isleños became farmers, hunters, trappers, and fishers in the dense, swampy terrain. Generation after generation thrived in the isolated cypress groves along Bayou Terre-aux-Boeufs, living self-sufficiently off the bounty of land and sea and selling their wares in New Orleans markets. Their Hispanic language and customs were preserved through their seclusion, and yet they also adapted their lifestyles to the unique lay of the Louisiana land.

Boat models on display at the Isleño museum complex in St. Bernard depict the fishing and maritime lifestyles of the Canary Island descendants. (Photo by Marie de Grado)

Amazingly, their frozen-in-time 18th-century Spanish dialect survived the centuries, encapsulated in orally transmitted folk songs known as decimas, right up through Hurricane Katrina in 2005. And while their cuisine has much in common with Cajun cooking, drawing its ingredients from the same region, a few distinct dishes with roots in the Canary Islands are still served today.

Bacon-wrapped plantains are served at Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society’s 41st annual Fiesta in St. Bernard on March 5-6. (Photo by Marie de Grado)

Isleño Cookbook a Roadmap to Hidden Culinary Treasures

Thanks to the preservation and outreach efforts of groups like Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society, which celebrates its annual “Los Isleños Fiesta”, the world is starting to awaken to the legacy of the Isleños.

And food is a large part of the Isleños’ identity. The Isleño society’s cookbook features Canarian-style dishes such as Besugo al Horno (Baked Red Snapper with Potatoes), Chayotes Rellenas (Stuffed Mirliton in Sauce), Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp), and Empanadillas de Chorizo (Sausages in Pastry). Also offered are recipes for local specialties like Alligator Stew, Marinated Shrimp, and Duck Sauce Piquante, as well as numerous bean dishes.

Saveur magazine has profiled Isleño food traditions, and Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern even visited “Da Parish” and sat down with some locals for a bowl of Caldo.

Caldo: An Old World Stew Rules This Bayou

Caldo is the most famous Isleño dish, a complex vegetable soup that employs a medley of diverse ingredients, much like a Cajun or Creole gumbo, but without a roux.

Navy beans (or limas) are the Caldo’s centerpiece, supplemented by components such as pickled pork, fresh green beans, corn, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash. Of course, like gumbo, each Caldo recipe can vary from cook to cook or family to family, and depends on whatever ingredients are on hand at any given time.

The Caldo recipe presented here is from Isleño elder stateswoman Dorothy L. Benge, whose family donated land that serves as part of the overall Isleño museum complex. According to Benge, this recipe, which uses both salt pork and pickled pork, is “from my grandmother, Camille Silvera Molero, 1891-1976.”

A pot of Caldo simmers at a recent Isleño Fiesta. (Photo from Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society’s Facebook page)

Caldo Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound salt pork*
1 pound pickled pork*
1 cup dried Navy Beans, soaked overnight
3 ears corn, cut into 6 or 9 pieces
2 cups Large Lima Beans (fresh or frozen, optional)
3 small sweet potatoes (whole or halved)
6 to 8 small Irish potatoes (whole or halved)
1 medium head cabbage, sliced
1 pound fresh green beans
1 or 2 Knorr caldo concentrado de jamon (ham bouillon cubes) to taste
3 quarts water
Salt to taste

Directions:
Place salt pork in pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil 5 to 10 minutes to remove some of the salt from the pork. Drain and rinse, discarding the water. Drain beans from overnight water and rinse. Add beans and salt pork and pickled pork to stockpot with 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil and cook until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Add remaining vegetables and bouillon cubes. Cook until potatoes are done, about 20 to 30 minutes. Add more water if needed. Add salt. Serve over rice. Serves 10 to 12.

An Isleño models a traditional Canary Islands dress at the March Isleño Fiesta in St. Bernard. (Photo by Marie de Grado)

Go Soak Up Some Isleño Celebrations

Every March the museum complex at 1345 Bayou Road in St. Bernard is the site of the annual Isleño heritage fiesta, full of rich history, beautiful scenery and architecture, authentic arts and crafts, live music and dance, and delicious food. Besides Caldo, fest-goers gorge on shrimp, oysters, and fish; Louisiana classics such as jambalaya and gumbo; and Spanish favorites such as paella, flan, and sangria. This year’s fiesta takes place Saturday, March 7th – Sunday, March 8th, 2026.

Also be sure to catch Chalmette’s 2026 St. Bernard Irish Italian Isleños Parade, which will feature 50 floats, 30+ marching groups, and 300,000 pounds of fresh produce (cabbage, potatoes, onions, carrots, etc.) for whipping up your own batch of Caldo at home! The parade rolls Saturday, April 11th, 2026 at 11 am.

*Salt pork usually comes from the fattiest part of the pork belly but is neither smoked nor cured like bacon, just generously salted for preservation. No other seasonings are added.

Pickled pork often is made from meatier cuts and has been rubbed and layered with a mix of salt and pickling spices such as mashed cloves, ground allspice, chopped onions, and bay leaves. The meat is rendered supremely tender and is preseasoned from the brine.

Both salt pork and pickled pork are used to flavor slow-cooked pots of beans and smothered vegetables. The fat from the salt pork melts into the dish, lending flavor, whereas the generous seasonings used in the brining process for pickled pork are rendered into the pot as the meat breaks down and saturates the pot’s other ingredients with its flavors.

Both salt pork and pickled pork are available in some grocery stores. Pickled pork tends to be more available in south Louisiana. Salt pork is not hard to make — it’s just pork fat and salt. For Caldo, one could use salted pork fat or pork belly as a replacement for salt pork.

Caldo recipe from Los Isleños (Canary Islanders) Cookbook by Los Isleños Heritage & Cultural Society, © Los Isleños Heritage & Cultural Society used by permission of the publisher, Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.

If you enjoy the Red Beans Parade – that legume-loving marching club that celebrates the importance of red beans & rice and carnival every Lundi Gras – then you’ll surely have an appetite for its offshoot, the Dead Beans Parade. Devin DeWulf started the Red Bean Parade in 2008, incorporating elements of a second line and Mardi Gras Indian tribes into a walking parade which takes place – naturally – on a Monday. Monday has traditionally been the day New Orleanians cook red beans and rice, so Lundi Gras was a natural fit. The krewe’s philosophy is simple. It’s about meeting and socializing with other creative types while celebrating New Orleans’ quirky culture. Members meet on Monday nights to work on their bean-adorned costumes, have a drink, and eat red beans. The elaborate costumes are a point of pride to the group. The first parade consisted of about 20 members, but today it boasts more than five times as many.

The Dead Beans Parade

The Krewe of Red Beans has always had marchers who costume as skeletons – also known as “Dead Beans” – as well as those whose costumes are tributes to celebrities who’ve died in the preceding year. So in order to grow the popular krewe in a way that keeps the marches small and intimate, it made sense to create a separate group called the Dead Beans.

Got kids? The Dead Beans aren’t scary – they’re fun! Carnival-goers of all ages are welcome.

From Plate to Parade: The Red Beans and Rice Krewe Turns Beans into Art

What inspires a group of grown adults to glue beans on their clothes and strut down the street? Like everyone else who has visited New Orleans, Devin DeWulf fell under the city’s spell. DeWulf first created a bean-adorned costume for Halloween in 2007. “I was looking for a good Halloween costume idea and I wanted to link it to New Orleans on a cultural level,”  he said. With the city’s devotion to red beans and rice in mind, and inspired by the meticulous detail of the Mardi Gras Indian suits, an idea was born. DeWulf spent over 40 hours completing his first outfit and it was wildly popular with the Halloween crowds he encountered around town.

Devin DeWulf leads the Red Beans Parade on Lundi Gras

They “Know What It Beans”

Thus inspired, DeWulf started the Krewe of Red Beans in 2008. Incorporating some of the elements of a second line and the Mardi Gras Indian tribes, it is a walking parade which takes place – naturally – on a Monday. Monday has traditionally been the day New Orleanians cook red beans and rice, so Lundi Gras was a natural fit. The first parade in 2009 consisted of about 20 members, but today the krewe boasts more than five times as many.

Even the Krewe’s shoes get “beaned.” (Or in this case, also “riced.”) Image Courtesy of the Red Beans Krewe.

We Know Where You Got Those Shoes!

It’s a loose group of natives and recent arrivals, and the krewe’s philosophy is simple. It’s about meeting and socializing with other creative types while celebrating New Orleans’ quirky culture. Members meet on Monday nights to work on their costumes, have a drink, and eat red beans. The elaborate costumes are a point of pride to the group.

The Red Beans Parade makes its way down Esplanade Avenue. Image Courtesy of the Red Beans Krewe.

Each member makes his or her own costume, and although members do work on their costumes individually at home, the communal costume-making sessions are an important part of the group dynamic. This practice resembles that of the Mardi Gras Indians, who also often work in groups, though the Red Beans Krewe favors tongue-in-cheek themes, with a “Beanior Citizen,” “Audrey BeanBurn,” and “Bean-once Knowles” having marched in past parades.

Riding “Red Beans & Ricely”

The “Beanmobile” being decorated by the Krewe of Red Beans at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum

One of the most prized possessions of the krewe is its “Beanmobile,” a vintage Volkswagen Thing that’s covered from roof to rim with bean designs that famously feature, among other things, a likeness of New Orleans’ most celebrated red beans and rice lover, jazz legend Louis Armstrong. It’s a mobile piece of folk art, a labor of love, and a tribute to a city that celebrates its culture through cuisine – and Carnival parades. It’s an icon for everything this krewe’s “bean” about since 2008.

Detail of the “Beanmobile” decorated by the Red Beans Krewe for their Lundi Gras parade.

On February 16th, the 2026 Red Beans Parade Kicks Off at 2 PM sharp outside of Beanlandia, 3300 Royal St.

Got kids? Bring them along! The spectacular homemade costumes might just inspire them to start their own beans-and-rice beading artwork.

But the Krewe of Red Beans doesn’t stop at one Lundi Gras bean Parade. Their partners in all things beans, known as the Krewe of Dead Beans, launches their own parade from Beanlandia simultaneously.

And now a third group has joined the ranks. Debuting in 2020 and inspired by Cajun and Brazilian culture, The Feijão + Green Beans Parade is yet another off-shoot.

The 2026 Red Beans & Dead Beans Parade Route

Sometimes You’ve Got to Get Your Beans on the Go

Flavorful, inexpensive, and filling, the combination of red beans and rice is an iconic part of Mardi Gras celebrations. Everyone makes them little differently, but no one disputes that homemade is the way to go. If that familiar craving hits while you’re out catching beads, and your mom’s kitchen isn’t on a parade route, here are a few suggestions to tide you over.

Mandina’s Restaurant

Located in Mid City, this true-blue New Orleans neighborhood restaurant only serves red beans and rice on Mondays. Long a local’s favorite dish, the beans here are cooked until they’re soft swimming in their own delicious ‘gravy’ – within which floats a large timbale of long grain rice. Enjoy your beans with smoked sausage, a breaded and fried veal cutlet, or with a pork chop. Any way you have ’em, you’ll get a basket of sliced French bread and butter for the table. Mandina’s, 3800 Canal Street., 492-9179,  mandinasrestaurant.com. Mandina’s is on the Endymion parade route.

Joey K’s Restaurant

For decades one of Uptown New Orleans’ most popular casual eateries, Joey K’s gained a national following after Guy Fieri featured the neighborhood joint on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives.” Large oval platters of red beans and rice served with grilled smoked sausage are available every day, and they’re particularly fine when paired with the restaurant’s exceptional cornbread that comes to the table gratis. Joey K’s, 3100 Magazine St., 891-0997, joeyksrestaurant.com. Joey K’s is just off of the St. Charles Avenue parade route, where you can catch parades like Muses, Iris, Tucks, Thoth, and Bacchus.

Popeye’s Fried Chicken

Warren LeRuth, the late, great restaurateur, chef, and oft-time culinary chemist, was brought in by Popeye’s founder Al Copeland, Sr., in the 1970s to create the chain’s justifiably famous red beans and rice, the recipe for which is top secret. Cooked until they are a creamy mass with very little texture, the thick, vaguely smoky beans are the standard bearers for many. Served in Styrofoam to-go containers, Popeye’s red beans are particularly satisfying when enjoyed curbside on a parade route. The two locations on the St. Charles Ave./Canal St. parade route include 1243 St. Charles Ave. and 621 Canal St.

Mother’s Restaurant

Regulars at Mother’s Restaurant go straight to the always-in-motion serving/deli line to get their favorite dish – which is often the signature red beans and rice, made with a secret ingredient. Since Mother’s cooks its own ham at the restaurant, there’s a lot of leftover ham fat as a result of trimming. Says Chef Roland Swazy, “It’s the fat that makes the red beans taste good.” Of course, Mother’s also uses Camellia Red Kidney Beans. Mother’s Restaurant is located at 401 Poydras Street, (504) 523-9656, mothersrestaurant.net and is just a few blocks off of the St. Charles Avenue parade route.

Blue Oak BBQ

Although primarily a barbecue restaurant, Blue Oak BBQ founder Ronnie Evans claims that red beans and rice is “…probably my favorite dish on the planet!” Blue Oak’s RB&R come with a barbecue flair, served with brisket and ribs instead of the traditional sausage link. Keep them in mind if you’re hunting for some good red beans while out for Lundi Gras; the red beans and rice combo is a special, only available on Mondays. Blue Oak BBQ is located just one block away from the Endymion Parade route, on 900 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 822-2583, blueoakbbq.com.

Please-U-Restaurant

Open since 1946, it’s safe to say that Please-U-Restaurant located on St. Charles has experience when it comes to cooking red beans. The traditional diner has an intimate, friendly vibe and serves just about every New Orleans staple that you can think of, but of course we recommend that you check out the red beans and rice. Please-U-Restaurant is located on the St. Charles Avenue parade route, at 1751 St. Charles Ave., (504) 525-9131, pleaseunola.com.

Acme’s Oyster House

Want to really get into the New Orleans spirit during your Mardi Gras celebrations? Why not stop into the world-famous Acme’s Oyster House and eat some of their delectable red beans? Try out Acme’s whether you’re celebrating Mardi Gras in the heart of the city or in the ‘burbs; there’s a location in both the French Quarter and in Metairie. Acme’s Oyster House at 724 Iberville St is just off of the St. Charles Avenue parade route and directly on the route for any French Quarter parade, such as the Krewe de Vieux. The one in Metairie at 3000 Veterans Blvd is on the route for the Krewe of Exclaibur, (504) 522-5973, acmeoyster.com.

The ‘tit Rex parade starts on the neutral ground where crowds can get up close to the floats ©Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee

The 2026 theme of the Krewe of ‘tit Rex parade is “Fun Size.”

The parade rolls Sunday, February 1st, 2026 at 4:30pm, starting at the intersection of St. Roche Ave & Marais St. For the parade route and more, visit the Krewe of ‘tit Rex site.

From Grade School To Gallery

While most New Orleans carnival groups strive to grow from krewes to super-krewes to mega-krewes, one tight knit collective of artists and Mardi Gras enthusiasts aim to preserve carnival heritage on a smaller scale; some might even say miniature. The Krewe of ‘tit Rex, whose name is a combined tongue-in-cheek reference to the granddaddy of all Mardi Gras krewes – Rex – and the Cajun term of endearment reserved for little brothers, produces a completely unique parade comprised of shoebox sized floats.

Tiny handmade throws are handed out by ‘tit Rex members ©Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee

“Most of our founding members grew up in New Orleans or Louisiana and had the tradition of turning shoeboxes into Mardi Gras floats in school as kids,” co-founder Brett Evans said.  What was once an elementary school craft, would later take on a new artistic turn. Fast forward to 2009, when krewe founders decided to reconnect their childhood creations with an adult interpretation, and ’tit Rex was born. “My friend from high school, Greg, and I started with a gallery show of these little floats, “ Evans said. “We originally just had the parade go for a few blocks to end at the exhibit.  Soon it just grew from there.”

Traffic is stopped as a tiny shoebox float is pulled across St. Claude Avenue ©Tory M. Taylor

Tradition – With A Tiny Twist

After many back porch sessions with friends and krewe members, ‘tit Rex became as anticipated as the big parade guys on St. Charles Avenue just on a much smaller scale, complete with hand-made miniature floats and throws. According to Evans, ‘tit Rex members stick with the traditions learned from their art teachers back in the classroom.  “Many of our floats follow the traditional shoebox set-up, but with an eye to architectural construction that you just can’t always appreciate with the ‘regular krewes’ because you can see the whole piece without a bunch of people in front of it,” he said.

While the mini-krewe seeks to recall the days of childhood artistic carnival creations, it also carries the Mardi Gras tradition of satire, while poking a little fun at the mega-krewes.  “We wanted to get away from the over the top parades of krewes like Bacchus and Endymion,” Evans notes. “While they want to get bigger and bigger each year, we want to keep ours small.”

‘tit Rex parade viewers get in the spirit with miniature Mardi Gras viewing ladders ©Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee

The wait list for krewe members is long, but the group sticks to a limit of 28 floats per parade.

Limiting both the size of the floats themselves, as well as the number of floats in the parade, ‘tit Rex continues to pack a big punch in a little parade. “We want to glorify the traditions of the shoebox float and Mardi Gras, but with a strange, weird twist,” Evans said.

Stovetop Cajun White Beans

When you wanna season a pot of white beans in one fell swoop, rely on our White Bean Flavor Infusion. Whether you prefer Great Northerns, Navy Beans, Limas, or Cannellinis, you’ll be good to go.

Stovetop Creole Red Beans

Our Red Bean Flavor Infusion is a tried-and-true blend of authentic Creole spices and vegetables that’ll season a pot of red beans to perfection. You won’t believe how easy it is to get great flavor — just add beans!

Instant Pot Red Bean Soup

Enjoy the traditional flavor of red beans and rice, but in soup form! This recipe involves sautéing vegetables and sausage, then pressure-cooking with red beans, ham hock, and flavorful seasonings. After cooking, the soup is served over rice for a hearty and satisfying meal.

Slow Cooker Beef & Black Bean Chili

This slow cooker beef and black-bean chili is easy, hearty & flavorful, and it’s certain to become a gameday favorite.

Instant Pot White Bean Chili

A fast, comforting, and delicious Instant Pot white chicken chili recipe that’s great for weeknights as well as game day get-togethers.

Beans are the answer — they’ve long been the heart of Southern kitchens and the secret to meals that satisfy every appetite. They’re the base of your favorite chilis, the creaminess in your best soups, and the comforting foundation that makes a meal feel complete. Whether you’re cutting back on meat, cooking for vegetarian friends, or simply looking for delicious meals that stretch your budget, beans deliver every time.

And here’s a bonus: eating more beans is good for you, too. Naturally rich in plant-based protein and fiber, beans are linked to better heart health, balanced energy, and a lighter footprint on the planet. But that’s just the extra benefit — the real reason to cook with beans is simple: they taste incredible.

Below are some of our favorite Camellia Brand recipes that prove meatless meals can be just as satisfying.

Creamy White Bean & Leek Fettuccine Alfredo

Rich, silky, and indulgent — blended white beans and sautéed leeks create an alfredo sauce that’s creamy without the heavy dairy. Toss it with Louisiana’s own Dagostino Pasta for a meal that feels like a warm hug.

Instant Pot White Bean, Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup

Warm up fall nights with this creamy, veggie-packed soup made with Camellia Brand Great Northern Beans and our White Bean Flavor Infusion — full of flavor, no meat required.

White Bean Spinach Soup

Light yet filling, this soup pairs smooth white beans with fresh spinach. Serve it with a slice of fresh, crusty bread and you’ve got a bowl of pure coziness.

Instant Pot Red Bean Soup

A flavor-packed twist on a Louisiana classic — made with Camellia Brand Red Kidney Beans and our Red Bean Flavor Infusion. It comes together fast for a dinner that tastes like it’s been simmering all day, perfect for busy nights when you want big, homemade flavor without the wait.

Cozy Minestrone

A timeless Italian classic loaded with beans, pasta, and vegetables. This soup is endlessly adaptable, deeply comforting, and ideal for using whatever you have on hand.

Vegetarian Black Bean Rice Casserole

Baked layers of beans, rice, and veggies come together in this filling casserole. It’s fantastic for meal prep, feeding a crowd, or even repurposing as a veggie-friendly taco filling — serious versatility in one dish.

Stovetop 3-Bean Vegetarian Chili

Kidney, black, and pinto beans unite in this quick stovetop chili that delivers big, bold flavor without any meat. Just right for weeknight dinners when you need something substantial fast.

Comfort Food, the Camellia Way

For generations, beans have been the heart of Southern kitchens. They stretch pantries, feed families, and add that rich, velvety goodness that makes a dish feel complete. And today, they’re just as ideal for anyone looking for plant-based meals, veggie-friendly options, or a little more value at the grocery store.

With Camellia beans, comfort food doesn’t lose its soul — it gains a new twist.

Healthy Fall Comfort Starts with Beans.
Before you dive into the kitchen, here are a few quick answers to your most common bean questions.

Q: How can I make comfort food without meat?
Start with beans. They’re hearty, full of flavor, and bring the same satisfying bite as meat — with extra protein and fiber. From rich chilis to creamy soups, beans make it easy to enjoy comfort food that’s every bit as cozy.

Q: Why are beans such a key part of a plant-based diet?
Beans are nutrient-dense, affordable, and naturally packed with protein and fiber. According to Harvard Health, eating more plant-based meals — especially those with beans — supports heart health and balanced energy.

Q: What types of beans work best for fall recipes?
Kidney, black, pinto, and white beans are classics. They hold their shape in soups and stews, soak up flavors beautifully, and bring hearty texture to every cozy, cold-weather meal.

Crocktober is the unofficial tradition of breaking out the slow cooker for the season’s first cool-weather meals. As the mornings turn crisp and the evenings get busy, the crockpot earns its keep, filling the house with something that smells like home before you’ve even thought about dinner.

Crocktober is one of our favorite times of year, and our beans are made for it. Low and slow is where they shine, simmering into something creamy, hearty, and full of flavor. Their premium quality means they hold their shape, soak up every bit of seasoning, and reward a little patience with a pot that tastes like home. From Louisiana classics to easy weeknight dinners and tailgate favorites, these six crockpot recipes have you covered.

From Louisiana classics to easy weeknight dinners and tailgate favorites, these six crockpot recipes have you covered.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

The Monday tradition, made even easier. Our Red Kidney Beans simmer all day with the holy trinity, smoked sausage, and Creole seasonings, then get served over fluffy white rice with a few dashes of hot sauce. Pro tip: sauté the trinity and sausage first if you have time, but if you don’t, toss everything in raw and let the slow cooker do its thing.

Where Y’at? White Beans

A New Orleans take on slow-cooker comfort food from Lauren Malone Keller. Our Baby Lima Beans get cozy with andouille, cubed ham, and a hit of crab boil seasoning. It’s the kind of dish that tastes like Sunday at somebody’s grandmother’s house, no matter what day of the week you make it.

Slow Cooker Lima Beans and Ham

Old-school comfort with a Southern soul. Large Lima Beans slow-cook with ham (or bacon, dealer’s choice), tomato soup, dry mustard, and bell pepper for a stick-to-your-ribs supper. Five minutes of prep, eight hours later you’ve got dinner.

Slow Cooker Lentil & Black Bean Taco Soup

A vegetarian-friendly weeknight win. Our Lentils and Black Beans team up with green chiles, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a smoky blend of cumin, chili powder, and paprika. Set out the toppings (cilantro, sharp Cheddar, a dollop of Greek yogurt) and let everyone build their own bowl.

Slow Cooker White Bean & Chicken Chili

Creamy, perfectly seasoned, and built for a crowd. Our Great Northern Beans (or Cannellini Beans, if that’s what you prefer) simmer with chicken, smoky Hatch chiles, and just enough cayenne to keep things interesting. A swirl of cream and a spoonful of masa at the end pulls it all together.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Refried Bean Dip

Crocktober isn’t all about dinner. This one starts with our Pinto Beans, turns them into refried beans, then layers in cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, and a melty blanket of sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack. Set it out at a tailgate or a porch hang and watch it disappear.

What kind of beans are best for slow cooker recipes?

Dry beans are made for slow cooking. The long, low heat gives them time to soften without falling apart, and they soak up the flavor of whatever you cook them with. Camellia’s Red Kidney Beans, Great Northern Beans, Black Beans, Pinto Beans, and Lima Beans are all crockpot favorites, each one bringing its own personality to the pot.

However Crocktober finds you, whether it’s a busy weeknight, a slow Sunday, or somewhere in between, the slow cooker has a way of making dinner feel easy, cozy, and worth gathering around. Set it, forget it, and come back to a house that smells like fall.

Zippy Lentil Salad

This spring lentil salad combines protein-rich legumes with a rainbow of Easter-colored bell peppers and a lemon-champagne vinegar dressing to create the perfect side dish.

Pro tip: Serve in a clear glass bowl to showcase all those beautiful spring colors for a festive Easter table centerpiece.

White Bean Hummus

This easy 5-minute white bean hummus recipe features notes of lemon and fresh parsley for a taste of springtime in every bite. Create a beautiful grazing board with fresh seasonal vegetables like radishes, red bell peppers, and carrots.

Pairing suggestion: Serve with pita, crackers, or crudités.

Avocado Cilantro Hummus

This vibrant green dip combines creamy avocado with lime and fresh cilantro, and it’s ready in just 10 minutes—perfect for last-minute get-togethers.

Potato Salad with Chickpea Aquafaba Mayo

A twist on traditional potato salad, this dish features a light and creamy chickpea aquafaba mayo, zesty mustard, fresh herbs, and crisp veggies.

Easy Crawfish & Red Bean Dip

Bring New Orleans flavors to your table with this creamy, crowd-pleasing dip featuring Louisiana crawfish, red beans, and bold Creole seasonings. Serve it straight from the oven with crusty French bread or tortilla chips.

And though — or perhaps, because of — being a time-tested dish, red beans and rice can show up on menus in interesting ways, showcasing new ideas.

A Bean-Based Cocktail That Breaks All Rules

At Muy Pwa in Beanlandia, Chef Maya Mastersson concocts not one, but two new red beans and rice variations, and even a cocktail.

That’s right, a red beans and rice cocktail. Consisting of toasted rice-infused mezcal, “trinity” bitters and a red bean syrup that Mastersson makes, it’s finished with Tony Chachere’s on the rim and a specialty ice cube — another Mastersson creation — that has red beans, rice and a bay leaf in it.

“It’s a savory drink,” says Mastersson, adding, “Every cocktail, every dish has at least one bean type in it,” about the restaurant’s offerings.

When Mastersson opened Muy Pwa in Beanlandia in early October 2024, her goal was a menu focusing on beans, as Beanlandia is a community center and museum founded by the Krewe of Red Beans, renowned for its Lundi Gras march wearing bean-adorned costumes, as well as its philanthropic activities such as Feed the Second Line.

From Sicily to New Orleans: The Art of Bean-Based Innovation

“We were excited to find a creative and unique chef to bring on like Maya. She’s a great fit in our little bean universe,” says Krewe of Red Beans and Beanlandia founder Devin De Wulf.

To create this bean-centric menu, Mastersson did extensive research about New Orleans cuisine, as well as global flavors. “I wanted it to be a cohesive menu with a theme … without it being all over the place,” she says.

Mastersson submerged herself “in the history of beans, the science of beans … how they grow, what cultures use them, how they use them, how they are eating them … things like that.”

Mastersson aimed to source locally or close by, which led her to use Camellia Beans, which in addition to its red kidney beans, she uses the white beans, black beans and black-eyed peas.

Among the menu’s highlights is the red beans and rice arancini, which is a blend of two culinary traditions: New Orleans’ favorite Monday dish and arancini, a rice ball that is stuffed, coated in breadcrumbs, then deep-fried which has its origin in Sicily.

“At its base,” Mastersson says about the dish, “it is literally a fried ball of red beans and rice.”

She starts by making the red beans, then when done, adds rice to that same pot. While the rice cooks, it absorbs most of that liquid, a vegetable stock made with leftover scraps accumulated during prep.

Nutritional yeast is added “to give it that meaty, umami flavor,” she says.

Sweet, Savory, and Everything in Between

The rice ends up very soft, making it easier to make into small balls. She freezes them — to hold the shape — before they are breaded and fried to order. Served with a Crystal remoulade sauce to add a little bit of kick, it is crunchy on the outside, full of red beans and rice flavor on the inside.

It is a vegan dish, says Mastersson, but it still has a smoky flavor due to the liquid smoke she adds, not due to a smoked meat often found in traditional red beans and rice.

The Azuki red beans and rice ice cream is her other culinary spin on this dish. The red beans are cooked in milk, and while doing that, she makes a custard. She adds that to the red beans, then blends it into an ice cream, making it very rich, says Mastersson.

“I wanted the menu to be a multicultural celebration of the legume,” she says. And at Muy Pwa, Mastersson does just that.

*Muy Pwa, at Beanlandia, 3300 Royal St., kreweofredbeans.org; Hours: Wed.-Sun., 5 p.m.-9 p.m.*

Greens and Blackeye Peas

In this classic dish, thick-cut bacon and turnip greens pair perfectly with creamy Blackeye Peas.

Chipotle Bean Burrito Bowls

Pinto beans are cooked till tender with a flavorful mixture of chili powder, ground ancho chile, and cumin seeds, making them a terrific base for burrito bowls.

Butter Beans with Ham

Try Green Baby Limas simmered to perfection with chopped ham, aromatic vegetables, and seasonings. You’ll be glad you did!

Red Bean Dip

Dip into this creamy favorite made with our signature Red Kidney Beans and Red Bean Flavor Infusion seasoning mix.

Instant Pot Red Bean Soup

This simple, hearty soup made with our signature Red Kidney Beans and Red Bean Flavor Infusion seasoning mix is sure to be a fan favorite.

Bean and Poblano Chile Soup

Simmered and blended with roasted poblanos and fresh cilantro, this is a soup you’ll cozy up to on a chilly night.

Marinated Lady Pea Salad

Colorful and fresh, this beautiful salad is packed with flavor and great for entertaining.

Pinto Beans and Rajas de Chiles Empanadas

Served warm with Spicy Avocado Crema, these tasty empanadas are little pockets of goodness.

Instant Pot White Bean, Cauliflower & Broccoli Soup

You’ll love this hearty vegetable and white bean soup made with our White Bean Flavor Infusion seasoning mix. It’s creamy, delicious, and vegan!

Instant Pot Red Bean Soup

Enjoy the authentic, traditional flavor of red beans and rice, but in easy soup form (made with our Red Bean Flavor Infusion seasoning mix). Pull out your ladle, and serve up a favorite.

Kentucky Burgoo

Featuring meat, vegetables, and lima beans, this Kentucky Burgoo is a thick, delicious, slow-cooked stew that’s perfect for serving a crowd. Made with our White Bean Flavor Infusion seasoning mix, it’ll keep folks coming back for more.

Old-Fashioned Chili with Beans

A delicious, classic chili the whole family will love – great for busy weeknights or gameday parties.

Instant Pot Lima Beans & Greens Soup

Get your daily greens + deep rich flavor with this endlessly customizable, vegetarian soup.

Ruth’s Southern Country-Style Butter Bean & Green Bean Soup with Potatoes

This recipe makes for a homey supper that’s tasty and affordable — and fairly easy to pull together from fridge and pantry staples.

When it’s time for football, and you’ve got hungry fans at your home, you better have a game plan. Check out this round-up of recipe favorites, from snacks and finger foods to main event-worthy dishes. Insider tip: Instant Pot and slow cooker meals are perfect for the host who’s keeping their eyes on the TV.

Southern Quesadillas

Quesadillas filled with pulled pork, BBQ sauce, collard greens, and blackeye peas? This is a flavor mash-up that’ll wow ‘em.

Camellia Black Bean Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries

These delicious bean and mushroom veggie burgers are paired with pickled red onions and chipotle mayo for big flavor. Don’t skip the sweet potato fries!

Instant Pot Cajun White Beans

Featuring our own White Bean Flavor Infusion seasoning mix, this authentic meal practically makes itself. Which is key when you don’t want to miss a single play.

Kid-Friendly Sloppy Joe Dogs

Easy make-ahead chili = tasty Sloppy Joe dogs loved by kids and adults alike. You don’t need to be in a stadium to enjoy these hand-held treats.

Pinto Bean Chili Nachos

Meal prepping the Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili for these nachos makes this a fun, finger-food that comes together quickly.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Red Beans & Rice

Courtesy of our friends at Taste of the South magazine, this super simple slow cooker dish lets you serve up all the flavors of Monday, on a Sunday.

Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Ham Hock and Sausage

These meaty red beans are made in the Instant Pot for game-winning speed and flavor. Fans’ll be cheering for more.

Paris 2024: A Plant-Based Revolution

As the world turns its attention to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, athletes focus on physical training and optimizing their nutrition to perform at their peak. This year, Paris is hosting the world’s greatest athletes and pioneering a plant-based revolution, with a remarkable 60% of all meals served to athletes and fans being vegan. The humble bean, a dietary staple for centuries, is one often-overlooked nutritional powerhouse that can give athletes a competitive edge. Packed with protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and essential nutrients, beans offer many benefits for athletes striving for gold.

Nature’s Multi-Vitamin for Athletes

Beans are a versatile and nutrient-dense food that can support athletic performance in multiple ways. They provide sustained energy through complex carbohydrates, aid in muscle repair and growth with their high protein content, and offer essential minerals like iron, magnesium, and potassium to support electrolyte balance. Additionally, the high fiber content in beans can help athletes maintain a healthy weight and promote digestive health. Studies have also shown that a diet rich in beans may reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease, making them an excellent choice for long-term health and short-term performance gains.

Plant-Powered Olympians: A Growing Trend

Olympians and elite athletes increasingly recognize the value of incorporating beans into their diets. Some of the U.S.’s top professional athletes proudly embrace the plant-based diet. Elite athletes like Diana Taurasi and Kendrick Farris, competing in this year’s Olympics, credit their vegan diets for improved performance and faster recovery, proving that a plant-based diet isn’t just a choice – it’s a game-changer.

For example, Canadian boxer and 2022 middleweight world champion Tammara Thibeault follows a vegetarian diet. In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, Thibeault revealed that while she appreciates vegetarianism’s ecological benefits and dietary diversity, meeting her protein needs can be challenging, especially when traveling for competitions.

The Vegetarian Athlete’s Secret Weapon

This is where beans can play a crucial role. As a complete protein source that’s rich in essential amino acids, beans can help vegetarian athletes like Thibeault meet their protein requirements without compromising their dietary preferences. Beans offer a sustainable, plant-based solution for athletes looking to maintain peak performance while exploring the rich diversity of vegetarianism.

Here are some delicious and nutritious recipes to try for athletes looking to harness the power of beans in their diets:

Red Bean Power Bowl

A nutrient-packed meal with Red Kidney Beans. Mostly raw ingredients for quick assembly – ideal for athletes needing fast, nutritious meals.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Red Beans

An easy, protein-rich dish that can be prepared in advance for busy training days.

Instant Pot Lima Beans & Greens Soup

A warming, mineral-rich soup to support recovery and hydration.

White Bean Hummus

A protein-packed snack that’s great for pre-or post-workout fueling.

Red Bean & Goat Cheese Mediterranean Salad

A lighter option that still provides ample protein and nutrients for athletes watching their weight.

By incorporating these bean-based recipes into their meal plans, athletes can enjoy the nutritional benefits of beans while fueling their Olympic dreams. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or simply looking to improve your overall health and fitness, beans are a versatile and powerful addition to any diet.

Sources: Olympics.com (https://olympics.com/), Health University of Utah (https://healthcare.utah.edu/), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/effect-vegetarian-diets-sports-performance-closer-look-koikc/) Vegancuts.com (https://vegancuts.com/blogs/1/vegan-athletes), bonappetit.com (https://www.bonappetit.com/story/olympians-who-eat-vegan)

Pinto Bean Chili Burrito Bowl

Start summer off right with a combo of hot and cool! Ladle some warm Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili over fluffy rice, then top with grape tomatoes, avocado slices, and a sprinkle of fresh green onions. Don’t forget the star of the show—a hunk of golden Buttermilk Cornbread.

Pinto Bean Chili Nachos

Nachos – the perfect meal for sunny days and good times! Spread layers of tortilla chips on a sheet pan and top with dollops of Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili and layers of shredded cheese. Broil until browned, then sprinkle with grape tomatoes, avocado, green onions, and a handful of cilantro.

Mediterranean Bowl

Enjoy a colorful combination of White Bean Hummus, Collard Greens, and rice (served cold or at room temp – your choice), topped with juicy grape tomatoes and savory olives. Pair it with crispy crostini, perfect for dipping and spreading that creamy hummus. Ideal for sunny picnics and laid-back gatherings!

Hummus & Greens Wrap

Enjoy some White Bean Hummus, Collard Greens, crisp julienned bell peppers, and tangy feta – all wrapped up in a large tortilla. Pair it with crunchy crudités like celery sticks and baby carrots for the perfect sunny day meal

Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad

Need a breezy summer lunch? Look no further than this cool Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad. Mix zesty Cowboy Caviar with cold pasta and a generous handful of chopped cilantro. Make sure to scoop some of that delicious dressing from the bottom of the Cowboy Caviar container to toss with the pasta. Top it off with a sprinkling of tangy feta cheese for a refreshing, easy meal.

Collard Greens and Buttermilk Cornbread, all in one bowl. What could be more summer vibes than that? Serve it cold or at room temp—your choice.

Peas, Greens & Hummus Pita Sandwich

This Peas, Greens & Hummus Pita Sandwich is perfect if you need a quick summer bite. Line a pita pocket with creamy White Bean Hummus, then fill it with fresh Collard Greens and zesty Cowboy Caviar.

Chipotle Pinto Bean Tortilla Soup

A batch of pinto beans turns into this easy-to-make tortilla soup that truly satisfies. Don’t skip the homemade crunchy tortilla strips served on top!

Pinto Bean and Kale Enchiladas with Spicy Tomatillo Salsa

This fresh, deeply flavorful recipe is from our friends at Taste of the South and is worth the extra effort to please a crowd.

Slow Cooker Pork & Pinto Tacos

Pork shoulder, Camellia Brand Pinto Beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a range of seasonings go into your slow cooker — and come out as a fabulous taco filling.

Hot 7-Layer Dip with Andouille & Bacon

Check out an amazing, slow cooker 7-layer dip with a Cajun twist.

Vegetarian Black Bean & Rice Casserole

Smoky and creamy, this hearty, 1-pot casserole can serve as a vegetarian main dish or as a side to grilled meat, chicken, or seafood. Makes a great taco filling, too!

Southern Quesadillas

Featuring blackeye peas and greens, the name of this recipe says it all!

Pinto Bean Chili Nachos

These tasty nachos can be a meal all on their own. And they come together quickly when you start with prepared Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili.

Buttermilk Cornbread in Cast Iron Skillet

Bake some cornbread with a twist! This Buttermilk Cornbread is beyond good served warm from a cast iron skillet. Brown the butter first for a fantastic flavor.

Potato Salad with Chickpea Aquafaba Mayo

A lighter potato salad with chickpea aquafaba mayo, mustard, herbs, and veggies for a flavorful plant-based side.

Cauliflower Lima Bean Au Gratin

Or, for a lighter option, whip up a cheesy Cauliflower Lima Bean Au Gratin with fresh cauliflower, lima beans, creamy cheese sauce, and crispy breadcrumbs on top.

Southern Summer Succotash

No southern meal is complete without succotash. This Southern Summer Succotash features fresh veggies like corn, okra, peppers, onion sautéed in bacon drippings, and lima beans.

Lady Pea Salad

Salads are always a hit at potlucks. Lady Pea Salad combines lady cream peas, fresh herbs, lettuce, and a bright vinaigrette for a simple yet satisfying salad.

Zippy Lentil Salad

For heartier flavor, try Zippy Lentil Salad with collard greens, chopped veggies, olives, and a lemon-herb dressing over lentils.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Black Bean Aquafaba

A perfectly moist chocolate zucchini bread made with whipped black bean aquafaba for a fluffy texture and fudgy crumb.

Shrimp and White Bean Soup

The combination of shrimp, beans, and bold Louisiana flavors makes this creamy, hearty soup a favorite of Camellia’s CEO Vince Hayward. Stock up on Cannellini Beans, and whip up a bowl of this beloved regional dish using our top-quality cannellini beans. It’s a warming, satisfying meal with deep roots in Louisiana culinary traditions.

White Bean Soup with Tasso, Winter Squash, and Chard

Whip up a comforting one-pot white bean soup with smoky tasso ham, earthy winter squash, and fresh Swiss chard. Both seasoned cooks and kitchen novices will appreciate how easy it is to make this soup packed with big, soul-warming flavor.

Creamy Bean and Collard Greens Soup

This comforting Southern-style soup featuring creamy beans and collard greens is perfect for a cold day. Be sure to have fresh French bread to dip into the rich, velvety broth. The rich and smooth soup will make even the chilliest day feel cozy.

Ham Hock and White Bean Stew

White beans and ham hocks create a perfect flavor combination in this warm, nourishing stew. The unique smokiness of the ham infuses the beans with a rich, savory taste. With its melded flavors, this hearty dish is the ultimate cold-weather meal.

Appalachian Soup Beans

Slow-cooked to perfection with a captivating ensemble of spices, this soul-warming dish, crowned with crisped bacon, invites you to savor the rich Appalachian flavors. Pair it with chowchow and cornbread to taste mountain kitchen traditions and shared table moments.

The “Biggest Fan” Gift Box

For the home cook or Camellia fan, The “Biggest Fan” Gift Box ($55.95) has everything they need to craft delicious bean dishes. The package includes a variety of Camellia’s most popular beans, like Black Eye Peas, Large Lima Beans, and Red Kidney Beans, along with spices, kitchen accessories like a towel, oven mitt, and spoon, and fun extras like stickers and a tote bag – the perfect gift for the bean enthusiast in your life!

The “Welcome Home” Gift Box

Hosting for the holidays? The “Welcome Home” Gift Box ($75.95) has all the essentials for welcoming guests with open arms. Two mugs, a handy apron, a kitchen towel, and Camellia’s signature dried beans and seasoning make it easy to cook up cozy, comforting meals. The tote bag and gift box add a thoughtful touch they will appreciate.

The “Seasoned Greetings” Gift Box

For something affordable yet still packed with Camellia goodness, there’s The “Seasoned Greetings” Gift Box ($35.95). It contains several of Camellia’s choice bean varieties and spices, alongside useful kitchen tools like a towel and spoon. The tote bag and gift packaging spread holiday cheer.

Give the Gift of Quality and Flavor

All three boxes contain a selection of incredible high-quality Camellia beans, responsibly sourced and packed with flavor. The spices add a kick of flavor that complements the beans perfectly. Useful kitchen accessories, fun extras, and charming gift packaging make these boxes a delightful gift for anyone on your list.

Photo by Chris Granger.

If your holiday feast includes a turkey, you’re in for a treat on the day of your big celebration. And if you’re resourceful and appreciate eating “nose-to-tail” eating, you’ll also benefit in the days following — because you’ve got the makings for many delicious dishes to come.

Every part of the turkey (whether it’s roasted, smoked, or fried), from the carcass, giblets, and necks, to legs and leftover meat, offers the opportunity to add richness, flavor, and extra protein to dishes like gumbo, beans, chili, and more. Of course, the same philosophy applies to a holiday ham! From ham bones and ham hocks to shanks and meat, there are so many tasty ways to use the leftovers.

Check out some favorite recipes that use leftover holiday turkey and ham.

Pableaux’s Turkey Bone Gumbo

Pableaux Johnson of The Red Bean Road Show shares his personal turkey gumbo recipe. Delicious! Photo by Chris Granger.

Red Beans with Smoked Turkey Legs

Chef Isaac Woo of Catahoula Catering in Denver, Colorado is a Louisiana native who loves to make his red beans with smoked turkey legs.

Turkey Black Bean Pumpkin Chili

Hearty and comforting, this recipe makes good use of leftover holiday favorites like cooked, cubed turkey and solid-pack pumpkin.

Great Northern Beans & Ham

This tasty recipe comes courtesy of Chef Jennifer Hill Booker. Featuring diced ham and a large ham bone, it brings amazing flavor to white beans.

Simple Slow Cooker Blackeye Peas

This is a simple but delicious blackeye pea recipe made in the slow cooker, with a ham hock or diced ham. With no hands-on attention required, it’s a perfect post-holiday dish.

Simple Southern Lima Beans

A great recipe for deliciously creamy butter beans that’s sure to satisfy. Serve over hot cooked rice and alongside your favorite cornbread or biscuits.

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili

This hearty chili gets a fall twist with the addition of pumpkin. Black beans, diced tomatoes, hatch chile, and autumnal spices like chili powder and cumin make this chili full of flavor. Serve it up along with some cornbread.

Cauliflower Lima Bean Au Gratin

Elevate the flavors of lima beans by pairing them with cauliflower and a creamy cheese sauce in this au gratin. It’s comfort food at its finest and an excellent choice for a holiday side.

Cranberry Barbecue Beans

These sweet and tangy baked beans are jazzed with cranberries, barbecue sauce, and other flavorful ingredients. They make a festive addition to any holiday spread.

Bourbon-Bacon Field Peas with Collards

Bacon and bourbon give these field peas a unique smoky, savory flavor to this updated version of a Southern classic. Collards provide color and balance out the heartiness of the beans.

Creamy Bean and Collard Greens Soup

Warm up with this smooth, creamy bean soup featuring collard greens and parmesan cheese. The rosemary adds a delightful aroma. Serve this soup as a starter – it will get everyone’s appetites ready for the main course!

Braised Lady Peas

Tender lady peas are braised with onion, bacon, and broth, creating a delicious flavor. These buttery peas are perfect for pairing with your holiday ham or turkey. Garnish them with pickled onions or shallots for a tangy crunch.

Everything in this subscription box is about delicious, authentic, southern cooking, delivered right to your door! It includes: a Camellia “Makin’ Groceries” kitchen towel, a Camellia Sticker sheet, Dagostino Alligator Shaped Pasta, Blackeye Peas, Baby Lima Beans, Great Northern Beans, and Pinto Beans.

And our perfect summertime recipes are a great way to put those items to good use! Take a peek:

Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad

This refreshing pasta salad made with Blackeye Pea Cowboy Caviar is a fast and easy lunch or dinner. Make it more fun for the kiddos with Dagostino Alligator Shaped Pasta.

Picnic Baby Limas

Take these sweet and tangy Baby Limas on your next picnic, even if it’s inside at your kitchen table.

White Bean Hummus

Throw cooked Great Northern beans into a food processor with lemon juice, tahini, herbs, and spices for an appetizer that’ll please a crowd. It’s perfect for snacking and spreading, especially during the warm days of summer.

Kid-Friendly Refried Beans

Savory (but not spicy), these kid-friendly refried beans are perfect in enchiladas and quesadillas, or on top of nachos with lots of shredded cheddar cheese.

The Krewe of Feijao & Green Beans is another colorful off-shoot of the Red Beans and Dead Beans parades, and it debuted back in 2020.

Featuring both a samba-style marching band and a Cajun band, the parade celebrates the diversity of different cultures in the Crescent City, including Cajun and Brazilian culture. The relatively new 70-member krewe is named for the Portuguese word for beans, and their costumes show off intricate designs made with dried beans and rice.

On Monday, February 16th, the 2026 Feijao & Green Beans Parade kicks off at 2 PM at the Krewe of Red Beans’ Beanlandia.

First there was the Red Beans Parade – that legume-loving marching club that celebrates the importance of red beans & rice and carnival every Lundi Gras. And then there was the first offshoot, the Dead Beans Parade. Now, a third group joins in the eclectic and eccentric fun — the Feijão + Green Beans Parade.

The Red Beans Parade

Devin DeWulf started the Red Bean Parade in 2008, incorporating elements of a second line and Mardi Gras Indian tribes into a walking parade which takes place – naturally – on a Monday. Monday has traditionally been the day New Orleanians cook red beans and rice, so Lundi Gras was a natural fit. The krewe’s philosophy is simple. It’s about meeting and socializing with other creative types while celebrating New Orleans’ quirky culture. Members meet on Monday nights to work on their bean-adorned costumes, have a drink, and eat red beans. The elaborate costumes are a point of pride to the group.

The parade, led by a local brass band, begins at the Krewe of Red Beans headquarters, Beanlandia, and proceeds through the Bywater, ending up in Marigny.

The Dead Beans Parade

The Krewe of Red Beans has always had marchers who costumed as skeletons – also known as “Dead Beans” – as well as those whose costumes are tributes to celebrities who’ve died in the preceding year. So in order to grow the popular krewe in a way that kept the marches small and intimate, it made sense to create a separate group called the Dead Beans. The Dead Beans also begin their parade at Beanlandia!

The Feijão + Green Beans Parade

Debuting in 2020 and inspired by Cajun and Brazilian culture, The Feijão + Green Beans Parade is a third off-shoot. Featuring both a samba-style marching band and a Cajun band, the parade celebrates the diversity of different cultures in the Crescent City.

Got kids? Bring them along! The spectacular homemade costumes showcased in all three parades might just inspire them to start their own beans-and-rice beading artwork.

What began as a wonderfully creative way to celebrate Mardi Gras in 2021 (when parades were cancelled due to the pandemic), “house floats” blossomed into a beloved showcase of our collective New Orleans carnival spirit. Some homes were lovingly decorated by our talented local artisans, while others were enthusiastically transformed by residents who poured their hearts into creating magical displays (with all the joy they’d normally bring to their Mardi Gras costumes). Visitors were delighted by these enchanting house floats from near and far, and the movement brought our community together in a way that touched everyone’s hearts. The spirited Krewe of House Floats even made it their beautiful mission to raise money to support friends, neighbors, local culture-bearers, and artists who were most affected by the drop in tourism.

While we see fewer house floats gracing our streets in 2025, those magical months when our homes became canvases for carnival joy will forever hold a special place in our hearts. The few cherished house floats that still appear each carnival season remind us of how our beloved city came together to keep our Mardi Gras spirit shining bright during challenging times. Among these dedicated creators, Stronghold Studios continues to bring their artistic magic to this evolving tradition, crafting spectacular displays that keep this beautiful chapter of New Orleans culture alive.

Want to experience the wonder for yourself? Check out the Official 2025 House Float Map to find these delightful displays throughout the city, or fill out the House Float Request Form to bring some carnival magic to your own home!”

Mardi Gras “House Floats”

These Beans were Made for Wearing

Just as red beans and rice is a Monday tradition going back generations, the Krewe of Red Beans Parade has become a popular Lundi Gras tradition. But this krewe isn’t serving red beans – they’re sporting elaborate costumes adorned with designs made from the star of New Orleans’ favorite weekly dish. Each year, the day before Mardi Gras, the humble bean is elevated to a work of art. The Krewe of Red Beans was founded in 2008 by Devin DeWulf when a bean-covered suit he created for Halloween received overwhelming praise. More than a decade later, the krewe’s 150-plus members elicit raves of their own with bean-dazzled suits featuring intricate patterns, clever puns, and sincere homages, all laid out with thousands of tiny beans.

A Labor of (Legume) Love

Inspired by the traditions of the Mardi Gras Indians, whose elaborately-beaded and feathered costumes are hand-sewn from scratch each year, krewe members spend months planning, designing, and constructing their suits. The effort is obvious in the complex designs rendered through their bean-work. While red beans are the star, the suits also incorporate other varieties of bean. Camellia, a strong supporter of local traditions and initiatives, donates hundreds of pounds of beans to the Krewe each year.

The suit-making process begins in earnest each November. Like New Orleans’ Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs, the Red Beans Krewe features a social element (as well as a charitable angle through its Bean Madness Tournament held every March). Krewe members meet each Monday at a neighborhood bar to work on their costumes, swap design tips, and share glue-gun techniques, not to mention eat some red beans and rice. While members also work on their costumes individually, these weekly gatherings inspire creativity and the camaraderie of a true club. Krewe members comprise a full range of artistic abilities, from dabblers to master artists, but all share a love of beans and a desire to express their creativity through art. More than just assembly-line, copycat costumes, each krewe member has a chance to bring their own ideas to light.

Red or Dead

Though it has grown since its inception, the Red Beans Parade has remained a close-knit, neighborhood-oriented parade. When the membership ranks swelled after ten years, founder Devin DeWulf decided to split the krewe into two different parades, each with 150 members. A group within the Red Beans krewe had already adopted a tradition of portraying skulls and skeletons with their bean art, so in 2018 they officially broke off and were anointed the Dead Beans Parade. What sets the two krewes apart? Red Beans krewe members create costumes depicting jazz musicians, elaborate designs, homages to New Orleans Saints players, puns like “Bean in the Oven” or “Bean There Done That”, renderings of Camellia brand imagery, and much more. The Dead Beans display imagery relating to death and mortality, and often honor the recently deceased. Both parades are joined by local brass marching bands and led by their respective royalty.

Ceremonial Gathering

Not long before Lundi Gras, the krewes announce their royalty, each determined in their own unique way. Red Beans krewe members elect a king or queen, based in part on seniority. Long time krewe members also choose a princess, who they feel is the most “ridiculous” krewe member. Dead Beans members nominate fellow members for the roles of Empress/Emperor, Oracle (who conducts a ceremony to honor the dead before the parade), and Magician (the “jokester”).

Both Bean Parades Are Ready for Lundi Gras Kickoff

On Lundi Gras, the Monday before Mardi Gras, the painstaking work of the two krewes will be on display for all to see. The 2023 Red Beans Parade will wind along its traditional route through the Marigny, while the 2023 Dead Beans will meander along Bayou St. John and through Mid-City. The two krewes will eventually meet up in Treme. Be sure to look out for one of the main bean attractions of the Dead Beans Parade – its amazing, bean-studded hearse. All throws are locally-made, including resin red beans, glitter packs, and mini hearses. Get a spot along the route to see the suits up close, as each design deserves a full inspection. Want to try your hand at bean art, too? Unlike most krewes, Red Beans and Dead Beans encourage anyone to make a bean suit and join in the fun on the day of the parade.

Appalachian Soup Beans

A pinto bean dish where the broth becomes so rich and slurpable, the “soup” and the “bean” deserve equal billing in the dish’s name. Perfect with a side of cornbread.

Instant Pot Pinto Beans & Ham Hocks

This Instant Pot recipe is adapted from the stovetop version in Jennifer Hill Booker’s Field Peas to Foie Gras: Southern Recipes with a French Accent. In other words, it’s a keeper.

Creole Red Beans and Rice

Hailing from our friends at Taste of the South, this recipe has a trick up its sleeve. Sausage is baked in the oven till crispy and browned and then added to the pot after the beans are tender. Try it out, and see what you think.

Classic Hoppin’ John

A lowcountry classic, Hoppin’ John is one of the simplest and most humble of dishes — made with field peas or blackeye peas, bacon or ham, onion, rice and seasonings.

Mother’s Red Beans

The origin of the red beans and rice recipe at Mother’s Restaurant starts with the founders, Simon and Mary “Mother” Landry, who opened the business in 1938 on Poydras Street. Get a delicious taste of history with this one.

Kid-Friendly Instant Pot Fagioli

Super easy to make, this stick-to-your-ribs staple includes three bean varieties and Dagostino Fleur de Lis Shaped Pasta. Just add a salad and your favorite crusty bread for a complete meal.

Mushroom & Butter Bean Ragu with Cheesy Grits

Think you know butter beans? Think again. Until you’ve tried this delicious dish combining large limas, fresh mushrooms, Gouda cheese and grits, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Kid-Friendly Beef & Bean Sloppy Joe Sliders

These nutritious sliders are full of flavor and easy to eat. Bonus: one skillet cooking makes for quick cleanup. Feel free to swap ground turkey for ground beef, if you prefer.

Zippy Lentil Salad

Cool, crunchy, and colorful, this lentil salad is filled with veggies and super satisfying. Makes a great lunch on the go or a healthy side dish.

Call it a habit, a hobby, maybe even a sport; many of us are on a mission to sample as many king cakes as possible during Mardi Gras. And whether we’re interested in the inventive newcomers to be discovered at bakeries and pop-ups across New Orleans, or the traditional childhood favorites we love returning to again and again, there’s no shortage of sugar and carbs out there for anyone who can’t seem to get enough.

Back in the day, if we wanted a king cake in New Orleans during Carnival season, we had only a few choices – namely Gambino’s, Haydel’s and McKenzie’s – and they were basic rounds of brioche dough topped with sugar crystals and the occasional maraschino cherry. But over the years, the variety of dough, flavors, fillings, stuffings, and toppings has reached a fevered pitch, and the creativity and imagination involved never cease to surprise and delight. Can you tell we’re giddy from a sugar high?

Any way you slice it, ask a dozen New Orleanians which king cake they like best, and you’ll get a dozen different answers. We all have our favorites, of course, (and some of us keep lists of the ones we want to try before the season ends).  So in the name of pure fun, let’s take a look at an unscientific sampling of king cakes around town — and what makes them special.

Wishing Town

Wishing Town is a bakery and a café in Metairie — with an Uptown location opening soon — offering everything from noodle soups and dim sum to beautiful whole cakes and tarts. And now, their own Instagram-worthy king cake, too. (I don’t know how they create the nearly fluorescent glaze colors, but wow, what a swipe-stopper.) Made with Asian milk bread style dough and your choice of coconut, pumpkin, or sweet red bean paste fillings, it’s decorated with a house made cream cheese glaze. With a super light and fluffy texture, Wishing Town’s king cake is not nearly as sugary as you might expect. So, if you don’t have a huge sweet tooth and want to try something totally unconventional, this could be for you.

Brennan’s 

Like other restaurants, Brennan’s jumped on the king cake bandwagon in 2021 — when we were all attempting to make up for a lack of Mardi Gras parades with an abundance of king cake. This year, the legendary Bananas Foster dessert that was created at the restaurant in the 1950’s has been re-invented in king cake form. Featuring a creamy, banana liquor-flavored filling inside a cinnamon and brown sugar dough, the outside is decorated with a boozy icing made with butter rum, drizzled chocolate, and a sprinkle of crunchy golden spheres. It’s worth noting that the banana flavor is mild — and my krewe actually tasted more of the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and rum. Beautiful to look at and an interesting riff on their famous dish!

Celtica

Celtica French Bakery is an exciting Parisian-inspired café and bakery in Lakeview, the latest venture from the former chef of La Boulangerie on Magazine Street. And on the average day, Celtica’s croissants steal the show. (It’s truly difficult to drive by the airy, modern spot without stopping in for a quick Pain au Chocolat.) But its traditional French king cakes, or galette des rois, are a beautiful sight to behold and a wonderful way to celebrate the season. With delicate flaky layers and a frangipane filling (also known as almond cream), this is one of the prettiest French king cakes I’ve ever seen, and a delicious alternative to the sugar-laden brioche styles around town. Pro tip: get a whole cake, or buy it by the slice.

Gambino’s & King Cake Hub

The King Cake Hub, a one stop shop that sells roughly 60 varieties of king cake from 15 different bakery partners, is a godsend for king cake lovers. And the Epiphany King Cake, a special collaboration with Gambino’s, offers up a little bit of the old and the new. Only available at the Hub, the Nutella Epiphany is a traditional brioche style king cake filled with the ever-popular hazelnut cocoa spread, iced with a generous schmear of white frosting, and dusted with purple, green and gold sprinkles. Chocolate lovers will unite on this one, for sure!

McKenzie’s

This king cake has a storied history, a cult following, and hails from a beloved bakery chain that’s no longer in business. Supposedly the original Mckenzie’s king cake recipe was sold to Tastee Donuts, whose area stores trot it out only during carnival season. The aroma brought back childhood memories as soon the bag was opened, but the texture was not exactly as we remembered it. It seemed more doughy, less brioche-like. With no cinnamon or fillings running through the cake and no icing on top, this cake goes the minimalist route with simple coverings of tri-colored sugars. For those who revere history and tradition, this one’s for you.

Manny Randazzo’s

While I was hoping to buy Manny Randazzo’s Pecan Praline version of its king cake, which won the 2012 Times-Picayune/NOLA.com King Cake Crown, the only flavor left in the bakery was the traditional Cinnamon version. (This place really churns ‘em out. Every time I’ve been there, there’s a line out the door.) Thankfully, the Cinnamon king cake did not disappoint. It runs through a very moist braided cake, which is topped by colored sugar, lots of gooey icing and purple, green and yellow sprinkles. Their philosophy seems to be ‘more is more’, so if you live by that credo as well, treat yourself to this one. And if you’re willing to pay the price, you’re in luck, because you can order online and get the traditional Cinnamon version or their Cream Cheese version shipped anywhere in the US.

Dong Phuong

A French Vietnamese bakery at the eastern edge of the city, in the New Orleans East neighborhood, Dong Phuong is a hike for those who live closer into town. But now you can get a Dong Phuong King Cake without making the trip, as they’ve partnered with local retailers across town (details are here). Featuring a horseshoe shape and a delicious brioche dough that’s rolled in shortening to create layers, the Dong Phuong king cake tastes like a flaky croissant with cinnamon threaded through it. Slathered with cream cheese icing and a sprinkling of house-colored sugars, its beautiful golden brown edges will make you want to dig in. Don’t miss this one.

Hi-Do

Another Vietnamese bakery called Hi-Do, located in Gretna on the West Bank of New Orleans, makes a traditional brioche king cake with a sugar glaze (no icing) and house-colored sugars. It’s available plain or with your choice of a long list of fillings. But because the woman at the register told me that the half cream cheese/half Bavarian cream combo is their best seller, that’s what I chose. Developed by the bakery’s owner in order to emulate McKenzie’s original recipe, their recipe has McKenzie’s beat with a richer, more tender crumb. So yes, it’s worth the trip across the Mississippi River bridge. And if you order ahead, you can choose from an array of cake shapes like a crawfish, crab, or fleur de lis. Be forewarned – they take cash or checks only.

Gracious Bakery

An artisanal bakery making a national name for itself in magazines like Travel and Leisure and Food and Wine, Gracious offers a chocolate-filled king cake made with a sweet dough that’s glazed and sprinkled with purple, green and gold decorative sugar. And you can tell from the taste that the chocolate is the high quality stuff. This one is deliciously light and flaky, through and through – and quite pretty, too. It’s pricier than the average king cake, but considering the flavor and texture, many will believe it’s worth it. The conclusion? It’s a real winner. It’s worth noting that in addition to the chocolate-filled king cake, Gracious now offers a daintier “queen” cake flavored with almond paste, plus occasional one-off flavors for limited time periods. Order online, and get the chocolate-filled version shipped anywhere in the US.

Do you have a favorite king cake? Tell us – we want to know!

Written by Julie K. – food lover, proud New Orleanian and creator of the donut day blog

Our quarterly subscription boxes offer all the ingredients for authentic Louisiana cooking, delivered to your doorstep. The contents of each box are a surprise, but you can count on 5-10 favorites that include signature & heirloom beans, delicious seasonings, ingredients, tools for the kitchen, and more. Plus, you’ll get exclusive items that will inspire and delight. Find out more, and get cookin’.

Spicy 3-Bean Chili (Stovetop and Instant Pot recipes)

Ingredients:

• 6 -7 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
• 1 chili seasoning packet (included in the box)
• 1 bag Camellia Brand Spicy 3-Bean Chili mix, rinsed and sorted (included in the box)
• 1 ½ pounds cooked ground beef or other ground protein, optional
• 1 can diced tomatoes, optional (If using, reduce broth by 1 cup.)
• Optional toppings: shredded cheese, diced avocado, minced red onion, sour cream, and chopped fresh cilantro

Stovetop Directions:

1. Add broth, seasoning packet, and 3-Bean Chili Mix to a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir well, and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 4-5 hours, until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Add more broth as necessary.
3. Optional: add cooked ground beef or other ground protein 30 minutes before end of cooking time.
4. Serve with assorted toppings, if desired.

Instant Pot Directions:

1. Add broth, seasoning packet, and 3-Bean Chili Mix to the Instant-Pot. Stir well.
2. Optional: add cooked ground beef or other ground protein to the Instant Pot.
3. Select Bean/Chili setting.
4. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes.
5. Serve with assorted toppings, if desired.

See nutritional information for the 3-Bean Chili Mix and the chili seasoning packet.

Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts of water or broth (vegetable or chicken)
• 1 lentil soup seasoning packet (included in the box)
• 1 pound Camellia Brand Lentils, rinsed and sorted (included in the box)

Directions:

1. To a large heavy pot, add water or broth, contents of seasoning packet, and lentils.
2. Stir well, and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Optional:

• Make it meaty. Sauté 1 lb. sliced, smoked sausage in olive oil before adding all other ingredients.
• Keep it veggie (or vegan). Sauté 1 cup carrots, 1 cup celery, and 1 cup onion in olive oil before adding all other ingredients.

See nutritional information for the lentil soup seasoning packet.

Pantry Red Beans & Rice

This simplified recipe makes tasty red beans by relying solely on pantry staples and spices, and it comes together quickly in the Instant Pot.

Dump & Go: Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice

This recipe lets your slow cooker do the work, with no hands-on attention required and no soaking. Just dump everything in, set it, and forget it.

Easy Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice

Yes, you can sauté the trinity in oil first before adding the rest of the ingredients, but you can also just dump everything in and cook on high pressure.

Instant Pot New Orleans-Style Red Beans & Rice

Fast, easy, and delicious in every way — this Instant Pot recipe deserves to be made year round.

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

With this versatile recipe, some steps can be made ahead or skipped altogether. It’s a great slow cooker recipe to keep in your back pocket.

Stovetop Creole Red Beans

Our Red Bean Flavor Infusion is a tried-and-true blend of authentic Creole spices and vegetables, and it’s a great way to quickly and easily season a pot red beans to perfection.

Get ready for a week’s worth of delicious meals full of versatile, plant-based protein. With great make-ahead bean recipes and so many ways to serve them, you’ll fill your fridge and satisfy your family – whether they’re hungry for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Below, find our make-ahead favorites – cooked on the stovetop and in the Instant Pot – plus lots of tips and recipes that use those beans in everything from snacks and dips to tacos, pastas, salads, and sandwiches. Read on for a nutritious taste of what’s on the menu.

Easy Make-Ahead Pinto Beans

This is an easy stovetop pinto bean recipe that yields 5 cups of perfectly cooked beans. Toss some of those cooked pintos into hearty Bean & Bacon Breakfast Tacos with scrambled eggs and shredded cheese, and start your day off right. 

Bean & Bacon Breakfast Tacos

Want lots more ways to use those savory pintos? Find out how to turn 1 pot of pintos into 5 meals. 

Instant Pot Black Beans

This recipe is super fast and cooks a pot of beans with no hands-on attention required. Take 1 ½ cups of the cooked black beans, and whip up a Black Bean Quinoa Salad with corn, red bell pepper, and spices for a tasty, protein-packed lunch.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Still hungry? Check out Easy Instant Pot Black Beans = 3 Delicious Dishes for more ways to use them.

Instant Pot White Beans

This basic recipe is perfect for flavorful beans that can be used in many different ways. One of our favorites is White Bean Hummus – cool and creamy, with a slight green tint from the addition of fresh parsley and green onions. Enjoy it as an anytime, healthy snack.

White Bean Hummus

Put all those white beans to good use. Check out how to turn 1 pot of white beans into 5 dishes.

Why not get creative with your make-ahead beans? With more tasty recipes like Easy Refried Beans, Black Bean-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, White Bean Pesto Pasta, and Tuna White Bean Salad, the possibilities are endless.

Lima Beans with Shrimp & Andouille

Three southern staples star in this often-asked-for, easy-to-make dish. Cooked low and slow on the stovetop, it’ll make the whole house smell amazing.

Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Ham Hock and Sausage

An easy Instant Pot recipe perfect for a hectic Monday, this dish offers up delicious red beans in about an hour.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Red Beans

Like to throw everything in the slow cooker and let it do its magic? Next time you need to feed a crowd, this vegetarian recipe’s for you.

Bourbon-Bacon Field Peas with Collards

Creamy and decadent, these field peas cooked with bourbon and bacon are excellent alongside your favorite fried chicken.

Instant Pot Lima Beans & Greens Soup

Versatile and customizable, this homey beans & greens soup will make you feel all warm and cozy.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Refried Bean Dip

A gameday essential, this refried bean dip delivers a win every time.

Pinto Beans & Ham Hocks

A cookbook favorite from our friend Chef Jennifer Hill Booker, this recipe guarantees a thick, rich pot of pintos.

Slow Cooker White Bean & Chicken Chili

An extra step in this slow cooker recipe makes all the creamy difference. Try it, and you’ll agree.

Jalapeño Pepper Jelly Baked Beans

Mmm. Bacon, barbecue sauce, and a whole jar jalapeño pepper jelly make this one of the most flavorful baked bean dishes we’ve ever tasted.

Cowboy Caviar with Blackeye Peas

A perfect side dish or party dip, Cowboy Caviar is beloved by all.

Ready to start your good-luck meal? Find Camellia Blackeye Peas in a store near you—or shop online.

Simple Slow Cooker Blackeye Peas

A classic dump & go recipe for the slow cooker, no hands-on attention is required for this simple favorite. The deep flavors come together all by themselves.

The Best Meatless Blackeye Peas

Hearty, healthy, and full of nuanced flavor from a variety of veggies, seasonings, and spices, these vegetarian blackeye peas benefit from a final addition of balsamic vinegar.

Garlicky Shrimp and Blackeye Peas

This dish is perfect for celebrations and get-togethers, especially New Year’s. Putting two Southern favorites together in one dish — blackeye peas and Gulf shrimp — makes for a wonderful combination that everyone loves.

Blackeye Peas & Sausage

This easy, make-ahead recipe includes directions for prepping and freezing the ingredients beforehand. When ready to use, simply dump the ingredients into a slow cooker along with blackeye peas, water, and broth, and cook for 5-6 hours till tender and delicious.

Potlikker Greens with Blackeye Peas

Potlikker is the tasty, nutritious broth left behind after simmering a pot of collard, turnip, or mustard greens. And both the broth and the greens are particularly delicious when combined with blackeye peas. Get your full-on combo for good luck in the new year with this traditional southern staple.

Hoppin’ John

A lowcountry classic, Hoppin’ John is one of the simplest and most humble of the region’s favorite dishes. This version, made with blackeye peas, ham hocks, onion, rice and seasonings, is southern comfort food at its finest.

Old-Fashioned Chili

A traditional chili that will soon be on your most-requested list. Featuring ground beef, fire-roasted tomatoes, our signature Red Kidney Beans, and an array of spices and seasonings, it’s got all the makings of a family favorite.

Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Ham Hock and Sausage

An easy Instant Pot recipe with so much meaty goodness, this dish is perfect for Mondays, Gamedays and more.

Southern-Style Vegetarian Blackeye Peas

Cooked with white wine, vegetable stock, and fresh herbs, these vegetarian blackeye peas will win rave reviews. Topped off with apple cider vinegar and served with collard greens, they’ve got great downhome flavor.

Pinto Bean and Kale Enchiladas with Spicy Tomatillo Salsa

These savory, cheesy enchiladas are worth every bit of effort that goes into making them. You can make the spicy tomatillo sauce and the pinto bean filling ahead of time, then assemble all and bake the enchiladas the day you want to enjoy them.

Jalapeño Pepper Jelly Baked Beans

BBQ baked beans like these are always welcome alongside your best burgers, hot dogs, and chicken. The addition of a jar of jalapeño peppery jelly is both ingenious and delicious.

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili

The perfect post-Thanksgiving chili, this slow cooker favorite features Black Beans, cubed, cooked turkey, and pumpkin puree (which adds surprisingly creamy, savory flavor). It’s a cinch to throw together, too.

Kid-Friendly Instant Pot Pasta Fagioli

Great for chilly nights, this stick-to-your-ribs staple includes great northern beans, red kidneys, and Dagostino Fleur de Lis Shaped Pasta. Just add a salad and your favorite crusty bread for a complete meal.

Every holiday gathering is a chance to celebrate family, traditions, and the love that brings us together. This collection of flavorful, homemade sides is sure to bring back memories, offer up something new, and please all who are seated ’round the table. Whether you’re serving up requested favorites, or preparing classic recipes with a modern twist, planning and cooking for the holidays is a gift to treasure.

Bourbon-Bacon Field Peas with Collards

Featuring the combo of a favorite spirit and a beloved salt-cured meat, this decadent, downhome side will complement any main dish — from turkey to roast to ham.

Simple Southern Lima Beans

Buttery goodness at its best, Simple Southern Lima Beans bring comfort food to the holidays.

Cranberry Barbecue Beans

Sweet, savory, and bursting with cranberries, these barbecue beans are begging to be served alongside your holiday ham.

Creamy Green Baby Lima Bean and Shrimp Casserole

Right out of the oven, this browned, bubbly casserole makes a delicious addition to any holiday table.

Warm Wild Green Salad with Pecan Dressing

Made with your choice of turnip greens, mustard greens, collards or kale, this salad features a crunchy, sweet, and tangy dressing.

Southern Blackeye Peas

Add a Southern accent to your holiday menu with these savory blackeye peas.

Red Beans and Rice Boudin Balls with Dipping Sauce

With lots of Cajun and Creole flavor wrapped up in one amazing appetizer, boudin balls are a great starter for any festive holiday meal.

Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Ham Hock and Sausage

A new Instant Pot recipe from our friends at Taste of the South, this hearty Monday meal made with smoked ham hocks and sausage is sure to start the week off right.

Southern-Style Vegetarian Blackeye Peas

These vegetarian Blackeye Peas are simple to make in the Instant Pot but full of complex flavor! Serve with collard greens, and you’ve got a great meal that’ll please even the pickiest one in your bunch.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

A slow cooker chili that does all the work for you, this dish offers up lots of healthy plant-based protein with very little effort.

Senate Bean Soup

When there’s a chill in the air, and it’s starting to feels like fall, pull out the pressure cooker and whip up this easy soup made with Lady Cream Peas and ham hocks. Mmm. (Feel free to sub Navy beans, if you prefer.)

The post No-Brainers: Busy Weeknight Favorites first appeared on Camellia Brand.]]> https://www.camelliabrand.com/no-brainers-back-to-school-bean-favorites/feed/ 0 https://www.camelliabrand.com/three-cheers-for-the-best-gameday-chili-recipes/ https://www.camelliabrand.com/three-cheers-for-the-best-gameday-chili-recipes/#respond Mon, 16 Aug 2021 17:04:17 +0000 https://www.camelliabrand.com/?p=42489 Nothing beats a big pot of chili on the menu for gameday gatherings and football-watching, and these tasty recipes offer read more ...

Nothing beats a big pot of chili on the menu for gameday gatherings and football-watching, and these tasty recipes offer something for everyone. Hearty and delicious, chili is one of those versatile, customizable dishes that can be tailored to your krewe’s tastes and made just the way you like it – whether that’s slowly simmering on the stovetop, thrown into a set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker, or cooked quickly in an Instant Pot. Plus, everyone can serve themselves a big bowl, add their favorite toppings, and go back for seconds! We’d say that’s a win-win for the cook and the fans.

Check out these favorite gameday chili recipes:

Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili

This recipe’s easy to customize using ground beef, turkey or chicken. Pro tip: Quick soaking the pinto beans means your chili will cook faster, and the beans will be more uniformly tender.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

From Taste of the South magazine, this easy slow cooker recipe highlights a great combo of vegetarian flavors and spices, including smoky chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and Hatch green chiles.

Creole-Style Pork and Red Bean Chili

Featuring spicy pork sausage (with the optional addition of pork tenderloin, for a milder flavor), this recipe is little more time-intensive but totally worth the wait! It’s the perfect chili for Louisiana football fans.

Old Fashioned Chili with Beans

Made with ground beef, our signature red kidney beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a slew of spices, this classic chili recipe will soon become a new favorite.

Slow Cooker White Bean & Chicken Chili

Versatile, creamy, and perfectly seasoned, you’ll love this chili for its big flavor. Throw it in the slow cooker, or make the stovetop version – whatever works best for you.

The post Three Cheers for the Best Gameday Chili Recipes first appeared on Camellia Brand.]]>

Our quarterly subscription boxes deliver the joy of authentic Louisiana cooking, right to your door. And while the goodies in each box are a surprise, you can look forward to 5-10 favorites that include signature & heirloom beans, delicious seasonings, ingredients, tools for the kitchen, and everything in between. Plus, you’ll find some exclusive, handpicked items that are sure to delight. Find out more, and get cookin’.

Bean Quinoa Salad

Light, fresh, and protein-packed, this Quinoa Salad is delicious and makes a great weekday lunch or side dish. Swap out Black Beans for the Small Red Beans in this summer’s subscription box. Smaller and darker in color than our Red Kidney Beans, the colorful, diminutive red beans possess a rich, nutty flavor. Side note: We love our Small Red Beans in this creamy Avocado Bean Salad from Gimme Delicious.

Another item you’ll find is Dagostino extra virgin olive oil. (Be sure to use it in the quinoa salad dressing!) It’s first press cold-extracted from the best Sicilian olives, golden yellow in color, and carries the scent of fresh olives — offering a fruity flavor with an almond aftertaste.

Lil’ Auntie’s Lady Cream Peas

In this recipe, Lady Cream Peas (another item in the box) are slowly simmered with butter or your favorite seasoning meat. They feature a sweet flavor and creamy texture and pair perfectly with a side of cornbread and smothered okra.

Elizabeth’s Perfectly Pink Beans

Don’t miss our Pink Beans + a special BBQ seasoning packet for making BBQ baked beans! For similar flavor, try Elizabeth’s Perfectly Pink Beans, slowly simmered with salt pork or a ham hock, chili powder, dry mustard, molasses and onion. Both dishes are delicious alongside the smoky grilled meats of summer.

Whether you’re vegan or vegetarian, or simply interested in adding more meatless bean recipes to your regular rotation, you’ll want to stash these delicious dishes in your back pocket. From versatile basics and hearty soups to bean salads, dips, and a red beans & rice favorite — these recipes offer up a lot of flavorful bean goodness without the meat.

Instant Pot White Beans

This foolproof Instant Pot recipe is perfect for flavorful beans that can be enjoyed as is, or used in dishes like White Bean Hummus, White Bean Pesto Pasta, and White Bean Veggie Burgers.

Cajun Caviar

Serve with chips as a dip, over greens as a salad, or wrapped up in a tortilla for quick lunch. Works well with any combo of Camellia Brand beans and peas you like.

White Bean & Spinach Soup

Fresh sprigs of thyme and rosemary make this soup fragrant, while wilted leafy greens add a pop of color. Warm and satisfying!

Hummus

A classic recipe for traditional hummus, made with fresh lemon juice and tahini. Because homemade is always better than store-bought, and saves money, too.

Vegetarian Louisiana-Style Red Beans & Rice

Liquid smoke adds wonderful savory flavor to meatless red beans & rice. Remember, a little goes a long way!

Blackeye Pea Salad

A delicious recipe from our friend, Chef Jennifer Hill Booker, this dish comes to life with a tangy apple cider vinaigrette and red pepper flakes.

Beans & Greens Soup

We say any beans & greens mixture is a match made in heaven, and this soup is no exception. This brilliant “master” recipe is meant to be personalized to your tastes.

Instant Pot Black Beans

This versatile recipe makes flavorful beans that can be served over rice with your favorite toppings — or used in other vegetarian dishes like Black Bean Quinoa Salad, Black Bean Hummus, and Black Bean Burgers.

Vegetarian Pinto Bean Chili

One of the easiest chili recipes around, this one comes together quickly and will stick to your ribs.

Flourless Black Bean Brownies

A vegetarian treat that’s rich, fudgy, and yep, features black beans.

With so many meatless recipes and seafood dishes to choose from, eating creatively during Lent is delicious and oh so easy to do. Check out some of our favorite hearty meals here, and enjoy incredibly satisfying flavor (and protein) without the meat.

The Best Meatless Black Eyed Peas & Rice

Hearty, healthy, and Lent-ready, this vegetarian version fits the bill.

Chipotle Pinto Bean Tortilla Soup

Gluten-free, vegetarian and quick to make. Serve with tasty, colorful toppings like cilantro, red onion, avocado, cheese and tortilla strips.

White Bean Pesto Pasta

This 4-ingredient wonder made with store-bought pesto tosses together quickly and makes a great weeknight meal.

Golden Sautéed Catfish

Deliciously easy (and healthy) when paired with our Crowder Peas and Okra.

Vegetarian Black Bean & Rice Casserole

A hearty casserole that’s creamy and flavorful — perfect by itself, as a filling for tacos, or alongside seafood!

Lima Bean Curry

Mmmm. Ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, turmeric, chili powder, and coriander add bold flavor to this meatless lima bean favorite.

Vegetarian Louisiana-Style Red Beans & Rice

Second helping, anyone? The secret ingredient to this version of our beloved classic is liquid smoke seasoning.

White Bean & Spinach Soup

Warm and satisfying, this soup gets its bright flavor and color from fresh spinach, lemon juice and red pepper flakes.

Tuna White Bean Salad

Make a batch of Instant Pot White Beans, and then use some in this yummy tuna white bean salad. A great go-to for healthy lunches.

White Bean Hummus

A tasty, healthy snack for dipping veggies or spreading on crackers. Making your own hummus is a money-saver, too.

Instant Pot Black Beans

The quickest, easiest way we know to cook a whole lotta black beans that you can then use in delicious dishes all week long.

Black Bean-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

If you’ve never considered or tasted the combo of black beans & sweet potatoes, you’re in for a treat. Especially when they’re loaded up with Greek yogurt, cilantro, and avocado.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Red Beans

You can have your Mondays and eat them, too. We promise you won’t miss the meat in these simple, creamy red beans.

Vegetarian Lima Beans with Mushrooms

The secret to this dish’s amazing umami flavor is dried mushrooms.

Chipotle Pinto Bean Tortilla Soup

Make a big pot of this hearty soup, and then reheat during the week for quick and satisfying lunches.

Cowboy Caviar with Blackeye Peas

This beloved blackeye pea dish is easy to throw together and soaks up great flavor from a red wine vinegar & olive oil dressing. It’s addictive!

It’s the perfect time to cozy up with delicious bean soups, stews and more, so check out these easy to follow, foolproof recipe videos for fall dishes your family will love. From stovetop and slow cooker recipes to Instant Pot favorites, there’s something for everyone to dig into.

White Bean and Spinach Soup

A vegetarian soup that’s hearty and satisfying, this stovetop recipe gets big flavor from Great Northern beans, red pepper flakes, fresh rosemary and lemon juice.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Red Beans

A set-it-and-forget-it version to keep at the ready, these Red beans practically make themselves. Nothing could be easier or less stressful on a Monday.

Bourbon-Bacon Field Peas with Collards

Bourbon and bacon — with these two awesome ingredients, what’s not to love? Field peas have never tasted so good.

Instant Pot Pinto Beans & Ham Hocks

A dish that’s savory and satisfying, a ham hock’s marrow-rich flavor is the key to this winning recipe.

Camellia’s Famous New Orleans-Style White Beans & Shrimp

White beans and shrimp are a classic combination, and this recipe is one of New Orleans’ finest.

Cafe Reconcile’s White Beans & Shrimp

Festival season is upon us in Louisiana and that means creamy White Beans and Shrimp are on the menu. Cafe Reconcile’s take on it is one of our favorites.

Creole Shrimp & Red Bean Tacos

Shrimp covered in Creole seasoning, seared in a hot skillet, and served with a bit of Fresh Mex creates this a flavorful taco feast. Make with Camellia Brand Red Kidney Beans cooked in advance, and the dish comes together quickly, too.

Garlicky Shrimp & Blackeye Peas

Throughout the South, blackeye peas are popular New Year’s fare for the promise of luck and money (and because they taste so good). Good luck can grace your table all year long with this recipe.

Shrimp & Black Bean Skillet Casserole

Use make-ahead black beans, or Instant Pot Black Beans and prep your ingredients ahead of time for a one-pot, easy weeknight meal. The combination of shrimp, lime juice, cilantro, and green onions pairs perfectly with black beans and Jasmine rice, and this dish works well served hot or at room-temperature.

Camellia’s Shrimp, Andouille and White Bean Cassoulet

A labor of love, white bean cassoulet is a decadent and delicious way to savor the flavors of Louisiana and is topped off with shrimp.

Garbanzo Summer Salad with Feta and Shrimp

Fresh, colorful, and full of flavor, this hearty summer salad offers up the best of what’s in season.

Lima Beans with Shrimp and Andouille

A delicious and creamy dish, this Large Lima bean recipe comes to life when fresh shrimp are added near the end of cooking.

Grilled Corn, Shrimp and Pink Bean Salad

A perfect summer dish featuring seasonal ingredients, this pink bean salad hits the spot when you’re craving something light and flavorful.

Slow Cooker Chartres Cajun White Bean and Sausage Soup

Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice

Instant Pot New Orleans-Style Red Beans & Rice

Slow Cooker Royal Street Red Beans

Instant Pot Pinto Beans & Ham Hocks

Treat yourself like Mardi Gras royalty, and indulge in the most delicious dishes of the season. We believe in celebrating carnival by cooking up a storm, taste-testing as many different king cakes as you can, and decorating your house in purple, green, and gold! To get in the spirit, check out some of our favorite recipes.

Jay Ducote’s Red Beans & Rice Balls

Jay Ducote’s Red Beans & Rice Balls offer up a fresh, new twist on red beans & rice. In this recipe, Jay’s inventive take on the classic (made with our signature Red Kidney Beans) is served with BBQ Aioli and Pickled Red Onions. These beauties will disappear as fast as you can make them. A food blogger, radio host, chef, and culinary personality, Jay knows his Louisiana cooking, and this amazing recipe doesn’t disappoint.

Smoky Bloody Mary

A good Bloody Mary with all the fixins’ is a must for any self-respecting Mardi Gras reveler, and this recipe gets it right. Featuring building blocks like vodka, tomato juice, celery salt, Worcestershire, and horseradish — plus savory, smoky accents provided by a few dashes of Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce and a rim of smoked paprika and kosher salt — this Smoky Bloody Mary will get the party started. Garnished with celery, bacon, pickled okra, cornichons and olives, it’s like a meal in a cup!

Cajun Caviar

This Cajun Caviar from Louisiana Cookin’ is a healthy, lightened dip that combines cooked Green Baby Lima Beans, Crowder Peas and Lady Cream Peas — along with tomatoes, peppers, red onion, corn and cilantro — in a white wine vinegar and lime juice dressing. Great when served with tortilla or corn chips, it’s a versatile recipe that’s easy to change based on your tastes. You can use different beans and peas, add avocado, or spice it up with hot sauce. Any which way you tweak it, it’s sure to get gobbled up.

Curt Guillory’s Cajun Hummus

Curt Guillory’s Cajun Hummus uses our Red Kidney Beans in place of the traditional Garbanzo Beans — but that’s not what makes this hummus Cajun. True Louisiana flavors are what do the trick. Instead of traditional tahini paste, the recipe uses pecan butter, the red beans are cooked with onions and garlic, and cubed tasso gets stirred in to the final dip along with sliced green onions. Serve with fried pork rinds for even more Cajun flavor! Give it a try, and you won’t be sorry.

Skinny Red Bean Dip

Skinny Red Bean Dip is a quick and easy appetizer that also uses our Red Kidney Beans in an unexpected way. Cooked, tender red beans are processed till smooth along with salsa, light cream cheese, and reduced fat cheddar cheese. Serve it up with crackers or chips, and make everyone happy.

Slow Cooker Cajun White Bean and Sausage Soup

Nothing lets you get on with the business of having a good time like a hearty, flavorful one-pot wonder – full of creamy Camellia beans. So easy and delicious, this Cajun White Bean and Sausage Soup checks all the boxes. Follow it up with a big slice of king cake, and you’ll be in Mardi Gras heaven.

New Orleans-Style Red Beans & Rice

The quintessential dish for celebrating Mardi Gras is our classic New Orleans-Style Red Beans & Rice, of course. It just doesn’t get any better than this! Let its slow-simmering goodness usher in the spirit of carnival you’re craving.

Still hungry? Get more Mardi Gras food, fun and festivities.

How to Make Red Beans & Rice to Feed 50

Serving up red beans and rice is a beloved Monday tradition, but it’s also a great way to feed a crowd at an outdoor Mardi Gras party. Whether you live on or near a parade route — or just love to celebrate Carnival wherever you are — big pot cooking in your backyard is the best way to whip up a large batch of red beans & rice that’ll feed a ton of hungry people.

Believe it or not, you use the same ingredients you regularly use, just in larger quantities and in a bigger cooking vessel. You’ll need a 50-qt. (or larger) seafood boil pot, a burner, propane and a wooden paddle. Plus a few hours to add the ingredients, bring it all to a boil, and simmer till tender. With a keg nearby and the sound of marching bands in the distance, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon during Mardi Gras season.

The key to successful outdoor cooking is all in the preparation. Soaking 8 pounds of red beans is no small thing, so find the biggest food-safe containers you have, or invest in a large plastic bucket (easily found at restaurant supply or home improvement stores) that the entire batch can fit in.

The night before, in addition to soaking the red beans, dice the vegetables, mince the garlic and slice the Andouille sausage. To make the cooking process easier, store everything in containers so they’re ready to go.

You’ll also want to render the bacon fat the night before, by cooking a 1/2 pound of bacon in a skillet. (Cooking bacon slowly over low heat will provide you with a higher yield of bacon fat.) Remove bacon from skillet, carefully pour the bacon grease into a non-plastic jar, and store in the fridge. It will solidify overnight, making it easy to scoop out the next day and add to the pot.

First, the sausage is browned in bacon fat, and then the vegetables get added.

Freshly minced garlic. Mmmm.

Two gallons of water and soaked red beans are added to the pot, along with seasonings.

Raising the heat to medium-high allows the pot to come to a boil. (This could take 30 minutes or so, depending on the heat conductivity of your pot.)

Once the beans come to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for 2 hours or until the red beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Smash some against the side of the pot for added creaminess.

Hanging out with friends and family on a parade-filled afternoon is a quintessential New Orleans experience. And by adding a big pot of creamy red beans and hot cooked rice to the celebration, you’ll keep ’em coming back for more.

It’s exactly the kind of popular, hearty dish that keeps a Mardi Gras party going, providing sustenance for a hard day’s work of catching beads and drinking beer.

Be sure to round out your party spread with bowls of chips, a couple of boxes of your favorite store-bought fried chicken, and a big, ooey gooey king cake. Now, that’s a Mardi Gras party!

RED BEANS AND RICE FOR 50

• 8 lbs. Camellia Brand Red Kidney Beans
• 1/4 cup bacon fat
• 5 lbs. Andouille sausage, sliced into 1-inch discs
• 6 yellow onions, diced
• 4 green bell peppers, diced
• 6 stalks of celery, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 (1-ounce) container white pepper
• 1 (.7-ounce) container dried thyme
• 2 bunches green onions, chopped
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 2 gallons of water
• hot sauce, salt and pepper and hot cooked white rice (see rice recipe below)

Soak the red beans overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the beans thoroughly.

Put a 50-qt. seafood boil pot (without the steamer basket) on the burner, and use propane to bring it to medium heat. Add the bacon fat. Once the bacon fat is melted, add the 5 pounds of sausage to the pot and brown.

Once the sausage has started to brown, add the onions, green bell peppers, celery and garlic, and keep stirring with the wooden paddle until the onions are tender and translucent. Carefully add the 2 gallons of water to the pot along with the red beans, bay leaves, white pepper and dried thyme. Raise the heat to medium-high, allowing the pot to come to a boil. (This could take 30 minutes or so, depending on the heat conductivity of your pot.)

Once the red beans are at a boil, reduce heat and cover; simmer on low for 2 hours or until the red beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Once the beans are tender, smash some against the side of the pot for added creaminess. Remove bay leaves.

Before serving, stir in the chopped green onions and fresh parsley.

PRO TIP: When cooking in a big pot over a centered, narrow heating element, you need a utensil with a flat head (like a wooden paddle) that lets you scrape the bottom of the pot as you cook, so that it doesn’t burn. If the sausage and vegetables start to stick while cooking, add more bacon fat or a few glugs of olive oil.

PRO TIP:  If there’s too much liquid in the pot, raise the heat back up to a rolling boil to burn off some of the liquid. After letting the pot boil for 10-15 minutes, reduce heat, and let simmer for 20 minutes.

PRO TIP: To make it a memorable Mardi Gras experience, add a bottle of beer to the pot when you add the red beans.  The yeast in the beer will help thicken the pot and give the beans a unique flavor.

Serves up to 50 people.

PARTY RICE

• 15 cups of white rice, divided
• 30 cups of hot water, divided
• 8 tsp salt, divided
• 1/4 cup butter, divided
• 2 (9×13) aluminum pans
• aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour half of the hot water into each of the two 9×13 aluminum pans along with half of the rice, salt and butter. Tightly wrap each aluminum pan with the aluminum foil.

Place both pans in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove and let rice sit for at least 10 minutes, untouched before checking. Fluff rice with a fork. Reseal with aluminum foil and bring outside to serve with cooked red beans.

PRO TIP: Give yourself about an hour to prepare and cook the rice. Bring outside to serve with the red beans.

Recipes by Eric Olsson

Festive Mardi Gras Party Foods: Red Beans, Jambalaya, Fried Chicken, Po-Boys and King Cake

Mardi Gras parties in and around New Orleans range from the truly basic (i.e., a box of fried chicken and a six-pack) to the very elaborate (catered affairs with hot cocktail buffets, open bars, and customized go-cups), with no one way to do it up right. But those who live on or near a parade route — as well as those who love to celebrate Carnival wherever they are — tend to have their preferred party hosting plan down to a science, since they usually make an annual event out of it.

Whether you’re in New Orleans or just wish you were, throwing a Mardi Gras party is all about fun food that’s simple to make and easy to serve. It takes a little planning, but the key is to create a help-yourself spread that doesn’t require much fuss and lets guests come and go, grazing as they like and coming back for seconds and thirds. With the menu below, you’ve got all your bases covered. In fact, the only things you have to cook are the red beans and the jambalaya – and even those pretty much cook themselves in the slow cooker.

Red Beans and Rice Is Nice – Especially When Made in Your Slow Cooker

A staple of any Mardi Gras menu is Red Beans and Rice. Whether you prefer to use our signature Camellia Red Kidney Beans, or our foolproof, flavorful Creole Red Bean Seasoning and its accompanying Slow Cooker Creole Red Beans recipe – the key is to keep things effortless. And since you don’t have to watch the stove, you can enjoy the festivities just like your guests. After your red beans have cooked, simply turn the slow cooker setting down to warm, and the beans can stay right where they are for another couple of hours – getting thicker and creamier all the while. You can also cook your rice ahead of time and place it in a large serving bowl. Guests can add a little rice to a bowl, ladle the warm red beans on top, and enjoy.

Fried Chicken Is a Perfect Choice

An essential for any Mardi Gras party spread is fried chicken. Because it can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature, it’s a great dish for a casual party buffet – and it’s finger food at its finest. Simply pick up a box or two of your favorite fried chicken, serve on a platter, and make sure there are plenty of napkins at the ready.

Petite Po-boys Round Out the Buffet

Mini po-boys made with tender roast beef, turkey, and ham, dressed with mayo, lettuce, and cheese on French bread are another must-have for your party spread. A Mardi Gras favorite, they’re easy to order and to pick up from any New Orleans grocery store, and they’re just the kind of thing that appeals to kids and adults alike. Can’t find ‘em where you are? As long as you can get your hands on some good French bread, they’re easy to make yourself. Just as popular and sure to get eaten quickly are an assortment of finger sandwiches or mini muffalettas made with olive salad, mozzarella, ham, and provolone.

Crown Your Party Table With a King Cake

Add to your table a large and generously sliced king cake, and you’ve got all the party foods covered. (Good thing you can order king cakes online, if you’re not in NOLA.) Be sure to add finger foods along with your favorite chips and salsas, and stock a self-serve bar with soft drinks, Bloody Marys, plenty of cold beer, go-cups, and napkins. And with that, the party can get started.

Mardi Gras Party Checklist

• Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

• Slow Cooker Jambalaya

• Fried Chicken
• Mini Po-boy Sandwiches
• King Cake
• Chips, Salsas and Finger Foods
• Soft Drinks
• Beer and Bloody Marys
• Go-Cups
• Napkins

The Secret History of Beans in King Cakes

Though a favorite part of current Mardi Gras celebrations, the custom of the “lucky” recipient of the hidden baby being responsible for providing the next king cake is a modern one. In pagan times, the return of the sun during the winter solstice was celebrated with festivities during which any man could become the “sacred king” of a tribe for the year if he found the bean in his slice of cake during the celebration. The bean was representative of new beginnings because the bean plant is usually the first to emerge from the earth after winter. After a year of the good life, the “king” would be sacrificed, and his blood returned to the soil to ensure that the harvest would be successful.

As was often the case following the Crusades, old pagan rituals were imprinted with new Christian meanings, and the celebration of the soon-to-arrive spring morphed into a celebration of the feast of Epiphany on January 6, when the three kings (la fete des rois) visited the Christ child. Though the meaning had changed the tradition remained: Flaky cake layered with almond paste was imbedded with a bean and topped with a gold paper crown. The recipient of the bean within his slice of cake became king -though now just for the day, and he wore the crown. He also got to live.

A New Orleans Twist on Tradition.

One of New Orleans’ oldest Carnival organizations, the Twelfth Night Revelers further evolved the tradition in 1870 when, instead of a simple red bean, they began inserting a gold painted bean into the cake they served to the young women of their “court” on the Feast of the Epiphany. The girl who got the gold bean reigned a queen for the season. This tradition continues today, though a wooden replica of a large cake is now employed. The maidens pull open little drawers in the cake’s lower layer which contain a number of sterling silver charms shaped like beans, and a single made of real gold. Choosing a silver bean makes you a member of the court; the maiden who finds the gold bean becomes the queen.

When the king cake ritual became fashionable in society circles, others adopted the tradition with their own king cake parties, often revolving around school and neighborhood groups. Many native New Orleanians grew up on king cake from McKenzie’s, the large local bakery chain that dominated all others until it closed in 2000. And though there are many stories about how the practice of using the familiar plastic babies came to be, Donald Entringer Sr. – the owner of McKenzie’s Pastry Shoppes – explains it thusly “We were the first to use the babies,” he said. “A salesman came in one day and said, ‘Look at this cute little thing. It won’t get lost like a bean.’ I’ve heard people say it’s supposed to represent the Christ Child, but that’s not true. It was cute. It was just a trinket that happened to be a baby.” Though ever evolving, the trinket in the king cake tradition is a beloved part of Carnival season and promises to be for many generations to come.

Whether you’re planning on hosting a holiday cocktail party, Secret Santa swap, neighborhood open house or just having friends over for a casual evening, these easy-to-make dips and snacks will create a delicious spread that’s festive, colorful and satisfying. From melty, cheesy Hot Spinach, Artichoke & White Bean Dip to cool and crunchy Tomato & White Bean Bruschetta, here are 5 great appetizers for any kind of holiday shindig! And the best part? They can all be made or prepped ahead of time, and then re-heated or assembled right before your guests arrive.

Hot Spinach, Artichoke & White Bean Dip

A new twist on the traditional spinach and artichoke dip, this delicious recipe is made even creamier and heartier with the addition of cooked Camellia Brand Navy (Pea) Beans or Great Northerns. A pinch of Creole seasoning and a few dashes of Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce give it a nice kick. It’s a real crowd-pleaser that’ll get eaten up in no time!

Tomato & White Bean Bruschetta

Cooked Camellia Brand Navy (Pea) Beans or Great Northerns make a wonderful base for this bruschetta when combined with grape or cherry tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh basil and garlic. A quick spread of goat cheese or cream cheese on toasted baguette slices topped with a dollop of the bean mixture makes for a flavorful and simple appetizer.

Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus

This beautifully-tinted, sweet and spicy hummus comes together by combining our classic Hummus recipe with baked sweet potato, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and a few shakes of Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce (or chipotle powder). Serve with fancy crackers and tortilla chips.

Black Bean Hummus

Our Black Bean Hummus swaps out the usual Garbanzos for Black Beans. Lime juice replaces lemon juice, and both cumin and smoked paprika add deep, smoky flavor. Don’t leave out the tahini — it has a delicate roasted flavor that adds richness and complexity. Plate it with loads of fresh chopped veggies and pita chips for a lovely presentation.

Skinny Red Bean Dip

Skinny Red Bean Dip is a quick and easy appetizer that uses Camellia Red Kidney Beans in an unexpected way. Cooked, tender red beans are blended till smooth with salsa, light cream cheese and reduced fat cheddar cheese. Let guests scoop it up with crackers or chips.

Detail of the “Beanmobile” being decorated by the Red Beans Krewe for their Lundi Gras parade.

Raised On Red Beans.

Louis Armstrong loved to eat almost as much as he loved to play. Born in New Orleans, it’s no surprise that his favorite dish was red beans and rice. So important was the iconic meal that he asked his future wife Lucille to prepare it for him before he would propose. Later in life, he would sign his letters “Red Beans and Ricely Yours”.

Image Courtesy of Louis Armstrong House Museum

Louis Armstrong’s Recipe for Creole Red Beans And Rice

POPS FAVORITE DISH

By – Louis and Lucille Armstrong

• (Use 2 qt. pot with cover)
• 1 lb. Kidney Beans
• 1/2 lb. Salt Pork (Strip of lean, strip of fat)
• (Slab Bacon may be used if preferred)
• 1 small can of tomato sauce (if desired)
• 6 small Ham Hocks or one smoked Pork Butt
• 2 onions diced
• 1/4 green (bell) pepper
• 5 tiny or 2 medium dried peppers
• 1 clove garlic – chopped
• Salt to taste

Preparation

Wash beans thoroughly, then soak overnight in cold water. Be sure to cover beans. To cook, pour water off beans, add fresh water to cover. Add salt pork or bacon, let come to a boil over full flame in covered pot. Turn flame down to slightly higher than low and let cook one and one-half hours. Add diced onions, bell pepper, garlic, dried peppers and salt. Cook three hours. Add tomato sauce, cook one and one-half hours more, adding water whenever necessary. Beans and meat should always be just covered with water (juice), never dry. This serves 6 or more persons…

To prepare with Ham Hocks or Pork Butts….. Wash meat, add water to cover and let come to a boil in covered pot over medium flame. Cook one and one-half hours. Then add beans (pour water off), add rest of ingredients to meat. Cook four and one-half hours. Add water when necessary.

Suggestions

For non pork eaters, chicken fat may be used instead of salt pork. Corned beef or beef tongue may be used instead of ham hocks or butts.

Rice

• 2 cups white rice
• 2 cups water
• One teaspoon of salt
• One pot with cover

Wash rice thoroughly, have water and salt come to a boil. Add rice to boiling water. Cook until rice swells and water is almost evaporated. Cover and turn flame down low. Cook until rice is grainy. To insure grainy rice, always use one and one-half cups water to one cup of rice…

Frijoles de la Olla

This recipe uses pinto beans, onion, garlic and sea salt to create a versatile base dish that can be enjoyed as is, or used to make Frijoles Charros. Serve it with corn tortillas or fresh bolillos (French bread) to scoop up and absorb the delicious bean broth.

Frijoles Charros

Great northern beans are slow cooked with onion, garlic, pickled jalapeños, hot dogs, chorizo, and bacon for great meaty flavor. This dish is often enjoyed alongside carne asada (grilled and sliced beef).

Frijoles Borrachos

A standard at family gatherings, picnics, and cookouts, Frijoles Borrachos relies on pinto beans, bacon, dark Mexican beer, and a Serrano pepper for its deep flavor.

Bean & Bacon Breakfast Tacos

Scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, tender pinto beans, shredded cheese and chopped avocado fill your choice of grilled flour or corn tortillas, and make a hearty breakfast, brunch, or brinner that’ll leave everyone begging for more.

Pinto Bean Burrito Bowl with Avocado Cilantro Dressing

A burrito bowl is a healthy option, featuring a variety of tastes and textures. And it comes together easily for a tasty, filling lunch or dinner, combining cooked beans with all kinds of colorful accompaniments. Try shredded lettuce or cabbage, chopped cooked chicken, tomatoes, corn, crumbled cheese and a fast & fresh avocado dressing.

Fresh Two-Bean Salsa

With both black and pinto beans, corn, vegetables, cilantro, and lime juice, this salsa can be thrown together easily. For best results, make it at least 12 hours before serving, allowing the flavors to meld in the fridge. Then serve with tortilla chips, as a taco filling, or as a cold or room-temperature topping for grilled fish or chicken.

Easy Refried Beans

Homemade refried beans aren’t actually fried at all, and are incredibly easy to make. This recipe is vegetarian, getting its creaminess from olive oil and veggie broth, and its great flavor from onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder and a few drops of liquid smoke. Top with chopped red onion, cilantro and a little shredded Cheddar, and serve with your favorite chips, or wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla.

Vegetarian Black Bean & Rice Casserole

This colorful, satisfying vegetarian casserole is excellent either on its own with a green salad, or as a side dish to grilled meat, chicken, or seafood. Featuring beans, corn, rice, diced green bell pepper, chopped red onion, cream cheese, and various seasonings, it also makes a great taco filling. Fill warmed tortillas with the mixture, and let everyone top their own tacos with shredded cabbage or lettuce, salsa, cheese, and sour cream.

Smoked Chicken & Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

This is the perfect make-ahead party dish. Faster and easier than rolling and stuffing individual enchiladas, it’s made by creating layers of a chicken and bean mixture, a sour cream and enchilada sauce mixture, corn tortillas, and cheese. Whether you’ve got a big family to feed, or you’re gearing up for a gathering with friends, this one’s a real crowd-pleaser.

A Modern Twist on a Beloved Tradition.

Here in New Orleans, many of us observe the weekly tradition of cooking red beans and rice on Mondays. The traditional method takes several hours to cook from scratch on the stovetop (assuming you’ve not soaked them… ).  Most of today’s modern, busy workers leave their homes early on weekday mornings making that four hour stovetop cook time pretty unrealistic. What to do? If you love red beans but haven’t the time to cook them, meet your new best friend: the slow cooker. With just a little ahead-of-time preparation, you can have red beans not long after you get home. How’s that for convenience?

Not only is the consumption of red beans a big deal here in New Orleans, but the ritual of preparation is also a time honored tradition. Slowly chopping the trinity can be the closest thing to a meditative experience as you’re likely to find in the kitchen. However, if you don’t have the time, several companies here in Southeast Louisiana figured that out – so you can now find pre-chopped trinity in most, if not all, grocery store refrigerated produce sections.  Today’s busy home cook doesn’t always have the time for a lot of prep-work, especially when it’s just as cost effective to use the pre-chopped version.

Advantages of Cooking Red Beans in a Slow Cooker Abound

Let’s loop back to the slow cooker. Clearly, advantages abound here. Not only are slow cookers convenient and easy to use, they’re also a major time-saving device. Plus they eliminate the need for soaking, especially when you’re cooking them low and slow, as does the recipe presented here. While you’re busy at work all day, the slow cooker is busy, too – it’s turning the red beans, smoked sausage, and trinity into a delicious meal for you. When you arrive home, your beans are ready. Simply throw on a pot of rice and slice a few green onions, and you’re all set! This is so easy that a child could do it. In fact, cooking red beans in the slow cooker is a great way for you and your kids to bond over meal preparation, and it also provides a convenient way for you to pass the red beans and rice tradition on to them. While cooking traditions persist, modern day time crunches call for modern day solutions. The slow cooker provides that answer.

Embracing slow cooking allows you to cook traditional meals like red beans more often. Between using it as family bonding time and having Mondays be an easy dinner night, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start this tradition earlier. Red beans also make great leftovers for lunches during the week or they can be frozen to eat later, especially on those weeks when you don’t even have the time to use the slow cooker. You know those weeks. The versatility and storability of red beans makes them an ideal weekly tradition.  Slow cooking your red beans is also ideal for parade season and parties for the big game – you can enjoy the festivities while the beans are cooking, and serve directly from the slow cooker so that everyone can enjoy a piping hot bowl of New Orleans most beloved dishes.

SLOW COOKER RED BEANS & RICE

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 hours (low) or 4 hours (high)

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 quart pre-chopped trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper)
1 pound smoked sausage, each link quartered length-wise then cut 1/2″ thick
7 cups water (low setting) or 6 cups water (high setting)
1 (1-pound) package Camellia Brand Red Kidney Beans
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
Hot sauce, to taste
Salt and black pepper, to taste
6 cups cooked white or brown rice

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the trinity, stir well, and cook until vegetables start to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure that the vegetables don’t stick.
3. Add the smoked sausage, stir well, and continue to cook until sausage is browned and vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Continue to stir occasionally to make sure trinity and sausage aren’t sticking.
4. Once done, remove the skillet from heat and transfer the contents to a slower cooker.
5. Add the water and red beans along with garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaves, and dried thyme. Stir well and place cover on the slow cooker.
6. Set the slow cooker on low for 10 hours (or 4 hours on high setting). Stir occasionally.
7. Before serving, stir in thinly sliced green onions and the desired amounts of salt and black pepper. Serve over rice and with hot sauce.

Notes:

• If you cannot find pre-chopped trinity in your local grocery store, substitute 2 cups of chopped onions, 1 cup of chopped celery, and 1 cup of chopped bell pepper.
• Steps 1 through 3 can be done the day ahead of time, if needed. Store the cooked vegetable and sausage mixture in an air-tight container in the refrigerator then just pick up on Step 4 when you’re ready to add everything to the slow cooker.
• If you’re strapped for time, skip Steps 1 through 4. Sauteing the trinity and the sausage will add a depth of flavor, but it’s not a requirement. If you skip over to Step 5, add the raw vegetables and sausage to the slow cooker with everything else. Omit the vegetable oil.
• Depending on your beans and your slow cooker, the beans may have more water than you’re used to on the stove. The beans will thicken upon standing. Mash some of the beans on the side of the slow cooker crock if you prefer a creamier style of beans.
• The beans can stay in the slow cooker for another couple of hours on the “Warm” setting on the slow cooker. Beans will continue to thicken as they warm longer.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

The Doubloon Debuts

For New Orleanians of a certain age, the metallic clink of a doubloon hitting the pavement is one of their fondest childhood memories of Mardi Gras. The excitement of watching a shower of the brightly colored coins arc through the air, and the dives, grabs, and stomps that claimed the treasure as your own, were matched only by the thrill of collecting and trading the doubloons of your favorite krewes with your friends.

Doubloons were first thrown first by the Rex organization in the 1960’s. Soon after other krewes adopted the throw, with each group customizing the coins with a krewe insignia and parade theme.  Commemorative editions were often made for as extra special collectibles or keepsakes for krewe members or honorees.

Doubloons hit their height of popularity in the late 1970s and 80s, with kids from five to ninety-five chasing down the shiny trinkets as they hit the sidewalk, or begging personally for collectable versions from krewe leaders.  Groups, krewes, and individuals traded, sold, and hoarded coins in order to collect a complete set from each krewe. “Doubloon Shops” popped up in almost every neighborhood- where doubloons could be bought and sold  for collectors- and where one needed the official doubloon price guide for guidance.

Once the most coveted catch – the multicolored coins handed out by horseback captains, kings, queens, and royalty of Mardi Gras have fallen out of favor with parade goers; but why?

Still A Sentimental Favorite

New throws began to capture the imagination of Mardi Gras revelers, and the doubloons proved too costly for krewe members to produce.  “As new beads and new more flashy throws that blink and glow became available, it became too costly for members to spend money on the doubloons,” Mardi Gras historian Arthur Hardy said.  “It was simply a case of supply and demand.” While values have plummeted, fans of the shiny tokens remain loyal.  After Hurricane Katrina, many collections were lost, resulting in a renewed interest and value placed upon the remaining mementos. “The values have started to go up a little in recent years,” Hardy notes. “They will never again be what they were, but many will always have a special place for the doubloon in their carnival treasure.”

A Throw For Those In The Know

While out-of-towns visitors to New Orleans carnival may be heard to call out “Beads!” as parade floats pass by, many New Orleanians are likely to be calling “Cups! Cups! Cups!”

Giacona – The Family Behind Mardi Gras Cups

Flashy throws and shiny beads may delight, but Mardi Gras cups have been a favorite since the family run Giacona Container Company began creating them for krewes in the 1980s. Corrado Giacona is widely known as the creator of the Mardi Gras Cup, changing the way parade-goers enjoy carnival during the season and beyond.  Current C.O.O. Gina Giacona is proud of her family’s part in the traditions of Mardi Gras. “My father created the Mardi Gras cup, and the beginning of each year is very busy with preparations for the upcoming parade season,” she said.

A Cache In Every Kitchen

Customized to match various krewe colors, motifs, and even portraits, the cups have become as colorful a part of the parade experience as any string of bead or plush throw.  Even better, the cup can be enjoyed way beyond the carnival season. “The great thing about the cup is you don’t stick it in your attic with the other throws,” Gina Giacona said. “You use it all year long. It’s a reusable item.” After nine years working in the family business, Giacona has seen many designs from elaborate to pleasantly simple, but all are a joy to produce.  “I don’t have any favorites, because, of course, we have them at every family and friends occasions, as well as some fun designs we do for restaurant chains and favorite local and national restaurants.  It’s a fun exciting, creative business to be in.  We are always proud of our final product.”

As the Mardi Gras go-cup continues to thrive in popularity, its design and practical use may prompt even more visitors to Carnival to change their tune from “Beads!” to “Cups!”

How do you use your Mardi Gras cups?

How do you use your Mardi Gras cups? Tell us – we want to know!

Crowder Peas Succotash

While most succotash recipes call for lima beans, this one features crowder peas — as well as fresh or frozen corn kernels, chopped onion, red and green bell pepper and seasonings. It’s a great way to add a pop of color and fresh flavor to your holiday table and will complement any main dish.

Cauliflower Lima Bean Au Gratin

With all the goodness of a creamy mac ‘n cheese, our Cauliflower Lima Bean Au Gratin brings together cauliflower, buttery large lima beans, and a heavenly bechamel sauce made with butter, flour, milk, seasonings, sharp cheddar and freshly grated Parmesan. Topped with bread crumbs, and baked till bubbly and brown, this cheesy dish will complement ham, roasts or turkey. And it will be gobbled up by adults and kids alike.

Blackeye Pea Salad

This delicious recipe from Chef Jennifer Hill Booker is a real crowd pleaser, no matter what the occasion. A slightly different take on the ever-popular Cowboy Caviar, it features cooked Camellia Brand Blackeye Peas, fresh thyme, parsley, red and green bell pepper and a tangy apple cider vinaigrette with a touch of honey and red pepper flakes. Serve it with big Frito scoops, crackers, and chips and watch it disappear.

Buttermilk Cornbread in Cast Iron Skillet

Featuring the flavors of browned butter, tangy buttermilk, and sweet maple syrup, this cornbread recipe is a southern favorite that’ll get gobbled up as a side dish (or the next day for breakfast)! It’s especially helpful for scooping up other sides like succotash. The recipe is versatile, so if you like a sweeter cornbread, feel free to add more maple, honey or agave syrup to suit your taste.

Looking for good fortune and prosperity in the new year? In most cultures, traditional dishes made for New Year’s Day are said to bring luck and money. Often, they include beans — which resemble coins or closed circles signifying the end of one year and prosperity in the next, greens — which represent wealth, and pork — because pigs root forward as they eat — symbolizing a positive direction in the upcoming year.

Throughout the South, blackeye peas and collard greens flavored with pork are popular New Year’s fare for the promise of luck and money (and because they taste so good). So, to cover all of your bases for a prosperous new year, we’ve created a complete menu of comforting dishes that are perfect for a New Year’s Day feast. These recipes are simple to make, big on flavor, and feed a crowd easily. After the champagne’s been consumed and the noisemakers set aside, invite family and friends to come on over (whenever they manage to wake up) and enjoy a casual New Year’s Day celebration that’ll start things off right.

Southern Blackeye Peas

Our classic Southern Blackeye Peas recipe gets its great taste by starting with a savory base of diced ham and chopped bacon. The aromatic trinity of onion, celery, and red bell pepper (for a nice hint of color) gets sautéed in the pot with the ham, bacon, and bacon fat combo. Then chicken stock is added along with the blackeye peas, for even more richness in the final dish. Blackeye peas simmer till tender relatively quickly compared to other beans, so you can make and serve this delicious dish in short order and without much pre-planning.

Southern Collard Greens complement blackeye peas beautifully and also incorporate the wonders of bacon and its grease. First, the fat is rendered out of the bacon, and the crispy, crumbled bacon is reserved for topping. Chopped onion and garlic are cooked in the grease until translucent, and then chicken stock, rice vinegar, sugar, and seasonings are simmered with bright bunches of chopped collard greens till tender. Finally, the greens are topped with the reserved crumbled bacon for an amazing dish that doesn’t disappoint.

Southern Collard Greens

Finally, our Easy Pan Fried Pork Chops round out the menu. So fast and so simple! Thin cut, bone-in pork chops are dredged in a mixture of flour, Creole seasoning, and garlic powder, and then fried in vegetable oil in a skillet. After three minutes per side, they’re done — as well as delightfully golden brown and tasty.

Easy Pan Fried Pork Chops

This whole menu can be cooked up in a little over an hour and is an extremely satisfying way to usher in the new year. Let the prospect of good luck and money (and a wonderful meal) put it on your must-do list for January 1st.

And don’t forget the cornbread!

Buttermilk Cornbread

Ah, King Cakes – the sweet treat that announces the start of Carnival season on January 6th — known as “Epiphany,” “Twelfth Night,” or “Kings Day.” Originating centuries ago, the tradition has evolved over time, but modern-day King Cakes still feature the purple, green, and gold colors that symbolize justice, faith, and power, and a plastic baby, in place of the original bean. Today there are dozens of variations on that theme, with choices of pastry, filling, and toppings to please every taste.

Who makes the best King Cakes? It depends!  Some swear by beloved traditional options that bring back childhood memories at the first taste – McKenzies, Haydels, Gambino’s, and Randazzo’s, to name just a few, while others opt for a more creative take on the confection. Places like Sucre, Gracious Bakery, Croissant D’or, Dong Phuong Bakery, and The Cake Cafe offer more specialized versions, and have legions of loyal fans as well. Whatever the style, King Cakes unite us — in offices and homes across the region — as a tasty token of a season of celebration – Mardi Gras!

Tell us – when the baby turns up in your slice, where are you going to get that next King Cake?

Kid-Friendly Pasta & White Bean Salad

An easy-to-throw-together, colorful pasta salad that can be eaten warm, chilled, or room-temperature, this Kid-Friendly Pasta & White Bean Salad features their favorites (yep, fun-shaped pasta and cheese) as well as sliced grape tomatoes, bits of broccoli, and cooked, creamy Great Northern Beans or Navy (Pea) Beans. To keep things simple and kid-palette-approved, the pasta salad gets tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Get the recipe.

Cheesy Bean Quesadilla

An always-welcome treat, this Cheesy Bean Quesadilla is made with shredded sharp Cheddar, whole Pinto Beans (or refried beans), and a sprinkling of chopped red onion. Serve with a small side container of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for dipping, and you’ll get smiles and requests to repeat this favorite later in the week. Get the recipe.

Flourless Black Bean Brownies

Shh. There’s really no need to tell the kids that these flourless brownies are made with cooked Black Beans. Fudgy and delicious, they’ll provide a sweet end to their lunchtime meal and some healthy fiber and protein to boot. Got a kid who’s gluten-free? This recipe is right up your alley. In fact, you’ll have trouble resisting these brownies yourself.

Crispy Cinnamon Garbanzo Beans

Roasted garbanzo beans are a super crunchy, tasty snack that you’ve probably started to see on the healthy snack food aisle at your local grocery store. Well, save yourself some money, and make them at home in your own oven with this kid-friendly recipe that incorporates cinnamon and sugar. A great mid-morning or afternoon snack, they’re an awesome lunchbox addition that tastes good and is good for them.

The Perfect Dish

Hummus is hands down the perfect dish to enjoy during the heat of the summer — when you’re craving something cool, creamy and delicious. It’s also incredibly versatile. Sure, you can serve it as a dip with pita, crackers and fresh veggies, but it’s also wonderful in a wrap or on a sandwich, dolloped on a salad, spread on a flatbread pizza, or tossed with hot pasta. And homemade hummus tastes so much better than store-bought. Once you realize how easy it is to whip up hummus from scratch, you’ll never go back. Read on for winning tips on how to make it great.

Insider Tips for Smooth & Silky Hummus

Tip #1: Soaking

Using dried garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas) to make hummus is key. (The canned variety just won’t give you the same great flavor.) But be sure to soak your dried garbanzos overnight first. They’re tougher than other beans and take longer to soften; soaking will give you a head start and shorten cooking time.

Tip #2: Baking Soda

Once you’ve got your soaked garbanzo beans covered with fresh water and simmering in a pot on the stove, add in a bit of baking soda. Baking soda works to tenderize both the skin and the bean, helping you achieve a silkier hummus texture.

Tip #3: Cook, Cook, and Cook Some More

Chefs who know their hummus swear by cooking the garbanzos until they’re practically falling apart. So, don’t cut your cooking time short. If you’ve soaked them first, simmering till very soft should take about 1-1.5 hours.

Tip #4: Heat Helps

The best time to make your hummus is when the garbanzos have just finished cooking and are still hot. This helps with extra creaminess, as well.

Tip #5: Cooking Liquid = Liquid Gold

Before draining, reserve the garbanzo bean cooking liquid (also called aquafaba). You’ll want to use it when blending the hummus (more flavorful than adding water). And it makes as an amazingly healthy vegan alternative to dairy and eggs.

Flavor Possibilities

Now that you’re ready to get cookin’, it’s time to consider all the flavor possibilities. Purists might want to stick with our traditional Hummus recipe. But if you’re willing to experiment, we’ve come up with amazing twists on our classic recipe that add color, flavor, health benefits, and fun – all with just a few additional ingredients.

Traditional Hummus

Whether you’re making hummus for the 1st time or the 50th, this foolproof recipe will become a hands-down favorite. With just the right proportions of olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, and garlic, the texture is right on (if you follow the tips above), and the flavor is fresh and deliciously balanced. And because the recipe calls for a pound of garbanzo beans, it yields about 6 cups of hummus. Which means there’s plenty to use in the recipe variations spelled out below, or simply plenty to snack on all week long. Note: the recipe doesn’t call for refrigerating the hummus before serving, but a lot of folks like it served cool vs. warm. Your call.

Avocado Cilantro Hummus

For a gorgeous green tint, even more fresh flavor, and additional heart-healthy fat, fiber, and potassium, try adding 1 ripe avocado, 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, and 1/2 lime, juiced to 2 cups prepared hummus. Whip it up in a food processor, and voilá — you’ve got a yummy new take on a classic. For a fast snack or lunch, warm a whole wheat tortilla, spread with Avocado Cilantro Hummus, top with fresh baby spinach and shredded carrots, roll up, and enjoy.

Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus

This beautifully-tinted orange version comes together with 2 small, baked sweet potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and a few shakes of Tabasco brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce (or chipotle powder). Add all to 2 cups prepared hummus and whir till blended. Adjust seasonings to your taste, and try spreading Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus on a turkey sandwich or scooping it up with tortilla chips.

Balsamic Caramelized Onion Hummus

While Balsamic Caramelized Onion Hummus is slightly more involved, the result is totally worth it. Thinly sliced onions are slowly cooked down in olive oil, along with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, until caramelized. Then a balsamic reduction is made by simmering 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar until it’s thick and syrupy. The caramelized onions are blended in a food processor, along with 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar and 2 cups prepared hummus. For a beautiful presentation and amazing flavor, serve Balsamic Caramelized Onion Hummus topped with extra caramelized onions and a drizzle of balsamic reduction — surrounded by fancy crackers and crudités. A fabulous way to entertain friends and family!

Nothing says “New Orleans” more than red beans and rice on a Monday, but add grand marshal Al “Carnival Time” Johnson plus the Treme Brass Band, combined with more than 100 revelers dressed to the nines in colorful tributes to Louis Armstrong’s favorite dish, and you’ve got a recipe that can’t be topped.

Speaking of the legendary jazz trumpeter, Pops was well-represented as always by the Beanmobile, the tricked-out Volkswagen etched with both his likeness and his famous personal recipe. Starting out at Port and Royal streets to the spicy sounds of a mariachi band, founder Devin Meyers’ krewe of self-proclaimed “beaners” dazzled delighted bystanders on a leisurely route that included stops at Buffa’s Lounge on Esplanade Avenue as well as the Candle Light on North Robertson.

Signaling their presence with cries of “Beans a-comin’!” the gang and its bean-festooned regalia paid tasty tribute to New Orleans’ second-line tradition as well as the Mardi Gras Indians before disbanding outside the Backstreet Cultural Museum in the shadow of the iconic St. Augustine Catholic Church. Did you miss ’em this year? Don’t worry: You’ll have your chance on Lundi Gras 2017.

You can add chopped ham or a ham bone to almost any bean recipe – substituting for a ham hock if you like less intense flavor – but here are a few we think you’ll enjoy:

Pinto Beans & Ham Hocks

Dried red chili peppers, lots of garlic and a smoky ham hock add all the right flavors to creamy pinto beans.

Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Ham Hock and Sausage

Monday’s red beans start the week off right when cooked with a meaty ham hock.

Easy Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice

Here’s another red bean favorite that calls for a smoked ham hock or a 1/2 pound of chopped ham. No soaking and no hands-on attention required!

Slow Cooker Baby Limas with Ham

Baby limas cook up tender and sweet and pair nicely with the saltiness of chopped ham.

Slow Cooker Lima Beans and Ham

This one couldn’t be easier – and using a slow cooker makes the lima beans especially creamy.

Senate Bean Soup

Senate Bean Soup is served in the dining room of the United States Senate every day, in a tradition that dates to the early 20th century.

Great Northern Beans & Ham

Great Northern Beans & Ham is a favorite from Chef Jennifer Hill Booker, and its wonderful flavor comes from the use of both a ham bone and diced ham.

Southern Blackeye Peas

Our classic Southern Blackeye Peas recipe gets its great taste by starting with a savory base of diced ham and chopped bacon.

Sawyer’s Yellow Split Pea Soup

Split peas and ham is a delicious combination, found in cuisines all over the world.

Though sometimes associated with ‘70s-era “commune cooking” – big pots of bland brown stews – in reality, lentils are quick-cooking, protein-packed powerhouses with an earthy flavor that lends itself to all kinds of cuisines and seasonings. Add in the fact that they are inexpensive and can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 12 months, and it’s easy to see why lentils should be a staple in your pantry.

Available in a variety of colors ranging from yellow to red-orange, green, brown, and black, lentils have been a principal ingredient in world cuisines, primarily Near-Eastern and European, since prehistoric times. Archaeologists suspect they may have been the world’s first cultivated crop as early as 13,000 years ago and together with wheat and barley, drought-tolerant lentils were the agricultural staples of early Greek and Roman cultures. They vary in size and are sold in many forms, with or without the skins, whole or split. They belong to a variety of legume known as a “pulse” – or edible seed – and are both extremely nutritious and quick to prepare.

A Crop Prized in Many Cuisines

Lentils were introduced to the New World by Spanish and Portuguese explorers as early as the 16th century, but did not really catch on in America until the 20th century when they were promoted during World War II as an alternative to meat because of their high protein content – the second-highest ratio of protein per calories of any legume, after soybeans – and low cost. They are also loaded with potassium, folate, and dietary fiber. Like with other legumes, lentils and rice are a common food pairing, and provide a complete protein.

Today, about a quarter of the world’s lentils come from India, where more lentils are consumed than any other place. Indian “dals” are simple lentil dishes – dal means lentil in the language – and curries are lentil dishes seasoned with a “curry powder” mix or various seasonings, including coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, cumin, fennel, cinnamon, chili pepper, clove, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, paprika, and black pepper. Interestingly, though it’s far from the regions commonly associated with lentil-based cuisines, Canada is the largest export producer of lentils in the world. In Jewish mourning tradition, lentils are customary as food for the bereaved, together with boiled eggs, because their round shape symbolizes the life cycle from birth to death. Lentils and sausage are also eaten together on New Year’s Day in both Italy and Hungary, where the lentil’s coin shape is regarded as a symbol of prosperity.

How to Cook Lentils

Dried lentils don’t need to be soaked before being cooked, and only require a cooking time of 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the variety and use. Lentils with the husk remain whole with moderate cooking. Small lentils without the the husk cook very quickly and break down into a thick stew.

• Dried lentils generally require 3 cups of liquid per cup of lentils.
• If you bring the liquid to a boil before adding lentils, they will both cook more quickly and be easier to digest.
• If using lentils in a salad or soup where a firmer texture is desired, subtract 5-10 minutes from cooking time. For Indian dals or other dishes with a thicker consistency and softer texture, add 5-10 minutes.
• Lentils, like all legumes, should be sorted and rinsed before cooking.
• Cooked lentils freeze beautifully for up to 6 months. If preparing to be frozen, slightly undercook your lentils.

Types of Lentils

Brown lentils are the most common variety available in grocery stores. They have a mild, earthy flavor and creamy texture, and soften when they cook, but still retain their lens-like shape. They are commonly served hot in soups and stews but they are also delicious served cold as a salad mixed  with finely minced onion, peppers, and spices, and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice or other vinaigrette. Prepared this way they are a common sandwich filling in meatless diets.

French green, or Puy lentils, have a sharper, somewhat peppery taste. They take longer to cook than brown lentils and retain some firmness, making them a favorite for salads due to their toothsome texture.

Red lentils are brown lentils with the hulls removed. Their mild, sweet flavor is favored in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes. They break down into a golden-colored mush when cooked and they can do double-duty as a gluten-free thickener in other recipes.

Small, black, and shiny, Beluga lentils resemble Beluga caviar when cooked. On the expensive side – by lentil standards; they are still a very inexpensive source of protein – black lentils have a strong, earthy flavor. When the hull of the black lentil is removed, the mildly flavored white lentil is left behind.

Check out our helpful guide to all things lentil here.

Whichever lentil type you buy, you can be sure you will find them easy, adaptable, and delicious. See some of our favorite lentil recipes below:

Easy Vegan Coconut Curry Lentils

A quick and delicious meal; the seasoning can be adjusted to your comfort level of heat. Coconut milk adds richness and a subtle flavor to the dish while tempering the spiciness. Perfect for a cold evening, it can be served over rice or with naan or pita bread for a complete meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 (1 pound) bag Camellia Brand Lentils
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 small bunch of green onions, chopped
• 8 ounces baby portabella or button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bunch baby kale, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garnish: chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. In a large heavy pot, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add green onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and red pepper flakes; cook for about 5 minutes or until onions have softened and aromatics have released their flavors.
2. Add the vegetable broth, cover, and bring to a boil.
3. Add lentils, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and mushrooms; stir to combine.
4. Turn down to medium heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Turn down to low heat, uncover, add coconut milk, then gently simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Just before serving, stir in chopped baby kale.
7. Garnish with chopped cilantro, and serve over rice or with naan or pita bread.

L.H.’s Savory Lentils

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato And Lentil Stew

Curried Lentil Salad

Delicious Blackeye Pea Recipes & More To Start Off The Year Lucky

Who doesn’t hope for a new year filled with good fortune and prosperity? In most cultures, foods prepared for New Year’s Day are said to bring good luck. Every culture has variations, but the recurring themes are: beans – resembling coins or closed circles signifying the end of one year and prosperity in the next;  greens – representing wealth; and pork products because pigs root forward as they eat – symbolizing a positive direction in the upcoming year.

African Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries made one of the most enduring contributions to the modern holiday. Starting in the Carolinas – but later extending throughout the South – Hoppin’ John (blackeye peas and rice) and greens (collard, mustard, or turnip,) became traditional New Year’s fare. Blackeye peas to bring luck, and greens to represent money and prosperity. The tradition of using ham, salt pork, or sausage used to flavor the greens and the blackeye peas started as a frugal way to use less popular cuts from the pig, but the smoky flavor and richness they impart have become an essential and beloved flavor in the dishes.

Garlicky Shrimp & Blackeye Peas

Southern Blackeye Peas

Blackeye Peas One Pot Meal Recipe

Pork, Collards and Black Eye Pea Gumbo Recipe

New Orleans Style Blackeye Peas Recipe

Blackeye Peas and Spinach

Bessie’s Best New Year Blackeyes

Hoppin’ John Recipe

Slow Cooker Spicy Blackeye Peas

Cowboy Caviar

Blackeye Pea Salad

Camellia Brand Black-Eyed Peas

Southern Collard Greens

Braised Collard Greens Recipe

Ana’s Brazilian Style Collard Greens Recipe

Easy Pan Fried Pork Chops

Pork for the New Year

The Reveillon Tradition and History
The sharing of an opulent repast following the holiday Mass on Christmas Eve and again on New Year’s Eve was a custom inherited by Louisiana’s Creoles from their European ancestors. Though guests were invited for New Year’s Eve, the Christmas Reveillon was strictly a family affair with grandparents given places of honor at the table, the choicest selections from the meal, and the attention and adoration of the younger members of the family. Only the most exceptional foods would suffice for these feasts. While their European relatives dined on escargots, foie gras and turkey stuffed with chestnuts, the south Louisiana celebrant would have enjoyed a regionally adapted menu of oyster stew or turtle soup; rich puddings and custards; cold beef daube glace; and fragrant roast game or sausage, perhaps braised in a savory pie or casserole with beans or legumes. Copious amounts of wine, brandy and cordials would have loosened things up for participants on either continent and candied fruits and fanciful desserts like bûche de Noël or croquembouche would have completed the meal and sent the devout tottering off to bed stuffed and satiated, probably as the sun came up.

Reveillon’s Rebirth
By the 1930s, the tradition of the old Creole Reveillon dinner had largely disappeared from the roster of holiday celebrations. However, by the 1980s, the Creoles’ descendants embraced anew those historic customs that distinguished them from everyone everywhere else. The custom of lavish holiday dinners was resurrected. Restaurants started offering multi-course “Reveillon” dinner menus during conventional dining hours throughout the holiday season, and ambitious home cooks eager to show off their talents (and their fine china) re-adopted the practice as well.

The Contemporary Reveillon Dinner
The contemporary Reveillon dinner can take virtually any form so long as the foods bear an air of luxury in either their composition or execution. This is the time to trot out the delicacies or slave over something complicated and impressive. Being at the peak of their season, oysters are often chosen to start the meal, followed by a rich bisque or hearty gumbo. A course of roast game or a lavish cut of meat might follow along with a rich savory pie or casserole. A once-a-year showstopper dessert should round out the meal.

Cassoulet, a rich white bean casserole, is perfect for the Holiday Table
This cassoulet of fresh Gulf shrimp, Louisiana’s famous smoked andouille sausage, and creamy white beans is a rich and fragrant one-pot dish that can simmer away on the stove as you work on other parts of your celebratory meal. It pairs beautifully with roasted meats and game as well as fish. The regionally-adapted stew would have been familiar to our French ancestors. Though traditional European cassoulets vary by region, they were historically built upon a base of white beans and cooked in a sealed crock with slanting sides, known as a cassole, from which the dish takes its name.

Camellia’s Shrimp, Andouille and White Bean Cassoulet

1 (1-pound) Camellia navy beans soaked overnight
5 bay leaves, in all
Creole seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (another smoked sausage or bacon may be substituted)
1 medium onion, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 28-ounce can whole peeled Roma tomatoes
2 bay leaves
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 pounds medium Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
Hot French bread

Add the navy beans, three bay leaves, and Creole seasoning to taste to a large saucepot. Add enough water to cover the beans by 3 inches. Bring to a boil and cook, adding additional water as necessary, until beans are soft, about 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Add the Andouille and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, celery, garlic, oregano, and Creole seasoning to taste; cook until the vegetables are tender and translucent, about 7 minutes.

Crush the tomatoes with your hands over the contents of the Dutch oven before adding them to the pot. Add the 2 remaining bay leaves, Worcestershire, reserved navy beans, thyme, and green onions. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the beans have absorbed the broth, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile set a low broiler. Combine the Panko, Parmesan, oregano or thyme leaves, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Add the shrimp to the Dutch oven, and cook until they are thoroughly pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Top the contents of the Dutch oven with the Panko mixture. Place under the broiler and cook until the Panko is lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

Alternatively, the cassoulets may be broiled and served in individual ramekins.

Makes 8 servings.

One of the best things about the holidays is getting together with family and friends. Celebrating over delicious dishes and drinks should be fun and easy. There are so many ways to host a great party that doesn’t involve hours in the kitchen. Here are some simple ideas to make your holiday get-togethers as enjoyable for you as they are for your guests.

Simplify What You Serve.

The key to simplifying things is making 2-3 dishes you’re confident are crowd-pleasers, and then rounding things out with purchased and prepared foods. Hit the deli section at your favorite grocery store for assortments of cheeses, meats, and olives, and pick up some marinated veggies from the salad bar. Throw in a sliced baguette, other attractive bakery breads, and some fancy crackers, and you’re good to go. Another great way to cut down on last-minute fuss is to prepare party dips that can be made a day or so ahead. Not only will you just need to transfer them into a pretty serving bowl on the night of your get-together, but most dips actually benefit from some time in the fridge so the flavors can marry.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Caesar-Style White Beans

Cowboy Caviar

Creamy Mediterranean Hummus

Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus

Tomato & White Bean Bruschetta

Limit the Libations.

Serving a signature holiday punch, champagne cocktail or keeping your offerings to self-serve beer and wine avoids the need for someone to play bartender all evening. Make sure to include some non-alcoholic choices for designated drivers or anyone else who doesn’t care to imbibe. Flavored sparkling waters can be just as festive with a few berries or other fruit garnish. Don’t worry about fancy glassware — you can find disposable versions of virtually every cocktail glass that exists — from flutes to punch cups.

Make the Mood Merry.

Stream a holiday music station to set the mood with the push of a button — freeing you to mingle with your guests. If you don’t have room for a full-size tree or other large holiday displays, some pine boughs arranged on the mantel or above picture frames will lend a festive air. Even better, most Christmas tree lots will give you all of the trimmed boughs you can carry for free. Plenty of votive or pillar candles scattered around the room will add a holiday look and scent.

Celebrate the Season.

By keeping things simple, you can focus on the true reason for the season — family, friends, and loved ones coming together to share food, drink, and the company of one another — whether it’s celebrating beloved traditions annually, or creating new traditions of your own. Remember, what really matters is that everyone has a wonderful time — including the host.

Happy Holidays!

Unfortunately, 40 Arpent Brewery closed its doors in 2017.

Louisiana overflows with exotic taste experiences rooted in distinct, specific locales, unreproducible anywhere else. Think crawfish from the Atchafalaya Basin’s Belle River. Hansen’s Sno-Bliz in New Orleans. Blood boudin from Bourgeois Meat Market in Thibodaux. Andouille from Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse near LaPlace. Isleño caldo soup from down Bayou Road in St. Bernard. And also in St. Bernard Parish, there’s Red Bean Ale from 40 Arpent Brewery Co. in Old Arabi, right on the Mississippi River levee, overlooking the passing parade of cargo vessels, cruise ships, and the venerable riverboat Natchez.

Red Bean Ale is the only beer in the world brewed with the primary ingredients of one of south Louisiana’s signature dishes, red beans and rice. And until distribution expands and plans to bottle the brew come to fruition, you’ll likely only find it on tap at select locations in southeast Louisiana, including the brewery itself, which holds Friday tastings from 5 to 7 p.m. at 6809 N. Peters St.

Go sample it for yourself there, practically under the shadow of the Domino Sugar refinery, just a cannon shot away from the historic site of the Battle of New Orleans. Currently housed in a spartan warehouse, 40 Arpent nevertheless is making waves for its brewing and business innovations: It just won the inaugural Startup St. Bernard competition, and the accompanying grant from the Meraux Foundation will help build a 1,000-square-foot taproom with a bar and deck, seating area, a stage for live music, and space for food trucks.

The Tale Behind the Ale

How did founder and brewmaster Michael Naquin first envision using beans and rice in beer? The idea goes back to his early homebrewing days, when the Houma-born Naquin moved to New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood around 2000. Back then, the much-beloved, now-defunct Acadian Brewing Co. was firing on all cylinders on North Carrollton Avenue. Tippling sessions at Acadian inspired Naquin and his brother to invest in their own brewing equipment. Realizing that his hobby was turning into a real passion with career potential, Naquin paid his dues apprenticing at breweries in Asheville, N.C., and New Orleans, including Zea Rotisserie & Grill and Crescent City Brewhouse.

By this time, having already perfected a red Irish-style ale, Naquin was interested in developing a porter with black beans, and in 2009 he consulted with NOLA Brewing brewmaster Peter Caddoo, formerly of Dixie Beer. “I wanted to make a porter and I wanted to make one that was kind of different and unique,” Naquin recalled. “And I’m like, ‘What’s unique to here?’ Everybody makes beans, right? I’m going to make this black bean porter and I asked Peter … if he had ever made a beer with beans in it before. … He said no. I told him I was thinking about trying, and he said, ‘Yeah, you can totally do that.’ … From that conversation it became the easiest thing to do: Take red beans, which everybody eats here, and then just put it in this beer I was already making and see what that tasted like.” Naquin also found inspiration from Asia, where red beans are often found in beverages and desserts. “I have to admit that maybe even some of the idea came from Hitachino Nest (made by Kiuchi Brewery), which is this Japanese brewery that makes red rice ale. That kind of is where that all came from.”

Not Your Mom’n’Em’s Red Beans

Contrary to expectations, Red Bean Ale drinkers won’t find much in common with the plate lunch they ate Monday at any number of Crescent City joints, from Liuzza’s on Bienville to Charlie’s in Violet. Only Camellia Brand red kidney beans and flaked oat-style brewer’s rice go into this beer. “I cook the beans for four hours, literally till there’s a creamy consistency,” Naquin said. But don’t expect any oils, meats, vegetables, or hot sauce. “People ask, they’ll taste it, and they’re like, ‘Well, this doesn’t taste like a plate of red beans at all,’” Naquin said. “Because that’s what they’re expecting. Smokiness. Onion. Garlic. All this stuff. And that’s not in the beer. … It’s more beer with red beans than red beans with beer. Same thing with the rice. The rice just keeps it light. So it’s got a nice color to it, but when you actually drink the beer, it has this light feel on your mouth, and that’s what we use the rice to do. It just cuts the body of the beer down because you add a lot of protein with the beans. So we’re countering the protein from the bean by using the rice.”

A Lot More on Tap Than Beans

Naquin also taps another secret weapon for his beers: “The Father of Waters.” 40 Arpent uses high-quality municipal water from the Mississippi River, which it purifies even further by using a heavy filter. Naquin described the local water as “super hard,” a trait that leads to an “airier, drier finish” for 40 Arpent’s suds. In fact, Naquin credited the local water with helping distinguish his seasonal Duckwood IPA in particular from its West Coast and East Coast peers. Made with Cascade hops, the crisp, resiny result is what he called a true “Gulf Coast IPA.” “A little bitter” but with a fruity scent, it’s an “American-style ale” (5% alcohol by volume, or ABV) that enjoys wide appeal.

40 Arpent’s most high-profile brew is its year-round Milk Stout, which Naquin says is a major hit among coffee drinkers. The beer evokes cafe au lait, without the caffeine but with “a little chocolate.” Made with Mount Hood hops, the robust flavor comes from the roasted malt, while lactose conveys a hint of milk. Another seasonal 40 Arpent beer is the Delacroix Abbey Ale, named for the swampy Isleño fishing village in eastern St. Bernard that Bob Dylan name-drops in his 1974 tune “Tangled Up in Blue.” Offered around Lent, the golden-orange, Belgian-style ale boasts hints of peach and pear thanks to its fruity esters, while Styrian hops inject some spice and clove. Naquin has wryly nicknamed it “Delacroix Devil” in deference to its 7% ABV.

“Da Parish” Rebounds as Post-Katrina Business Incubator

So now you know the story of the Red Bean Ale’s creation. But how did Naquin set up shop in Arabi, just across the parish line from the Lower 9th Ward? Friends from the parish encouraged him to scout the area, and just a few years after Hurricane Katrina, Naquin liked what he saw. By chance he came across the family who owns Earl J. Doescher Co., an Arabi wholesaler of florist supplies and special-occasion gifts since 1958. Carl Doescher offered up a lot for lease, which Naquin accepted. A south Louisiana renaissance man of sorts, Naquin – besides brewing beer – had spent several years working in the refrigeration trade and also as a barber at a hair salon co-owned with his wife, Emily. Naquin was able to build most of the brewery’s physical plant himself, handling all the plumbing, electricity, refrigeration, Sheetrock, and sheet-metal work. “I pretty much did every single thing in here,” he said. His jack-of-all-trades nature allowed him to overcome basic construction hurdles that would have cost other nascent businesses a pretty penny.

A Measure of Respect for Louisiana’s Unique History

Why is the brewery named “40 Arpent”? It’s an old French unit of measurement prevalent during Louisiana’s colonial era, everywhere from Naquin’s old Houma stomping grounds to St. Bernard Parish. When St. Bernard was settled, land parcels facing the Mississippi had varying frontage widths but consistently ran 40 arpents back from the river. An arpent is about 192 feet, making 40 arpents about 1.45 miles. And in St. Bernard Parish, a drainage canal known as the 40 Arpent Canal runs along the old 40-arpent demarcation. Hence, “40 Arpent Brewery” is a tribute to both Louisiana’s French heritage as well as a salute to St. Bernard’s unique history, which saw both French and Canary Island (or Isleño) colonists settle in the area. By combining the best of the past with a vision for the future, the brewery delivers delicious local flavors for beer lovers, and can be sampled at various locations around New Orleans, including Metairie’s World of Beer, which just hosted a festive launch party for the 2015 Red Bean Ale.

Where to Drink Red Bean Ale

The following list is by no means comprehensive but identifies many venues that have recently served 40 Arpent brews, such as: in St. Bernard Parish, the Old Arabi Bar, within spitting distance of the brewery itself; in New Orleans, Ale on Oak, Avenue Pub, The Bulldog, Uptown, The Bulldog, Mid-City, Cooter Browns, the Hyatt French Quarter, J&J’s Sports Lounge, Jax Brewery Bar, Junction, Spitfire, Toups’ Meatery, Three Muses, and Tujague’s Restaurant; in Jefferson Parish, Lager’s in Metairie; in Baton Rouge, Beausoleil Restaurant and Bar, Boudreaux and Thibodeaux’s, and The Chimes; and in St. Tammany Parish, The Chimes in Covington.

Buy a Keg of Red Bean Ale

Throwing a red-beans-and-rice house party? Order your very own mini-keg from Elio’s Wine Warehouse in Uptown New Orleans!

Unfortunately, 40 Arpent Brewery closed its doors in 2017.

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The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is full of tough acts to follow. And when it comes to the red beans and rice served at Jazz Fest, legendary restaurateur Buster Holmes was perhaps the toughest act of all. But Judy Burks did just that, taking the reins from Holmes in the early 1970s and cooking up an empire built on Camellia beans that is still going strong today.

Judy Burks

At his namesake French Quarter restaurant, Holmes served his renowned red beans to everyone from Preservation Hall jazzmen to Louis Armstrong, Vincent Price, and Woody Allen. So he perhaps viewed his red-beans gig at the then-tiny Jazz Fest as just a sideline. He told organizers he would only cook 100 pounds.

Enter Judy Burks and her then-boyfriend Albert Sabi. The pair had worked the 1973 Jazz Fest serving up Cuban black beans based on a recipe from Sabi’s mother. However, as astonishing as it sounds today, the black beans were a hard sell, even as the couple doled out free samples on small plastic spoons. There were “not a lot of adventurous eaters in New Orleans” at the time, Burks recalled. “That looks like mud,” one fest-goer told her.

In the early ‘70s, only about 20 food booths were operating. When Holmes made it clear that 100 pounds of his famous red beans was all he was going to provide, Jazz Fest organizers wanted more. They approached Burks and Sabi about changing their beans from black to red. The couple agreed. Though Holmes eventually bowed out of the festival, he continued with his unquenchable gusto for life until 1994, when at age 89 he received a jazz funeral send-off worthy of red-bean royalty.

Camellia: “Always Good, So New Orleans”

Fifty years later, Burks is the Jazz Fest’s reigning queen of red beans. Locals and tourists alike feast on her definitive recipe at what has become the most famous music festival in the world. Burks has tinkered with the ingredients over the decades, but she says there has “always” been one constant: Camellia red beans. “No rocks, no mess, always good, so New Orleans,” Burks said of the product. She buys Camellia’s 25-lb. sacks and goes through an astounding 1,200 pounds every Jazz Fest!

Morris Douglas, Judy’s partner in Burks & Douglas, opening the 25-lb. bags of Camellia Red Beans

With roots in the Tangipahoa Parish town of Amite, as an eighth-grader Burks moved with her parents to the New Orleans suburb of Metairie and attended East Jefferson High School. She majored in art at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond and later earned master’s degrees from UNO and Tulane in English and fine arts, respectively. Over the years she has worked as a teacher and arts-program coordinator in the New Orleans public school system, and her paintings have been on display at local galleries.

Burks was headed off to Europe with boyfriend Albert when she got her first taste of Jazz Fest in 1973. Bitten by the bug, she and Albert realized that cooking at the fest could be a pretty decent part-time gig. In the early days, when the festival was only a single weekend, it was easy to run the booth. In later years, as Jazz Fest grew to encompass successive extended weekends, she managed to take time off without pay from the school system to work the fest.

It was during her job as visual-arts coordinator at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) that she managed to find the perfect sausage for her beans. Using the teachers lounge as a forum for a blind taste test, she rounded up several different brands and laid them out in tiny cups. The winner: Richard’s links from the Cajun town of Church Point, the brand she still uses today.

Years of Practice Yield “Perfect” Recipe

Burks feels that her recipe has been “perfect” for at least the past 10 years. On the road to perfecting her Platonic dish, over the years she’s learned a few tricks, including the power of white pepper. It’s “aromatic and blends well,” Burks said. She uses about five times as much white pepper as black pepper.

The spice rack of Jazz Fest Red Beans

As for rice, she now uses a parboiled product to avoid a “glutinous mess of overcooked rice.” For many years, following the advice of “some little old ladies from LaPlace,” she stored the rice in small individually prepared Ziploc bags to keep it fresh — until a fellow food vendor convinced her to switch to 5-gallon buckets for convenience’s sake.

For French bread accompaniment, her go-to brand is Leidenheimer of New Orleans. Burks also sells her own blackberry cobbler pie, and in earlier years, she offered iced tea.

Vegetarian fest-goers from around the world rejoiced in the 1990s when Burks made a major breakthrough: a meatless version of red beans. Many customers simply can’t believe that she conjures up such a robust flavor without using meat. Her secret: adding extra canola oil to enhance the dish’s creaminess. She now sells about one pot of vegetarian beans for every three pots of sausage beans.

Family: The Essential Ingredient

Over 50 years at Jazz Fest, Burks has witnessed and weathered many changes. On a personal level, her original partner in the business, Albert, passed away in 1987. “I did the ’87 festival by myself,” Burks recalled.

Ingredients for each large pot of Red Beans are prepped and stored in bags – parsley and green onions are being prepared above.

Burks & Douglas Is Born

But serendipity soon struck when she encountered a former student from her first year as a teacher. “He started out coming to help me in the kitchen, then he’d help out in the booth. Now Morris Douglas and his sister, Pam, are full-time partners,” Burks told The Times-Picayune in 1999.  The business is now known as Burks & Douglas.

You might say that family is another key ingredient to Burks’ red beans. Burks’ life partner, a sculptor, also helps out at the booth, specializing in the blackberry cobbler. And partners Morris and Pam Douglas have several relatives active in the business.

Pam Douglas, Morris Douglas, and Judy Burks

“My partner’s son basically grew up in the booth,” Burks said. “I can remember when he was 8 years old, saying, ‘Can I work here?’ And I said, ‘No, ‘cuz your head isn’t above the counter. But when your head is above the counter, maybe we’ll think about it.’ Well, now he’s an adult and he works in the back cooking the rice and just basically knows the whole thing inside and out. … Everybody along has the same thing. People that I knew who had little kids who were young couples are now relying on their children and grandchildren to stir the pots and carry the things.”

Burks also has a corps of volunteers who help out in exchange for free Jazz Fest tickets, including a couple returning this year from Paris, France, for yet another tour of duty. “Seeing the same people is so much fun,” she said.

Those “same people” include her fellow vendors, especially those from Food Area 1. The kickoff organizational meeting each year is like an extended family reunion, with hugs abounding as Jazz Fest perennials like Creole sausage prince Vance Vaucresson, Angelo Brocato’s owner Arthur Brocato, spinach-artichoke casserole purveyor Peggy Miranda, and Jamaican chef Cecil Palmer all reappear. “I still know everyone we started with,” Burks said. “ We run into each other occasionally at other times during the year. But for the most part, we see each other here, and it’s like old home week.”

1993: “The Fair Grounds in Flames”

Burks had the business swinging effortlessly along like a crack jazz band — until tragedy struck. On Dec. 17, 1993, a seven-alarm fire destroyed the Fair Grounds’ historic clubhouse. Burks remembers exactly where she was the moment she learned the devastating news. And appropriately enough, red beans were involved.

“I was eating red beans at the St. Charles Tavern when I looked up at the TV and saw the Fair Grounds in flames and I thought that was it,” she recalled. “Where are we going to have the festival now? It’s all over. … I thought they’d never pull it together in time for the festival the next year but they did. They didn’t miss a beat. They put all that tent stuff together and kept on going.”

The cavernous kitchen in the original building, with its massive pots and walk-in coolers and freezers, had been essential to Burks’ cooking operations. The clubhouse and its kitchen eventually were rebuilt and reopened in 1997, but for a few lean years Burks and her crew had to rough it. “It’s such a fancy kitchen since they rebuilt after the fire,” she told The Times-Picayune. “And such an improvement on how we’ve had to do it for the past few years. We’ve worked out at Delgado (Community College) and had to truck the stuff over to the grounds, and for a couple of years we worked in a tent. This is better.”

Morris Douglas

Post-Katrina Jazz Fest: “We Pulled it Together”

Things were better until Aug. 29, 2005, when the federal levees failed during Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans flooded. As a resident of Uptown’s “sliver by the river,” Burks mostly escaped the physical devastation inflicted on other parts of the city. And like most locals, she was determined to go on, and that meant firing up the city’s most beloved comfort food once again at the Fair Grounds.

“My thought about it was there’s probably not going to be a lot of people when we came back from Atlanta; there were a lot of people not here. And there are not going to be a lot of people who can work for us. But no matter what, I’m going to open even if we don’t have any customers. If the festival goes on, we’re going on too. It’s important that we do that. Whatever we could do to try to resume a life here was something that I wanted to do. We pulled it together and went back at it.”

“The crowds were small the first year after Katrina. That was really interesting going to see a lot of — the crowds were so small that I could go and actually hear music — and so I went out with a friend and listened to the Bruce Springsteen concert. And what was amazing was that you could stand in front of the Acura Stage without touching anybody. Put your arms out [like this] and there would be space all around you because there weren’t that many people. Never got to do that again.”

“I’m Going to Stay as Long as They’ll Let Me”

Like a good pot of red beans, Burks just improves with age. Asked how long she plans to keep on stirring the pot, Burks insists she still gets a thrill from the annual ritual.

“I don’t feel like quitting,” she asserted. “I really don’t. And the fact that my partner used to be my student means that he’s younger than me, and he’s still cooking. So we haven’t talked about quitting. And then he has his nephew, Pam’s son, working out in the booth a lot, so we just keep using younger people to do harder things. I guess I’m going to stay as long as they’ll let me because I enjoy it. It’s sort of like an essential part of my life at this point. This is year No. 50, so even though it’s just a couple of weeks of the year, it’s a touchstone throughout those years.”

From Humble Origin to Holiday Favorite

The association of blackeye peas with prosperity and a new start can be traced to Western Europe in the Middle Ages, with the symbolic round shape of the dried beans signifying that the old year has been completed, and a new one can begin. Seeing the small dried beans expand in size as they absorbed the cooking liquid also came to symbolize expanding fortune in the coming year. And peas also resemble small coins.

Despite the centuries-old tradition in the Old World, American colonists originally rejected blackeye peas as beneath them. Prior to the Civil War, Northerners typically regarded the humble legume as suitable only as feed for livestock, while Southerners considered them a rough meal for field workers, as the beans were first introduced to the region by enslaved West Africans. When the Civil War finally ended, desperate and starving Southerners revised their opinion of the readily available and nutritious blackeye pea. Slow cooked with smoked ham hocks, or other “lowly” parts of the pig, pots of nutrient-rich blackeye peas literally saved the lives of many families, and that led to their inclusion into the Southern culinary canon, where they remain firmly entrenched and much beloved to this day, most notably as part of the New Year’s Day meal.

Southern Blackeye Peas

Blackeye Peas One Pot Meal Recipe

New Orleans Style Blackeye Peas Recipe

Hoppin’ John Recipe

Blackeyed Peas-and Spinach Recipe

Pork, Collards and Black Eye Pea Gumbo Recipe

Any Way You Slice It, Pork Adds a Beloved Flavor to Peas and Greens.

In the early 1540s Hernando de Soto and his men traversed the Gulf Coast and officially introduced fifteen hogs to the American South. At the time, the consumption of pork was a Christian duty for every Spanish-speaking Catholic. In fact, during the Spanish Inquisition, it became obligatory to have pork simmering in a cauldron or chorizo sausages hanging from the rafters as proof of the household’s faith.

Pork is considered lucky to eat on New Year’s Day in many cultures. The association was formed centuries ago in Europe when wild boars were caught and killed on the first day of the year – providing the family food for months to follow. Additionally, a pig uses its snout to dig in the ground in a forward direction – symbolizing positive momentum. Strengthening the association of plenty in America, on most farms the first cold snap signified that it was time for the annual hog slaughter. Neighbors gathered to pitch in at each house, and livers, cracklins, and chitterlings were enjoyed immediately. The hog fat was boiled and rendered into lard, and all scraps of meat were ground up for sausages. Sides of bacon, hog jowls, shoulders, and hams were cured in salt for weeks before they were hung in the smokehouse along with sausages, ham hocks, and knuckles. Every part of the hog was used, providing an abundance of pork in the larder for the following year.

Pork is an essential flavoring ingredient in blackeye peas and greens, adding a smoky, rich flavor that gives these tradional dishes their soul-satisfying staying power.

Easy Pan Fried Pork Chops

Braised Collard Greens Recipe

Pork, Collards and Black Eye Pea Gumbo Recipe

Greens for Greenbacks

In the American South, greens are a favorite side dish all year, but especially prized as part of part of the New Year’s Day meal. The symbolism is straightforward: greens — whether collard, turnip, mustard, or cabbage, represent paper dollars or “greenbacks.” Greens are typically flavored with ham hocks, salt pork, or sausage – both because those parts of the pig are a frugal way to add a deep and smoky flavor, but also because pigs root forward when foraging, symbolizing positive momentum for the new year. The slow and low cooking method brings out the rich and mouth-watering pork flavor and the tender texture of southern-style greens.

The southern style of cooking of greens originated with the arrival of African slaves to the colonies, and can be traced back to the resourceful cooks who discovered that slow cooking greens and seasoning them with various cuts of smoked pork resulted in a delicious and hearty dish that appears on family tables all over the south today.

Southern Collard Greens

Braised Collard Greens Recipe

Ana’s Brazilian Style Collard Greens Recipe

Blackeye peas are the most beloved of the field peas – a soul food seasoned with the history of the American South. Eat them on New Year’s Day and you should have good luck, good fortune and fresh hope for a new start all year long.

When Union General William Tecumseh Sherman and his army cut a swath through the Confederate South, they left untouched large fields of blackeye peas that grew rampant and spread. Northerners thought these humble beans were suitable only for livestock, while white Southerners considered them a rough meal for field workers, as the beans were first introduced to the region by enslaved West Africans. They were both wrong: when the Civil War finally ground to an end, these delicious, previously disregarded beans literally saved the lives of desperate, starving Southern families. To this day they signify a fresh start, and they’re an important part of the Southern culinary canon, most notably as a traditional New Year’s Day meal to set the stage for a year of prosperity.

In the American South the traditional New Year’s meal also includes collard, turnip, or mustard greens; the greens are thought to symbolize money. Both the blackeye peas and the greens are flavored with ham – some say because pigs forage in a forward motion, representing a push forward to new prosperity. Most Southerners eat their blackeye peas either as a sort of stew ladled over rice, or in Hoppin’ John, a similar dish with the rice cooked in.

New Orleans-Style Blackeye Peas

• 1 pound dry Camellia Brand Blackeyes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound pickled pork, cubed to ½-inch
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large  green bell pepper
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 10 cups lightly salted water or chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• salt, pepper and/or hot sauce, to taste
• hot cooked rice
• hot buttered French bread
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced

Sort beans, removing debris and broken pieces; place in a large bowl. Rinse beans under running cold water until water runs clean. Cover beans with one inch of cold water; let stand at least 8 hours or until needed (do not soak longer than 24 hours). Completely drain beans before cooking.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add pickled pork; sauté 5 minutes or until browned. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, garlic and tomato paste; sauté 15 minutes. Add water and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Add soaked beans; stir well. Return to a low boil; cover with lid, reduce heat to low and simmer 1½ to 2 hours or until the peas are tender, stirring occasionally.

If a creamier texture is desired, use the back of a spoon to mash up to one-fourth of the tender beans and stir well. Taste; adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and/or hot sauce. Serve hot over hot cooked rice with hot buttered French bread. Garnish generously with green onions. Makes 8 servings.

Hoppin’ John

• 2 cups dry Camellia Brand Blackeyes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups lightly salted water or chicken broth
• 2 large ham hocks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• Salt, pepper and/or hot sauce, to taste

Sort blackeye peas, removing debris and broken pieces; place in a large bowl. Rinse under running cold water until water runs clean. Cover beans with one inch of cold water; let stand at least 8 hours or until needed (do not soak longer than 24 hours). Completely drain beans before cooking.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato and garlic; sauté an additional 5 minutes. Add water, ham hock, bay leaves and oregano; bring to a boil. Add soaked beans; stir well. Return to a low boil; cover with lid, reduce heat to low and simmer 1½ to 2 hours or until the peas are tender, stirring occasionally.

Remove ham hocks, pick meat from bones, chop and return to blackeye peas; discard bones, skin and other unwanted items. Remove bay leaves and discard. Add rice, cover and simmer an additional 25 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add green onions; stir well. Taste; adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and/or hot sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Southern Blackeye Peas