Southwestern Ranch Beans With SausagePhoto byGin Lee

Southwestern Ranch Beans With Sausage

This recipe is perfect for a cozy day! Today, I decided to mix red beans and pinto beans, but feel free to swap in black beans if you like.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of sausage
• 2 cups of dried red beans
• 2 cups of dried pinto beans
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 packet of ranch seasoning mix
• 1 cup of chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of chili powder (the amount depends on your preference).
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Seasoning salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• About 12 cups of water to cook the beans

Instructions:

Wash and pre-soak the beans in water for at least 2 hours. Then rinse them with fresh water.

In a crockpot, add the red beans, pinto beans, and 12 cups of water.

Make sure the beans are completely submerged in water as they cook. About an hour before they're supposed to be done, check on them and add more boiling water if necessary. Otherwise, the beans that aren't covered might still be tough when they're finished cooking.

In a skillet, cook the sausage until browned. Drain any excess fat.

Once the beans are cooked, combine the cooked sausage, diced tomatoes, ranch seasoning mix, chicken broth or vegetable broth, smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion, garlic, seasoning salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Stir everything together until well mixed.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 6 hours, depending on how tender you prefer your beans to be.

Serve hot and enjoy!