The BEST Popeyes Style Red Beans and Rice

Serves: 6

Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Just Wright - Medium

Healthy Level: For the Soul - calories don’t count

Listening To: Music - D'Angelo, Black Messiah

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups sushi rice

• 3 cans red kidney beans drained and rinsed

• 10 strips of turkey bacon cut into strips

• ⅓ stick of butter

• ½ large shallot, or 1 small shallot

• 2 teaspoons diced garlic, 2 cloves garlic

• 1 handful diced green onion or chives

• ¼ cup white vinegar

• ¼ cup coconut milk (can use regular milk)

• 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning

• 2 tablespoons cayenne

• 2 tablespoons chipotle powder

• Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Using an instant pot make 2 cups of sushi rice following the package directions. If you don’t have an instant pot follow the stovetop directions. On instant pot setting use rice setting on medium cooking for 12 minutes. Once cooked, release the steam, stir and spread out on a plate to stop the rice from further cooking. Set aside.

2. In a dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat, place in the butter until melted. Add in the shallots and season with salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon of cayenne, 1 tablespoon of chipotle powder. Cook until the shallot is translucent for about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic until fragrant about 1 minute.

3. Place in the strips of bacon and cook on high heat until beginning to crisp, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

4. To remove all the brown bits from the bottom, add in the white vinegar and using a wooden spoon remove all brown bits and cook out, about 5 minutes. Add in the kidney beans, coconut milk and the rest of the seasonings of cayenne, chipotle, and Old Bay. Cook covered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

5. Uncover and move heat to low. Using an immersion blender, blend the bean mixture until partially smooth with some pieces of bacon and beans still whole.

6. Place rice in a bowl and cover with bean mixture and top with green onions or chives.