Red beans and rice for 12: dried red kidney beans simmered with the trinity, andouille and a smoked ham hock until they turn creamy, served over white rice. It's a homegating pot. Cook it the day before, when it gets better, then reheat it on the stove and feed the crew before you head to the game or settle in to watch.
Feeds: 12 · Hands-on: about 45 min · Total: about 4 hours, plus an overnight soak
Home gear: a heavy 8-quart or larger pot, plus a slow cooker if you want to hold it on warm
Pack for the lot
- Beans, reheated to 165°F, in the slow cooker with the lid clipped, or in an insulated food jug
- Rice, hot, in a covered pot or foil pan wrapped in towels
- Green onions, in the cooler
- Hot sauce
- Ladle and a rice spoon
- Extension cord for the slow cooker
- Bowls, spoons and napkins
Lot notes
- The Superdome rule: the Caesars Superdome guide says no current official page allows grills or tailgating in the garages or Lot 3, and no outside food, drinks or coolers go into the stadium. Champions Square, the Saints' official tailgate, is a party you walk into, not one you set up. That's why this pot gets eaten at home before you go, or at the watch party.
- Holding hot: a slow cooker on warm keeps the beans at 140°F or above for hours. Check it with a thermometer. Once the beans drop below 140°F, eat them within 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's over 90°F.
- Rice: cooked rice cools into the danger zone fast. Keep it covered and hot, or cook a fresh pot right before serving. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
- Cleanup: fill the pot with hot water while you eat. Bean starch scrubs out easily wet and badly dry.
Can you make red beans and rice ahead?
Yes, and it's better that way. Cook the beans the day before, refrigerate them, and reheat them to 165°F with a splash of water. Make the rice fresh on game day.
How do you keep red beans and rice hot?
Hold the beans in a slow cooker on warm at 140°F or above. For the drive to a watch party, reheat them to 165°F first and carry them in a clipped slow cooker or an insulated jug.
Do you have to soak red beans overnight?
It's the easiest way to get even, creamy beans. If you forget, cover them with water, boil for 2 minutes, then let them sit covered for 1 hour before draining. Either way, boil them hard for 10 minutes once they're in the pot.
How much red beans and rice for 20 people?
Multiply everything by 1⅔: about 3½ lb of dried beans, 1⅔ lb of andouille, 2 ham hocks and about 6⅔ cups of rice. That's more than an 8-quart pot holds, so use a 12-quart pot or cook 2 batches.
Can you cook red beans and rice at the Superdome?
Not that we can confirm. The Caesars Superdome guide says no current official page allows grills or tailgating in the garages or Lot 3, so cook it at home and eat before you go.