FoFa says:
"This is the first time I made Red Beans & Rice from scratch. Yes, I admit it, I have always used a package in the past to make it. So I decided to make it from scratch in honor of my wife getting out of the hospital (after 4 months). This is the recipe I used. I used a ham hock instead of a ham bone. This was one of the best red beans & rice I have eaten. "
1 pound dried red beans
1 1/2 pounds smoked sausage cut into chunks
1 ham hock or ham bone
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt to taste
freshly cooked white rice
Soak beans overnight in cold water.
Drain and put the beans in a large pot or Dutch oven.
Add fresh water to cover (I used chicken stock), along with the sausage and ham, onion, garlic, thyme, pepper, sage, and cayenne.
Bring to boil over medium high heat.
Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until beans are tender, adding more water if necessary to keep them from drying out.
This will take 2 to 3 hours.
Add salt to taste.
Discard ham bones.
Remove about 1/4 cup of beans from mixture and mash; return to Dutch oven and stir.
Simmer 15 more minutes.
Serve over hot rice.