Carnival season is party season. From intimate get-togethers to full-on extravaganzas, there’s always a good reason to have some folks over. If you’re looking for a flavor-packed crowd-pleaser (and another tasty way to use your Instant Pot), you’ll want to try out this recipe for Camellia Brand Great Northern Beans with Andouille and Shrimp.
Served with some hot, fresh cornbread, this concoction of Camellia Brand Great Northern Beans, spicy andouille sausage, and sweet, tender Louisiana shrimp will give your guests something to talk about, and give them a great start before heading out to the parades. Camellia Brand Great Northern beans are notable for their delicate texture and nutty flavor. They’re most popular in soups, stews, and casseroles, and work very well mixed with, or as a substitute for, larger navy beans and cannellini beans. Great Northern beans are an excellent source of iron, potassium, and protein. Best of all, they are grown to the Camellia Brand’s Hayward Standard, a benchmark that exceeds the top USDA quality requirements.
To help make this straightforward dish even easier, we used one of our new favorite kitchen appliances, the Instant Pot. This multi-use wonder combines the speed of a pressure cooker with the convenience of a slow cooker. Even better, unlike either of those devices, you can sauté right inside the unit, so you can build layers of flavor without dirtying more pots and pans.
Rather than our typical overnight soak to start the Great Northern Beans, we gave them a quick soak with boiling water to get the process started before pressure-cooking them. While the Instant Pot is doing its thing, you can take a few minutes to prepare some cornbread to complete the meal and get the party started.
- 1 pound dried Camellia Brand Great Northern Beans
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 12 ounces smoked andouille sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning,* divided
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 3½ cups seafood stock
- ½ pound peeled and deveined large fresh shrimp
- 1 cup frozen cut okra, thawed
- Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
- Cornbread, to serve
- In a large bowl, combine beans and boiling water to cover by 2 inches. Let stand for 1 hour. Drain.
- To start Instant Pot, press Sauté button, and select Normal heat level. Once preheated, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add sausage; cook with lid open, stirring frequently, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove sausage using a slotted spoon, and let drain on paper towels.
- To Instant Pot, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and 1½ teaspoons Creole seasoning; cook for 1 minute, scraping browned bits from bottom of Instant Pot with a wooden spoon. Add beans, sausage, tomatoes, and stock, stirring to combine.
- Place lid on Instant Pot, and seal. Set steam valve to closed position. Press Manual button, and select High Pressure; press “+” button to increase time to 35 minutes. (The unit will pressurize and then begin counting down.)
- When beans have cooked through the cycle, let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes. Carefully turn valve to venting to release steam. Press Keep Warm/Cancel button to select Keep Warm setting.
- Sprinkle shrimp with remaining ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning. Remove tails, if desired.
- Remove lid from Instant Pot, and stir mixture. Add shrimp and okra, making sure they are fully submerged. Cook until shrimp are pink and firm, 6 to 7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve with cornbread, if desired.
