Baked Red Beans and Rice

White rectangular casserole dish filled with red beans and rice.

4.34 from 3 votes

This dump & bake red beans and rice features Cajun flavors and simple pantry staples. The result is flavorful, fluffy rice and beans baked in the oven!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cajun

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 431kcal

Author: Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup long grain white rice medium also works; rinse well
15 ounce can red beans drained and rinsed
1 small sweet yellow onion diced
1 medium green bell pepper diced
2 ribs celery diced
4-5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons salt-free Cajun seasoning see note #1
1 teaspoon dry thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt adjust to taste
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce *store brands are often anchovy-free
2 cups vegetable broth
2-3 vegan sausages sliced into coins; see note #2
¼ cup chopped parsley for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F.
To a 9x13-inch baking dish add the rice, drained beans, onion, pepper, celery, garlic, butter, tomato paste, Cajun seasoning, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
Pour in the Worcestershire sauce and vegetable broth, stirring to combine. Cover tightly with a lid or foil.
Bake at 375F for 30-40 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through. While the rice bakes, pan-fry the sliced sausages in a lightly oiled pan until golden, just 4-5 minutes.
Remove the rice from the oven and stir in the pan-fried sausage and parsley. If the rice is a little liquidy you can return it to the oven to bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Otherwise, it is ready to serve. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Cajun seasoning: If using seasoning that contains salt, I recommend decreasing or omitting the added salt.
Sausage: I like Field Roast's apple sausage here, but any type works. My homemade vegan Italian sausage is also a great option!
An equal amount of brown rice can be used in place of white rice but note that it takes at least an additional 20-25 minutes to bake. Increase the vegetable broth to 3 cups.
An equal amount of quinoa can be used in place of white rice.
Storage notes:
1. To freeze: Let the casserole cool completely in the fridge before covering tightly with a layer of saran wrap and foil, or transferring to a freezer container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
2. To reheat: Cover with a lid or foil and reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 325F for about 25-30 minutes, or until heated through. Add a splash of water or broth, as needed, if the casserole starts to dry out.
Want to speed up the cooking time? Simmer all liquids on the stove before adding them to the casserole dish. Check the rice at 20 minutes, adding additional time as needed.

Nutrition