Cajun Andouille, Red Beans, & Rice

OMG this was soooo good. My husband thought it was "good" but not as amazing as I did. But I just don't think he is capable of appreciating that this super simple dish had such depth of flavor.

I have to warn you that (A) most of the time when I'm cooking it is intuitive and I'm just kind of building on things I've made in the past or whatever. If it's not baking, I probably don't follow a specific recipe. That is VERY much the case here. I wrote things out as best as I could remember or estimate them.

Also, (B) I truly think that what made this turn out sooo good is that I used fresh, ripe, homegrown tomatoes as well as homemade, very concentrated, chicken stock. I think this dish would still be tasty without those special ingredients but it might not be "next level" so to speak.

Ingredients:

• Andouille sausage cut into slices (I used 13.5 ounces of Johnsonville, but I think you could use any brand and maybe a little more if you want it extra meaty)
• 2 cups of quick cook brown rice (or quick cook white rice... I just use brown because that's what I keep on hand because whole grains and all that jazz).
• 3 large, fresh tomatoes, cut into chunks (you could peel if tomato peel bothers you but it definitely didn't negatively affect the dish in my opinion)
• 1/2 to 1 bell pepper (red or green, a little or a lot, depending on your preferences)
• 3 shallots, diced or sliced
• 4-6 cups of chicken stock
• 1-2 cups of water
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 4 tbsp. salted butter
• Cajun seasoning
• Salt and pepper

Do it:

1. Brown the sausage slices in butter in a large skillet (big and deep enough to cook the entire dish in).
2. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes, two cups of the chicken stock (mine was so concentrated it had the consistency of jelly), and bay leaves.
3. Once the broth is heated through, make the heat so that the combination gently simmers with visible bubbles but not a full boil.
4. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen bits and pieces. As the mixture reduces, add another cup of broth and a cup of water. 
5. Add diced bell pepper and shallots.
6. Sprinkle in Cajun seasoning... only a little bit at a time. Re-taste every 10-15 minutes and add more cajun seasoning as desired.
7. Everything should simmer for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Continue adding broth and water as the mixture reduces.
8. Around the one hour mark, add the rice and stir. Cover the skillet for 5-10 minutes, then remove the cover. Stir occasionally and add any additional liquid if you think the rice needs it.
9. Once the rice is cooked through and most of the liquid is reduced/absorbed, turn off heat and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. 
10. Add salt & pepper to taste.
11. EAT IT.