Killer beans with sausage

This is one I threw together one day with ingredients I just happened to have on hand. Yeah, that is pretty much how I cook; what do we have in the fridge and pantry today?

Well, it was such a big hit that I decided to write the recipe down, and have made it a couple of times since. I like to make a big batch in hopes there will be enough leftover for lunch and dinner tomorrow. Sometimes that actually works out.

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts water

• 2 quarts beef stock

• 1 lb great northern or navy beans, dry

• 1-2 lb smoked sausage (I like beef sausage), sliced

• 1 red onion, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 3-6 garlic cloves, minced

• habanero sauce, to taste

• Sriracha, to taste

• 1-2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1/2-1 tsp rubbed sage

Directions:

Follow quick soak directions on package for beans in 2 quarts (or recommended amount) of water. Then bring beans to a boil in beef stock, and simmer one hour.

Saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Add sausage to brown. Deglaze with one or two ladles-worth of stock from the beans, then add sauteed mixture to the beans with desired amount of Sriracha, habanero sauce, salt, pepper and sage. Simmer until beans are tender, about 30 to 60 minutes.

Note:

I generally quarter the sausage lengthwise before slicing to maximize the sausage-to-spoonful ratio. If using 2 lbs of sausage, this probably isn't necessary.