Zatarain’s New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice

January 28, 2008 | Reviewer: Abi

Zatarain’s New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice Price: $2.00 (on sale)
Serving: 1/2 package, 1 cup prepared
Calories: 190
Fat: 0%, 0g
Cholesterol: 0%, 0mg
Sodium: 50%, 1190mg
Protein: 8g
Carbs: 13%, 40g
Fiber: 18%, 5g
Sugar: <1g
Weight Watchers Points: 3 points

Zatarain’s says: Red Beans & Rice is a traditional Monday dinner in New Orleans and has wide appeal today. This mix has precooked beans so total preparation time is under 30 minutes. Great with sausage or pork chops as a side dish or entree, or straight as packaged for a meatless meal.

Abi says: There’s no denying my love of Zatarain’s Bean and Rice mixes. They remind me of camping in New Hampshire, dinner simmering on a camp stove, a roaring fire just waiting for marshmallows and the promise of needing to escape the tent when it floods after four straight nights of rain.

Zatarain’s isn’t every day food. It is superbly salty (50% of your daily limit in just one cup of food!), lacking significant texture, and a sludgy grey that might put off all but the colorblind. It is also really freaking delicious. Perhaps my enjoyment of this meal is irrational, but I was too was a skeptic before I had my first ravenous bite of Zatarain’s Black Beans and Rice. It is packed with such a savory, meatiness that you wouldn’t believe it is vegetarian (note: the box says ‘natural flavors’ which could mean meat), or at least, not outrightly meaty.

This food has all of the hallmarks of comfort necessary on a cold night: hearty, filling beans and rice, plenty of flavor, and quality of perfection when eaten alone or paired with sliced and sauteed hot links (or half smokes for you DC folks). On the downside, this stuff takes forever to cook. Sure, the beans are actually pre-cooked and dehydrated, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to have a meal in less than 30 minutes. No, you’ll need to give yourself something more like 45 minutes to allow time for your water to boil, for the dish to cook, and for the sauce to thicken (very important). You’ll have just enough food to feed two super-hungry people or three moderately hungry people who also enjoy side dishes.

I look forward to trying Zatarain’s frozen meals when I finally find them in stores. Until then, I’ll have to go with my once or twice a month hearty, stomach-filling, sodium-intensive dinner.

comments

14 Responses to “Zatarain’s New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice”

Lego on January 28th, 2008

Have you tried the Zatarain’s Ready-to-Serve Complete Meals? They come in a pouch that you can place right in the microwave. Only takes 60 seconds to cook. The only place I found the complete meal versions is at Walmart for around $1.99 each. I have the Blackened Chicken with Yellow Rice, Red Beans & Rice with Sausage, Jambalaya with Sausage, and Dirty Rice with Pork, but I have yet to try any of them. I do like the fact that they come in single serving pouches that go right in the microwave and are done in a minute.

http://shop.zatarains.com/shop-by-product-category-ready-to-serve-complete-c-1412_1403.html
MaryAnne on January 28th, 2008

My boyfriend and I are huge fans of the carribbean rice. We add chicken and some extra pineapple and we’re good to go. It’s a great side dish to bring to dinner parties too.
Red Icculus on January 28th, 2008

These have been a staple in my diet since college, because the beans and rice are complete protein and a box is cheap!

The 1190 mg of sodium is why I spring for the low-sodium kind
bj on January 28th, 2008

Zatarain’s frozen blackened chicken alfredo is the best frozen meal I have ever had. They do sell it at wal-mart, and it is def. worth the trip. amazing.
Jeri on January 28th, 2008

Red Icculus: How are the low sodium mixes? I’ve seen them advertised but haven’t tried them yet.
Justin on January 28th, 2008

I second bj’s comment. The blackened chicken alfredo is amazing. Make sure to give it time for the sauce to thicken after heating.
bj on January 28th, 2008

to add to the thickening of the sauce, a little extra parmesan cheese helps. if youre eating something that fattening might as well go all out.
Abi Jones on January 29th, 2008

@Lego - I’ve seen those ready to eat meals and I find them a bit scary. It doesn’t make sense because I do eat canned food, so I supposed I’ll have to try the next one I see.

@MaryAnne - The Caribbean rice is new to me. I’m only seen the Red/Black Beans and Rice and Jambalaya mixes.

@Red - Yeah, sodium can definitely be a problem. If only my local stores carried the low sodium variety (though it looks like I can get them super-cheap directly from Zatarain’s)

@BJ - Where in the country are you? At which stores have you seen this frozen meal?
Red Icculus on January 29th, 2008

@ Jeri- The low-sodium variety has 360 mg of sodium, or 15% of your daily value in 1/6 of the box as a serving.
bj on January 29th, 2008

I’m in atlanta, so they have them not only at wal-mart but also at kroger.
Justin on January 29th, 2008

Yum extra cheese, will have to try that! I’m in Colorado and have also only found these at Walmart.
Amber on January 29th, 2008

“They remind me of camping in New Hampshire…”

I’m from Lafayette (Louisiana, of course), and was not expecting Zatarain’s to remind someone of a yankee state.

Re: Ready-to-Serve Complete Meals– I thought the one I tried was vile. I don’t even remember which one I had (jambalaya or red beans and rice?), but I remember I took about four bites before throwing the rest away. I might just be too picky when it comes to that kind of food.
Lego on January 30th, 2008

I tried one of the Ready-to-Serve Complete Meals yesterday. They are decent, but not something I would eat on a regular basis. The 60 second cook time really brought the rating up for me, but the food also had a strange mild chemical taste, and that is never good. Overall, I’d give it about a 3-star rating for a shelf-stable product.
Mandi on March 19th, 2008

The low sodium zatarain’s are awesome! I made one today for lunch and it was delicious….you couldn’t really tell it was low sodium and the taste was still there. I mixed it up with some roasted pork loin and it was deeeeeelicious. Even my skeptical “I hate all things rice and beans” boyfriend ate this (going so far as to eat all but the 1 cup serving I gave myself). So in all, its two thumbs up from Missouri!