Cuban-Style Red Beans and Rice

This was a nice basic beans and rice recipe. It sure makes a lot! I omitted the garlic, used all the bacon drippings instead of adding olive oil, and substituted celery for the green pepper.

My kids loved it! Flavorful without being spicy. We used brown rice which takes longer to cook but adds depth to the dish.

I needed to use up some tomato paste and chose this recipe. What a treat! I don't eat meat so I used Morning Star fake bacon. It turned out great. You could even omit the bacon entirely if you wanted to. I served it with some cast iron skillet cornbread and the whole family gave it two thumbs up.