I'm a Southerner, and this slow cooker red beans and rice recipe for Juneteenth reminds me of home

Food historian and cookbook author Adrian Miller explained that red holds important symbolism for Juneteenth, which first took place on June 19, 1865. There are few theories on why red is important because the information wasn't always documented, Miller told Insider.

"The one I hear frequently is that red symbolizes the blood shed by enslaved West African ancestors," he said. "So, red pays homage and respect to those ancestors who died during the Atlantic slave trade."

As a result, the color red traditionally appears throughout Juneteenth weekend in everything from flags and apparel to food.

Ahead of the celebrations, I made Chef Chris Williams of Lucille's recipe for slow cooker red beans and rice that he shared with Consumer Reports in June 2021. Lucille's is a Houston-based restaurant focused on Southern cuisine founded by Williams, who attended Le Cordon Blue in Texas, the website said.

It's a hands-off recipe that creates a creamy texture with the red beans and gets a flavor boost from the added turkey leg.

Most of the ingredients in Williams' recipe are likely in your kitchen, but you'll need:

• 1 lb. dried red beans, soaked overnight
• 1 lb. chicken sausage, sliced into rounds
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning (or to taste)
• 1 smoked turkey neck
• 10 cups water
• 4 cups of cooked rice

Williams' recipe called for 10 cups of water, but I found that the end result was too watery for my taste. Personally, I like the sauce for my red beans and rice to be a little thick.

Instead, I used six cups of water the second time around and found that it left behind a more viscous sauce.

Slice the chicken sausage into rounds, and chop one sweet onion and one green bell pepper. Then, set aside the ingredients in separate containers until transitioning to the stove.

Chop the jalapeño pepper — making sure to remove the seeds — and chop eight garlic cloves.

Williams said to brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, then remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and add it to the slow cooker. He said to "reserve" the leftover "drippings" in the skillet.

I added two tablespoons of neutral oil to the skillet to help the sausage along.

Add the onion, green bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic to the leftover drippings, then cook and stir until tender. Williams' suggested cook time was five minutes.

Once cooked, add the chopped ingredients to the slow cooker.

Lastly, add 1sp of ground black pepper, 1 tsp of Creole seasoning, and the turkey neck.

As Williams' told Consumer Report, this is a "set-it-and-forget-it" meal, so cover the slow cooker with the top and let it cook on low for around eight hours (or when the beans are tender).

At the two-hour mark, good smells began wafting through my apartment and the beans were beginning to cook through.

At the four-hour mark, the chicken sausage took on a darker color and was nearly cooked. The beans were beginning to soften but weren't at a creamy consistency yet. I also added another tbsp of Creole seasoning, which infused another layer of flavor and color.

After six hours, the dish smelled and looked delicious! The turkey leg had cooked through and was tender, while the sausages soaked up the seasoning in the slow cooker.

One of my favorite aspects of Williams' recipe is the assortment of flavors that intermingle together. The meats, seasoning, and added ingredients like onion resulted in a punch of flavor that I'd expect to find at a southern restaurant. I cut slices from the turkey neck and added them to my plate for a boost of flavor.

Another aspect is the beans, which adopted a creamy — but not mushy — texture while in the slow cooker. If you're someone who likes a hearty meal but doesn't have the time to make it, slow cooker recipes like this one are stellar options.

Red beans and rice is a delicious way to include the color red in a Juneteenth meal, and the slow cooker method makes the task easier than ever.