10/9/07 | Glory Red Beans And Rice
[ Currently Eating: Goldfish Crackers ]
Awhile ago, a friend of my wife’s had given her this can of Glory Foods Seasoned New Orleans Style Red Beans And Rice, so I decided to get it into the review queue. I have to say that I’ve never heard of this brand before so I just assumed it was another forsaken waif relegated to the shelves of the dollar store. According to the friend, however, it’s a standard item you can get at any grocery store.
I’m also not sure if this isn’t going to turn into one of those reviews like the one on my namesake Bryan’s Tamales where my regional culinary ignorance is once again put on display. Seriously, I had no idea about the MS Delta Tamale Trail until I saw it on Food Network. So people DO eat those tiny wax paper wrapped tamale things on a regular basis…
This 15 oz can of Red Beans and Rice says “New Orleans Style” on the front. Although I’ve been to New Orleans earlier for a few days, I’ve never had red beans and rice at a restaurant over there. So I have no idea if this is a popular regional thing or not - but I’m assuming it is. Hopping onto their website, I saw that Glory Foods makes a ton of different types of canned, frozen and fresh food. In particular, they do a ton of different types of southern style canned beans, peas and veggies which somewhat reassured me this might be a halfway decent brand of Cheap Eats.
Anyhow, I dumped the can of rice and beans into a pot and settled in to wait for it to boil up. My first impression of the mix is that it is actually had much more liquid than I thought it was going to have. I had pictured it being drier but it actually looked sort of like bean soup with rice. It was very viscuous as well - in a way the consistency of the sauce reminded me of when you dump a can of kidney beans out and there’s all that red-brown liquid left over. Reading the label, I saw that a main ingredient was red bean flour so perhaps that’s where it’s coming from.
The red beans and rice warmed up quickly, about the same time it takes for a similar sized can of chili. I dumped it into a dish and took up a spoon.
There were two main impressions I got from the Glory Red Beans and Rice mix. The first one, which actually hit me the moment I opened the can, is that there is a TON of smoke flavor added in here. There is a decent bacon flavor (which comes from bacon fat according to the can, whee) going on, but the smokiness of this dish was nearly overpowering. Kind of like how your clothes smell after sitting around a campfire for a few hours. It’s not a bad smoke smell, but it is definitely strong. I actually liked it because it reminded me of a bbq, but I think other people might have issues with it.
The second impression I got was that this is VERY salty. Just going by the label, sodium content comes out to 680mg (28% Daily Value) for a 1/2 cup serving. But I didn’t need the label to tell me it was salty - I need to have a drink of water after only a few bites. I have quite a few friends whose taste buds must be on the fritz, because they can eat this type of food all day long and sometimes even add MORE salt to it at the table. I think my salt-tolerance is a little under average, so this might not be as bad as I’m making it out to be. And in their defense, Glory does have a “Sensibly Seasoned” line that has much lower sodium, fat and is meatless.
But as for taste and texture, I really enjoyed this. The smoky bacon flavor was excellent and there was a slight sweetness in the sauce but it wasn’t overdone. It’s not as sweet as baked beans which I really don’t like (*cringes* Sorry, irate baked bean fans out there). The whole red beans were just right - not smashed, but cooked all the way through and tender. The rice tasted pretty decent too, not horribly mushy or undercooked. The sauce is indeed glutinous, but I found that adding a bit of water not only helped thin it out but it fixed the saltiness issue somewhat. Spiciness - there is only a hint of it in the background, but there’s some there. I probably would add a few dashes of hot sauce next time. And then say “Bam!”, because infringing on Emeril’s copyrighted phrases is the new “in” thing to do. Even Alton does it.
In general, I was surprised at how decent this canned red beans and rice was. I’d be tempted to try their other southern cuisine products as they have a whole lot of them. In particular, I’m interested in their Sensibly Seasoned line which hopefully will have less of the salt.
Price: Free (MSRP: $1-2)
Found At: Gift
Cheap Eats Score: 7/10
October 9th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
You’re right about it being a popular regional thing. It’s right up there with gumbo and jambalaya.
As a south Louisianian (and therefore a snob when it comes to cajun food) I have to say that it actually looks good, and since I can’t cook like my mom can, I’ll definitely give it a try.
Thanks for the review!
October 9th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
I, being from Southern MS, am very familiar with the Red beans and rice. That being said, it’s not my favorite meal. I prefer their greens. They are very good and not salty at all. Tamales aren’t a favorite of mine either, it may be just a northern MS thing.
October 10th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I paid $1.29 for this product today at Kroger and it is pretty good.
October 10th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
The sludge at the bottom of a can of kidney beans? Bean starch and…wait for it…corn syrup. Check your labels, a lot of them are sweetened. Yech. I rinse my beans now.
October 12th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Mmm, that looks really good! Wonder if they have that up here in Washington…ill have to look into it.
October 13th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I’ve tried several of the offerings from Glory. I do agree that the standard offerings are quite a bit salty. I now get the Sensibly Seasoned versions and they are quite good. The Southern Style Cabbage is really good. I just finished the Tomatoes and Okra, which was pretty good too.
October 15th, 2007 at 10:34 am
kevin - I love to try different brands of canned food. The product may not always be good, but I often find out a lot about different regional cuisine by experimenting that way.
la - I like greens as well, I’m thinking that’s the next one I’ll be trying.
anthony - if it gets to $1, I’d definitely by a can or two more of this.
kaji - I usually do rinse kidney beans - and I did immediately look for corn syrup on the label. I don’t think this was as bad as cans of kidney and garbanzo beans though.
john - I’m not sure how widespread it is distributed, but it seems like you should be able to find it at a major supermarket.
andy - I’m definitely going to try the sensibly seasoned versions. Only thing is that I notice that they don’t always have the equivalent for both sensibly seasoned. Like this beans and rice, I would definitely get it again if it was less salty.
October 19th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
oh my goodness… old glory foods! they are wonderful
and you know… because they are really seasoned very well… (with meat!)…there is nothing to add.
chix and dumplings, the greens with bacon, (toss in some hot vinegar)and and of any of their things.. it is so enexpensive.. seasoned very very well..(NO ADD ON!) makes it a very very good “cheap eats” buy
any of their foods are worth the money.
(lots of meat for very little money)
i also find them, many many time at “big lots” i dont know if you have these in your area, but it is even cheaper.
you can purchase any of their goods, and know they will all be good.
the kroger knock off, ( you know its gotta be good, if kroger trys to make the same sasoned goods) is pretty good.
it says ” like old glory brand”
worth trying.
i wouldnt stear you wrong.
we cant afford to make a mistake that we HATE!
also their corn muffin mix at 25 cents a box is very good as well.
we make sasuage balls with it.
it involves a box of old glory or jiffy mix,corn muffin mix, a bag of store brand (or grate it yourself )a cup of sharp cheedar cheese and one roll of hot sasuage,(its not hot when its mixed) even my kids love this(promise!)
roll them into small balls and bake them for about 20 min.s untill golden brown.
its delicous.
you can make a big batch..(two rolls of sausage , two boxes of muffin mix, two cups of cheese) makes about 40, like we do,and its a perfect breakfast, easy lunch..and can be frozen,,, so you just take out the frozen from your reused clean ziplock bag…. the cooked sausage balls and rewarm in the microwave for about 45 seconds.
waaaaaay better than the fake sausage and bisquits that you get frozen.
give it a try… and let me know how you like it.
its worth the money, its protein, and cheeseand also bread,,,
you can use turkey sausage, or 50% less fat pork sausage or even pepperoni for spiciness.
its a good thing!
October 25th, 2007 at 8:58 am
The best to fix up canned red beans & rice is to add some pre-chopped onions, celery & garlic (the trinity) and simmer for a little while. Heat up some hot sausages and you have a great meal when you don’t have the time or resources to make a whole pot of Red Beans.
November 10th, 2007 at 7:02 am
Yeah, I’ve had those– they’re pretty good. On the other hand, if they said they were “New Orleans Style”, they’re supposed to be rather thick. For you northerners, it’s supposed to have a more chowder like consistency. Remember: It’s a dish, not a soup.
December 4th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
I am from the south and I have tried all of the can foods Glory offers. It’s about as close as you are getting to the real thing in a can. If you can not cook fresh veggies and make them taste good then this is the can food for you. The collards, kale, butter beans and smothered potatoes are the best! Try the whole line of Glory can foods, you won’t be disappointed when trying to whip up a tasty, affordable, and quick meal.
January 25th, 2009 at 11:13 am
i really love this - it has a great flavor. the blackeyed pea and rice is great, also.
February 6th, 2009 at 9:35 am
RED BEANS AND RICE ARE THE BOMB!!!!
I SEND THEM BACK HOME TO MY KIDS
AND THEY LOVE THEM!!!!
August 20th, 2009 at 8:21 am
I use the red beans & rice in my hamburger mix for my green peppers. I add the trinity, a couple garlic buds, some thyme, a little fresh basil, fresh or canned tomatoes, a little tomato sauce, salt, pepper, a little sugar, and hot sauce. Boil the peppers until slightly tender, stuff with mixture and top with cheese. I do my mixture in electric fry pan so just put cooked peppers in pan with the mix, stuff, top with cheese and cover for a few minutes ’til cheese melts.
I have found a brand I like better than Old Glory for turnip greens. Give Margaret Holmes at try, and it is cheaper!!