Step 1

Empty the 2 lb bag of large lima beans into a large colander or strainer and rinse under cold water. Sort through the beans and toss out any that look bad. Next, put the beans in your 8-quart stock pot. Fill the pot with water, covering the top of the beans. Cover the pot with a lid or with aluminum foil. Let the beans soak for 6 hours or overnight.When the beans are ready, they will have expanded and some will have split open. No worries.....This is a good thing!

Step 2

After you've soaked your beans and are ready to start cooking up this yummy dish, drain the water from the pot. Set the pot on the stove, add 10 cups of water to the pot, turn the burner to medium-high heat and bring the beans to a boil. While the beans are cooking, cut the sausage in slices or in half lengthwise and across for half circles. Place the cut up sausage in your skillet. Add the butter and seasoning blend* to the pan. Set the heat on medium-high. Stirring often, saute the sausage, butter and seasoning blend until the onions are clear and tender. *I use Pictsweet Farm's brand of seasoning blend. However, If you do not have seasoning blend available, just dice up some onions, bell pepper, and celery.

Step 3

Empty the skillet of sauted sausage, seasoning blend and butter that's remaining in the pan into the pot. Add the Tony's creole seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Stir until all ingredients are combined together. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 1-1/2 hours or until the beans are tender.

Step 4

When the beans are tender, take 2 cups of beans out and place them in a small bowl. Using a fork, press down on the beans to mash them. Add the mashed beans back into the pot and stir.Mashing beans will thicken the sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes. Serve as is, over rice, or with some fresh baked cornbread. Enjoy!