Harry Connick Jr. Is 57 Today—Celebrate With His Favorite Southern Comfort Food

It may take a while to cook, but it's so worth it.

Harry Connick Jr. may be known for his many talents; he is a jack of all trades, after all. Singer, actor, pianist, and talk show host, this guy can do everything—including cook.

To celebrate his birthday, we thought we’d spotlight his cooking talents by highlighting one of his all-time favorite recipes: red beans and rice. The former TV host cooked this Southern comfort food on his eponymous daytime talk show, where he often highlighted family recipes during the show's run from 2016 to 2018.

Connick made sure to let the audience know he prepared the red beans and rice himself, which took him hours to make. He started around 8 p.m. the night before, then got up at midnight to stir the beans, and again at 4 a.m.—he doesn’t “mess around” when it comes to going all out with this bean dish for his fans.

While the show site with the recipe is no longer active, there is still a video showing the actor whipping up this dish in front of his delighted audience. It’s definitely worth a watch to get inspired at home.

On the Allrecipes site, we have our own Authentic New Orleans Red Beans and Rice recipe, which we think is a pretty close replica to Harry Connick Jr.’s, if we do say so ourselves. Both versions call for ham hock and smoked sausage, though Connick notes he throws in two kinds of sausage. It will also take some time to create, similar to Harry’s version, so it’s best to start early or cook it a day before you want to enjoy it. Not only does this help with the prep work, but the dish will taste even better after sitting in the fridge for a day.

So why is this recipe so time-consuming anyway? It’s all about the beans. You’ll first need to soak them overnight before you begin cooking them. Once they are finished soaking, you’ll add them to a pot with water while you sauté your veggies. Then, you’ll mix everything together and bring it to a boil before simmering for about 2 hours. Next, add the andouille sausage (Harry uses both Italian sausage and smoked sausage), which you’ll cook for another half hour.

There’s a lot of love that goes into this dish, which may be why Harry Connick Jr. is such a fan, but it’s worth every little bit once you have a hot, flavorful bowl of this yummy goodness on a chilly day. We have a feeling you may even be saying, “Oh my God,” like the members of the audience after just one bite. Cheers to the birthday boy.

Read the original article on All Recipes.