One of my New York friends asked me if people in Texas eat much pasta (noodles and macaroni). He’s noticed that we eat a lot of rice and potatoes as our starch, aka carbohydrate, portion of the meal. I had never really considered that this might be a regional food thing. I told him that we do eat pasta, but we eat more potatoes and rice. This may just be because I do not eat gluten, but my husband says he recalls eating a lot of rice growing up and not so much pasta. Texas is also a major rice producing state and I grew up just miles away from rice fields.
We were also discussing different types of sausage because I grilled some sausage links for dinner tonight with a pot of pinto beans. He asked what kind of sausage and I said, umm, Texas sausage. Haha! He said he didn’t know if he had ever had pinto beans and I told him that they are a staple of the Texas diet, along with barbecue and potato salad.
Where I live, just West of the Houston area where the hills begin to roll, sausage is a staple food like seafood is for people who live by the coast. We eat it often and there are many local sausage companies. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it. I’m not talking yucky Eckrich sausage that you buy in the grocery store all over the country.
Edit: I discovered this article about Texas sausage after I write this post.
Good Texas (German) sausage is MEATY without a lot of cereal fillers. You can choose from many varieties such as :all beef, all pork, beef and pork, with jalapeno, with cheese, with green onions, and even mixed with rice. The rice version is somewhat new and similar to Cajun boudin sausage.
My family also enjoys sausage wrapped in a tortilla or chopped up in scrambled eggs.
Texas has fresh meat markets (butcher shops) in every little town and most of them sell custom made sausage, such as the Bellville Meat Market. Other sausage companies have their own stores where they offer their sausage and fresh bread and kolaches such as Kountry Boys. Praseks is also a favorite and has a large store and meat market that also sells hot food, sandwiches and Texas gifts. And Elgin is famous for their links.
Tonight I cooked some Burton sausage which is on the less expensive side, and not as popular with my picky family, but still good stuff. We do love our sausage!
I made my pinto beans in the instapot and then added some sliced sausage to make it extra delicious! Here is the recipe I used. I skipped the bacon since I was planning to add sausage.
We actually didn’t have any of the above starches tonight. Just sausage and beans. I like mustard with my sausage. I also made a cookie pizza for my husband’s 59th birthday which was today.
How about you? Rice, potatoes or pasta? Do you like sausage? Have you had real Texas sausage?
Blue Skies and Green Pastures 
Cookie pizza is the bomb, and you can’t go wrong with sausage. Happy birthday John!
I like rice, potatoes, and pasta, lol! I didn’t eat much rice growing up, but definitely eat more of it now (it’s cheap and affordable!). I also didn’t eat much pasta growing up now that I think about it. I guess more potatoes than anything. And I have never had Texas sausage, it sounds delicious! My grandfather used to grind, fill, and smoke Polish kielbasa which I did NOT like as a child (can I blame that on not being 100%? haha) I like it more now than I used, but haven’t had any in a long time since it’s been many years since my grandfather’s passing and my dad doesn’t really do it anymore. And mustard on sausage in a roll or with just a slice of bread folded in half brings back lots of memories! 🙂 God Bless!
Oh my word, I forgot to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And yay for pizza cookies!! 🙂 I’m going to go with I had children climbing all over me when I was trying to respond 🙂 God Bless!
😁 aww I miss having children climbing on me ! Have a great day!
Now I’m hungry ! 😄
Pasta. Occasionally rice. Rarely potatoes unless French fries, which I don’t make at home. However, I don’t normally make a starch as a side…typically protein, and 2 veggies. I’ve had sausage from Elgin, I think.
That’s a good brand!
We got them at a bbq fest they used to do here. Just delicious.
Happy birthday to your hubby! 🙂
I love pasta but rarely eat it because it doesn’t agree with me. I found a great appetizer with sausage. Take grilled sausage and apples and cut them in chunks. One piece of apple and sausage on a toothpick. The contrast between the two is delicious. I use honeycrisps. My husband likes honey sweet mustard to dip them in.
That sounds good!
So simple but delicious!
“Rice, potatoes or pasta?” YES, please! 😁 And I have had Texas sausage when visiting friends in Houston, but I do not object to the “yucky Eckrich sausage” either. Both are good in my book!
And say Happy Birthday to the young feller, John! And be sure to give him a kiss worthy of the years you have spent together! 😉
❤️&🙏, 🤠
I’ll grill some when you come visit. 🙂
Ooh, I like that idea!! Let me see when the next time Anita and I may visit other friends in Houston! 😉
New Mexico is a potatoes, rice, and corn tortillas state. There is a popular dish here with hotdogs, bacon, and jalapeños in pinto beans. But sausage other than hotdogs….the best we get comes from TX. There is one high end brand of chorizo sold locally that is good.
I’d eat those beans . 👍
Happy birthday to your husband. Sausages are not my thing but surely rice and potatoes I love 💗
👍
I am a Texas transplant from Illinois been here 16 years and wish I had moved here long ago. I grew up with pasta and potatoes. I am not huge on rice but I can eat it I need to. I don’t eat many carbs because I am diabetic and refried beans are my go to. I do get dirty looks because I hate cilantro and limes. Cilantro tastes like soap and come to find out it is not my fault it is genetic with limes I just hate them. In Illinois they call cilantro coriander and some of the older folks make cookies with the seeds in them so in other words soap flavored cookies lol. I hope your husband had a great birthday.
I used to hate cilantro , but I do like it now. 😁 Thanks!
I have tried it a few times I just cannot get past the soapy taste. Mint tastes like soap to me as well.
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