Red beans and rice is an emblematic dish of Louisiana Creole cuisine traditionally made on Mondays...The dish is customary – ham was traditionally a Sunday meal and Monday was washday.
Red beans and rice is one of the few New Orleans-style dishes to be commonly served both in people's homes and in restaurants. Many neighborhood restaurants and even schools continue to serve it as a Monday lunch or dinner special, usually with a side order of cornbread and either smoked sausage or a pork chop. While Monday washdays are largely historical, red beans remain a staple for large gatherings such as Super Bowl and Mardi Gras parties.