I do red beans and rice frequently, but always as a main meal. I use andouille and ham hocks. It is served with India relish. Growing up, my mom used pickled pork for protein.
Several years ago, my wife and I vacationed in Louisiana while I was recovering from a broken hip. We attended a Cajan and Creole cooking school one night hosted by a prominent local chef.
The chef cooked a multicourse meal while we sat in front of the stove. It ended with a group dinner for the small group in attendance (I think it was limited to 6 people).
The amount of butter that went into the dark roux was obscene. The chef was obsessed with butter. It was in everything, except the stuff that used light roux, where the butter was replaced by oil.
I ate a lot of red beans and rice, gumbo, jambalaya and red fish. The food was great, but I could not eat that way very much.
I had intended the red beans and rice to be a main dish but it was much too rich for me. I could handle a side dish sized portion. It was very tasty.