Slidell is turning a Monday lunch break into a red-beans showdown, with the 22nd annual East St. Tammany Red Beans ’N’ Rice Cook-Off happening today and all-you-can-eat plates priced at $10. The midday fundraiser brings first responders, law enforcement and community teams together while raising money for mental health services across St. Tammany Parish.
According to United Way of Southeast Louisiana’s event page, the East St. Tammany cook-off runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Slidell Municipal Auditorium, with tickets covering unlimited red beans and rice. The fundraiser is part of United Way’s St. Tammany campaign season and supports suicide prevention, mental health services and other programs.
What To Know Before You Go
Voting turns lunch into a little civic food fight: attendees can cast a ballot for their favorite team after sampling the entries. In a Facebook announcement, St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1 highlighted teams from Slidell Fire, Slidell Police Department and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, alongside sponsors including Camellia, Pelican Urgent Care and SMH Ochsner.
For people who can’t stay for the full cook-off, United Way’s event notice says $10 to-go boxes from last year’s champion will be available. Bulk orders are also offered for offices, businesses and groups, a handy option for anyone trying to feed a team while backing local mental-health work.
More Than A Lunch Break
The event has become a recurring Northshore tradition rather than a one-day novelty. In its 2024 annual report, St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1 said its firefighter association competed in the cook-off and earned honorable mention in the People’s Choice Award.
That mix of public agencies, businesses and neighbors is part of the appeal: the lunch comes with a friendly competition, but the money goes toward services that matter long after the last bowl is scraped clean. For Monday diners, it’s a simple proposition—pay $10, vote on the beans and help keep local support programs simmering.
