New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

So, I am a huge fan of cajun food, being from New Orleans and all, so one of my favorite dishes is Red Beans and Rice. It can be a little tedious but, the end result is very much worth it!

Yields about 4-8 servings (depending on how hungry you are! :)
Here is what you will need:
One package of smoked sausage (I just get the regular with no flavor)
Half of a bell pepper (green) Chopped
Half of an Onion chopped
One tablespoon minced garlic
Tony Chachere's or any other cajun seasoning mix (like Zatarains) to taste. I use quite a bit. :)
One teaspoon garlic salt
A few shakes of regular tabasco
One lb. Red Kidney Beans

First things first. I take a large mixing bowl the night before I am wanting to cook this, pour the package of beans in it, fill it with water just above the beans so that they are covered, and store in the fridge until ready to cook. This cuts the time you will have to boil them to soften them up in half! Now, if you don't have time, fine, just be prepared to be boiling them for a while. Like a few hours. Okay, now that you have done that, drain them and pour them into a large pot. Cover them with water again and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to medium and let them simmer until they have softened to your liking. This could take about an hour. While they are simmering, chop up your bell pepper, onion, and garlic and toss them into a frying pan. You should only need a small one. Melt some butter in there with them and stir until they are soft. Then, you can toss them into the pot of beans and stir them in. Next, cut up the sausage into small pieces. I slice them to be a little more thick than a pepperoni and then cut that in half. Once done, throw them into the bean pot and stir them in. Next, you are going to add all seasonings to your liking. Be sure to keep tasting it in order to determine how much seasoning it needs. When the beans start getting softer, you can start your rice. Make about 2 cups of rice. Just continue to let the beans simmer and also mash a lot of the beans while stirring, this will make it creamier. Once soft, put on top of rice and enjoy!
Tip: Cornbread goes great with this dish!
If you have any questions or need clarification, just ask! :)