This is a very popular dish here, and I've cooked it several times over the years, but this recipie is by FAR the best I've ever cooked.  I got it from the website, deep south dish (love that site)

1 lb. dried Camellia brand red kidney beans

1/2 pound bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chipped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

About 10 turns of the pepper mill

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste, optional

1 tsp dried basil

2 bay leaves

1/2 tablespoon canola oil

1 package Hillshire farms beef smoked sausage or andouille sausage (I use this). or ham bone and ham chunks if you have any, or any combination of both

2 quarts of water

1/2 stick land o'lakes unsalted butter, optinal (I use regular butter)

salt to taste, if needed, BUT ONLY AT THE END

hot, cooked rice

Rinse and sort beans and place into a deep pot, adding water to cover beans plus about an inch or so.  Do not add any seasonings or salt.  Bring to a boil;  boil for 5 minutes, uncovered, turn off heat, cover and let soak for one hour.  Drain, and seat aside in  large pot.

In a seperate skillet, cook the bacon until lightly cooked and still limp. (I cook mine whole and chop afterwards) Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the bacon and saute' the veggies until tender.  Add the garlic, black and red pepper, basil and bay leaf into the veggie mixture, and let seasoning meld with the veggies for about 3 minutes, stirring.  Add the bacon, veggie and seasoning mixture to the pot of beans.  Meanwhile, slice sausge in half lenthgwise and cut into 1/4 inch chunks.  Add oil to skillet you used for the veggies and lightly brownt he sausage.  Transfer to the bean pot.  If you have any leftover ham chunks, cut those up too, brown them and add them in.

Add 2 quearts of fresh water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are tender and slightly thickened.

When beans are just about done, slide in half a stick of butter.  The butter adds richness to the beans and makes them super delish, but is totally optional if you  want to leave it out.  If you need to thicken them up more, just remove about a cup of the beans and mash them with a fork, returning them to the pot.

Do not add any salt until the end, and only if it needs it.  There is some salt present from all the meats involved, so taste and adjust your seasonings toward the end of cooking. 

Scoop over hot, cooked rice and serve with a big honking slice of hot butttered corn bread.

YUMMY!