Red Beans and Rice

So I attempted to recreate the tasty red beans and rice dish that my sister in-law Aimee made at our family reunion a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, my local grocery store doesn't carry the Blue Runner brand of red beans. So I was already fighting against the odds. I didn't give up, and I think that I found success! The only thing is that I did a lot of seasoning to taste . . . so I'm not sure how much spice I put in . . . but, here is the recipe I concocted:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 Diced Onion
1 stalk of celery, diced (optional)
1 Diced Bell Pepper (small to medium size)
2 tsp minced garlic
1⁄4 Stick of Butter

2 Cans of Red beans (I used two cans that advertised that they were Louisiana style and they tasted like plain old red beans to me . . . . hmmmmmm)
1# Sliced Smoked Sausage or Andouille
1 c water
4 large dashes of red pepper (I could have gone for five . . . maybe next time! Or throw in a diced jalapeno!)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp taco seasoning
1 tsp chicken bouillion powder

garlic powder to taste
Salt and pepper (season to taste)

Directions:
Sauté the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and butter in bottom of pot until vegetables are soft.
Add the two cans of Red Beans, water, pepper or jalapeno, cumin, taco seasoning, bouillion and sausage to the pot and stir with a reduced heat. (Do not over heat as beans will scorch and burn on bottom). Use a potato masher to make the sauce more creamy. Mash up some beans, but not all of them. Maybe 1/2. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over rice. Serves 5-6 complete dinners.