Easy Cajun Hoppin John

Cooked Hoppin John garnished with sliced green onions on a white plate.

You're going to love this easy hoppin john recipe with canned black eyed peas, ham, and sausage! As an added bonus, it's one pot, one pan! The rice is cooked with the other ingredients to soak up all that delicious goodness!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 563kcal

Author Anne Clark

Equipment

5 qt heavy pot with lid
measuring cup(s)
measuring spoons

Ingredients

¼ cup Olive Oil
1 pound Smoked Sausage - Spicy or Mild - chopped into 1-inch discs
8 ounces Ham Steak (or any leftover ham you may already have) - chopped into 1-inch squares
1 10-oz bag frozen Seasoning Blend (pre-chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, with parsley) (see Note 1)
1 14.5-ounce can chicken Broth (canned or in a carton)
2 15.5-ounce cans canned Black-eyed Peas (Trappey's is my favorite brand!) Undrained save 2-3 tablespoons of peas for garnish
½ teaspoon Cajun Seasoning (see Note 2)
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Dried Basil Or use 1 bay leaf.
½ teaspoon Salt (see Note 3)
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
2 cups Long Grain Rice (uncooked) - do not use instant rice
Green Onion, for garnish

Instructions

Brown(fry) the sliced sausage in olive oil over medium heat until it is nicely browned and crispy on both sides. Use a large (at least 5-quart), heavy pot. Use a cast-iron dutch oven if you have one.
Remove the sausage from the pan, and add the diced ham. Brown (fry) for 5 minutes over medium heat until it is nice and browned.
Add the frozen vegetable mixture to the pot with the ham. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Use a spoon or spatula to scrape the bits and pieces that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan and incorporate them into the ham and veggie mixture.
Return the sausage to the pot. Add chicken broth, canned black-eyed peas (undrained), and seasonings. Mix well. Add raw rice, and stir again. Taste test for flavor and add more salt or creole seasoning, if desired.
Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat, cover, and gently simmer 10 minutes. Remove the lid, quickly stir to bring rice to the top, then re-cover. Continue with a consistent, gentle simmer for an additional 20-25 minutes. Gas stove tip: start the recipe on a medium burner, then move the pot to the small burner, on the lowest setting, for the long cook time.
Remove the pot from the heat and let the Hoppin John rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions and sprinkle the reserved blackeyed peas on top.

Notes

Note 1: If using fresh vegetables, use the following measurements: 1 cup diced onion, 1 cup diced bell pepper, and ½ cup chopped celery.

Note 2: Cajun or Creole seasoning (Tony Chachere’s or Slap Ya Mama).

Note 3: Go easy on the salt since the sausage, ham, and cajun seasoning already have salt in them).

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition