Black Eyed Pea Casserole is loaded with hearty beans, wild rice, pork sausage, and Cajun seasonings! A unique dish that will bring you good luck any time you eat it!
Preheat oven to 400F. In a large pot or dutch oven or pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Add the sausage to the pot and cook until no longer pink. Remove and set aside.
To the remaining pork and bacon fat in the pot, add the onions, garlic, wild rice, and spices.
Cook for roughly 5 minutes to toast the rice and onion starts to soften.
Stir in the black eyed peas, diced tomatoes, chopped green chilies, cooked sausage, and broth. Bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and stir in the spinach.
If the pot you are cooking in isn't oven safe, transfer the mixture to a casserole dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and top with the shredded cheese. Continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the rice is tender.
If the pot you are cooking in IS oven safe, add the top and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the top and cover with cheese. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the rice is tender.
Remove from the oven and top with crispy bacon. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Spray your casserole dish with non-stick spray, such as Pam or olive oil before placing in your casserole.
Swap out the cooked sausage for ground beef or ground turkey.
You can make this vegetarian and vegan. This is also gluten free!
Bacon is great crumbled on the top but you can totally leave it out.
Use white rice, brown rice, or wild rice. Brown will increase the cooking time. You can also par boil it ahead of time.
The bell peppers, Rotel, and Cajun seasoning can be subbed for plain diced tomatoes and a simple all purpose seasoning.
Prep the bacon and sausage ahead of time in a large skillet and store in the refrigerator until ready to make the casserole.