Hearty Hoppin' John Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup brown and wild rice mix
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
2 1/3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, or more to taste
salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Preparation

Cook and stir sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until meat is still slightly pink, about 8 minutes. Mix celery and onion into sausage; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 more minutes. Stir garlic and red bell pepper into sausage mixture and cook until bell pepper is slightly soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir brown and wild rice mix, black-eyed peas, tomatoes with their juice, chicken stock, and Cajun seasoning into sausage and vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover; simmer 45 minutes. Remove cover, raise heat to medium-low, and simmer until stew is thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.