So what’s the story with Black Eyed Peas supposedly bringing good luck to all who eat them in the New Year anyways? I guess Black Eyed Peas are a Southern thing. This southern California girl had never actually (knowingly) tasted a black eyed pea before dinner last night, and I quite liked them. I put them in a Tex Mex Black Eyed Pea Casserole.
It’s one last hurrah of a comfort-food dish before the New Year begins. And it’s family- friendly too.
There they are in all their glory. Black Eyed Peas. They’re purdy little things, aren’t they? I suppose you could speed things up and use canned black eyed peas for this dish, but then it probably wouldn’t be quite as good now, would it?
Why should you eat Black Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day?
It started in the south, but eating black eyed peas on New Year’s Day is thought to bring prosperity in the New Year. Dried black eyed peas swell when they cook (symbolizing prosperity), the spinach greens in the dish symbolize money, and the pork (bacon) in the dish symbolizes positive motion– because pigs root forward when they’re foraging. It’s a tradition to eat something with black eyed peas on New Year’s Day- like Hoppin’ John or this Black Eyed Pea Casserole!
How to make Tex Mex Black Eyed Pea Casserole:
I read a lot about black eyed peas and how to prepare black eyed peas before I attempted this dish. Some folks soak them overnight. Some slow cook them. I went with the crowd that said that soaking wasn’t needed. I rinsed them, and then I boiled them for about 30 minutes. That gave me a tender black eyed pea, which is what I was hoping for in this recipe. Easy “pea”sy.
I add bacon to this recipe. It’s totally optional, but it totally makes this recipe better. In fact, it makes all recipes better and I wish I had added more. But I understand if you’re vegetarian and you’d like to leave it out. No wait, I don’t really understand that… because how could *anyone* actually survive without bacon?? (but I respect your vegetarian decision in any case 😉 )
This is the 3rd thing you’re going to do: prep the rice. In fact, you’re doing all three of these things at once. The peas are boiling, the bacon is in the oven and the rice is simmering. It sounds like a lot, but it’s not. It’s all going at the same time. Onions and garlic are sautéed in a little olive oil, then add the rice, then broth, then simmer until the rice has (almost) absorbed the liquid.
It’s best if you use a sort of rice that takes about 20 minutes to cook. If you want to use a rice with a longer cooking time, you’re going to have to account for that and adjust as needed.
Then dump the almost-done rice in a bowl. Add tender- cooked black-eyed peas, a can of Ro-tel tomatoes, fresh spinach, BACON and cheese. Mix it up.
Spread it into a casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. Add some more cheese on top and bake for 10 more minutes.
Ta Dah!
There’s good ‘ol down-home comfort right there.
Add a little sour cream, cilantro and sliced avocado, and your dish is complete!
Oh, and about those black-eyed peas… tradition says that the peas brings prosperity to those who eat them on New Year’s Day. I guess it’s worth a shot, right?
A couple more recipes to make with black eyed peas is this delicious Cheesy Black Eyed Pea Dip or the classic Hoppin’ John. They’ve been big time favorites to serve on New Year’s Day while watching football games!
Tex Mex Black Eyed Pea Casserole
Ingredients
- 1½ cups dried black eyed peas, rinsed
- 5 slices (or more!) bacon, cooked & crumbled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium (1 cup) chopped onion
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ cups rice (one that can cook in 20 minutes)
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- One 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
- 3 cups fresh spinach, cut into strips
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- chopped cilantro, avocado & sour cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add the dried peas and boil for 30 minutes, or until tender (as tender as a canned bean would be). You don't want them to have much of a bite to them, but you don't want them mushy either. Drain the beans when you've got them where you want them.
- In a deep medium skillet, heat the olive oil at medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then rice, broth, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for about 20 minutes (just until the rice has *almost* absorbed all of the liquid). Time will vary depending on the type of rice you choose to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Scrape the rice into a large bowl. Add the peas, tomatoes, spinach, 1 cup of the cheese and bacon. Stir it all together and then scoop it into a 9x12-inch (or similarly sized) casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for an additional 10 minutes, just until the cheese is melted.
- Serve in bowls topped with sour cream, fresh cilantro and sliced avocado (if desired).
Notes
- *To convert to VEGAN: don't use bacon, use veggie broth instead of chicken broth, and Daiya shreds instead of cheddar. Add some chipotle chili pepper to add back some smokiness that the bacon would have provided (as well as a bit of a spicy kick).
- *To convert to VEGETARIAN: don't use bacon, and use vegetable broth.
- *Nutritional information does not include the optional toppings.
- *If you are preparing this recipe as gluten free, just be sure to use brands of bacon and broth that are known to be GF.
*Quick and Easy tips: You can certainly try substituting canned black eyed peas for the boiled dried beans in this recipe, and you can purchase the already cooked bacon too.
*If you'd like to oven-fry your bacon-- it's so easy! Line a rimmed pan with foil. Lay your bacon strips on the foil. Place the bacon in a preheated 400 degree F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crisp (time will vary based on thickness of the bacon). Dab the bacon with paper towels to soak up any excess grease, and it's easy clean up too!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am currently making this dish and it was super easy. I did make a few small modifications. I used fresh baby spinach, frozen black eyes, and thick cut pre-cooked bacon and a can of broccoli and cheese soup (I needed to get rid of it). This will be my go to New Years recipe. Thanks Lori!
Hi,
I can’t wait to try your casserole.
My Mom was from the South and I grew-up eating Black Eyed Peas every New Year’s day. I was not allowed to leave the house until I had a bowl.
My Mom’s recipe is very simple.
Put one bag of black eyed peas in a stock pot with about 8 oz Chicken broth, (add enough water to cover) left-over ham bone from Christmas, handfull of fresh flat leaf parsley, onion, kosher salt and ground pepper to taste. Optional – Chili peppers.
Cook on medium heat for about 90 minutes. I serve it with a 1/2 teaspoon of butter a little more salt and pepper and corn bread on the side. YUM!!!
black eyed pea recipes abound right now, but this is by far the best one i’ve seen! happy new year, lori!
One more comment – I made this today – it’s awesome! I used quick cooking brown rice (only 10 min. to simmer), and made it into a one-pot meal (I just kept it all in the oven-proof skillet and baked it right in there). Thank you for the healthy recipe!
I made it today and everyone loved it! We ate it for lunch – and since we live on a farm – we had our first annual HAY DROP at 12 noon – with all the kids. (imitating the NY ball drop) SO – it made for a great celebration.
I love the way you did the bacon (from the pictures) I never thought of baking them – over frying them. SO – I copied that step as well. (that step is not in the printed directions – so glad you included it with the pics)
This looks delicious! Any idea how it would be if chicken was added to it?
I actually thought about adding chicken to it. I think it would be great!
I know you say use any rice you desire, but what rice did you use? 🙂 Thanks
I used “Rice Select” Royal Blend rice blend (a mix of white, brown, wild & red). It came in a plastic sort of jar in my market’s rice section. Quick cooking 20 min.
The amount of Iron in this dish is great, plus mixing any Iron source (B-E Peas) with a grain (Rice) makes the body’s absorption of the Iron higher than alone. – No wonder it’s lucky – you’re keeping yourself fit for the New Year with each forkful!
Thanks for such a colorful way to make this.
I’m a Texan who was definitely raised on that notion and still serve them every single year. We always had black eyed peas every New Years Eve at midnight and again on New Years Day with ham, and greens. Black eyed peas for luck and greens for prosperity.
It’s supposed to bring even more luck if you count how many peas you eat. (Maybe my parents just told us that to keep us busy?)
This is a a black eyed pea recipe that I’ve never seen, but it looks awesome!
I’m definitely going to be making this. LOVE beans/peas. But one question…the rice 1 1/2 cups uncooked?? 🙂 I’m assuming so, but just to make sure.
Yes, definitely uncooked. You’ll be cooking it in the skillet with the broth!