Black-Eyed Peas Recipe

New Year’s Day brings hope and promises of new beginnings. Many people have traditions for ringing in the New Year. In the South, the first food to often be eaten on New Year’s Day are black-eyed peas.

Black-eyed peas are thought to bring luck and prosperity to the year ahead. Eating black-eyed peas is believed to date back to the Civil War.

The legumes were planted as food staple for the slaves in the South, and when the North rolled through and destroyed or stole other crops, the black-eyed peas were left alone and became a major food source for the surviving residents of the South.

Black-eyed peas can prepared in a ton of different ways and are delicious with greens and rice. I like to make them simple, and make use of the leftover ham bone from Christmas Dinner in the slow-cooker.

Black-Eyed Peas Recipe

• 1 pound black-eyed peas (soak overnight by covering the peas with water and leaving on the counter overnight)
• 1 ham hock (use the leftover bone from Christmas Dinner, or grab smoked ham hocks in the meat section of the store)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Onion powder
• garlic salt
• Water

Directions

Add ingredients to slow cooker. Add water until peas are covered. Ham hock can be above water line. Cook on high for 4 hours. Remove bone from pot. Stir. Serve with rice.

Super savory and so filling, you will start your New Year with a heart full of hope and a belly full of yummy!

Do you have New Year’s Day traditions?