Foodie Fridays - Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas

In the South, we love our black eyed peas. It's tradition, it's culture, it's delicious. My daddy many moons ago started cooking black eyed peas in the crockpot for New Years. Holy crap it was a revelation. We even took a double batch one year to a New Year's Day barrel race at Houston, MS and there were people talking about them a year later. It's just a few ingredients and I've made them with dried peas (the traditional way) and with frozen peas like I did this year and both work well though the frozen peas don't take as long to cook.

 

I know we are past the New Year, but this is something I cook from time to time even when it's not a holiday. It's a simple, cheap, filling dish that goes well with many meals, takes just a little prep, and results in deliciousness.

And honestly, if you're Southern like me you probably have most of the ingredients lying around left over from Christmas which is the exact cultural point of this dish. You took what you had left over from an earlier meal and instead of throwing them away you get just a little more use from them. Quintessential old school southern cooking. Waste not, want not. So, gather up some ingredients and let's get cooking!



Slow Cooker Southern Black Eyed Peas

16 ounces of either dried black eyed peas or frozen

1 cup of chopped onion - larger pieces, not a fine dice

3 to 4 cloves of minced garlic

1 cup of chopped green bell pepper (optional)

1 cup of chopped ham - leave in fairly large pieces and lunch meat will not work. You want ham from like a spiral ham. The best thing to use is the left over bone from the ham but I understand that might not be readily available for everyone. In a pinch use salted, smoked, breakfast ham

2 pieces of chopped bacon - again cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces

1 vegetable or chicken bouillon cube

salt and pepper to taste

4 to 6 cups of water

If you are using dried black eyed peas, place in a bowl, check for pieces of hull or other matter, rise, place in a bowl and cover peas completely with water. Cover bowl with saran wrap and let soak overnight in the fridge.

The next morning, drain, rinse, and place in slow cooker.

If you are using frozen, open the bag, and place in slow cooker.

To the peas add the chopped onion, bell pepper, garlic, ham, bacon, bullion, salt, and pepper. To this add enough water to cover everything by an inch or so. This should be about four to six cups of water.

Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.

This makes SEVERAL servings and freezes well. Serve with hot buttered cornbread and some ham and you're all set! For my vegetarian friends or folks that don't like ham/bacon you can leave it out, use a second bullion, and it will be fine but the salted cured meat is what really gives this dish it's flavor.

Black eyed peas are a great source of protein, fiber, potassium, and zinc. By themselves they are only 70 calories per serving, but of course I know the addition of the meat adds a little extra but goodness gracious not by much.

I hope you like it and if you do make it please let me know! I'd love to hear. Have a great weekend my lovelies and we'll see you here next week!