Happy New Year!
In the United States south, it’s believed that eating black-eyed peas will bring luck for the new year and that’s something my family has done for every year that I can remember. The only exception was January 1, 1970—the day we arrived in Denver. It was a time when stores actually stayed closed for the holiday—and the year my father had a heart attack that ultimately forced his retirement from the Air Force.
Hoppin’ John is the combination of black-eyed peas and rice. My version of Hoppin’ John is less traditional than that served in the South, but is tasty and meets the new year’s day requirement of black-eyed peas.
| ¾ | cup chopped green pepper |
| ¼ | cup finely chopped onion |
| 3 | tablespoons margarine or butter |
| 3 | tablespoons flour |
| ¾ | teaspoon ground cumin |
| ½ | teaspoon chili powder |
| 1¼ | cups milk |
| 1 | cup shredded cheddar cheese |
| 1 | 15-oz. can black-eyed peas, drained |
| 1¼ | cup cooked brown rice |
| ¾ | cup diced fully cooked ham |
| 3 | beaten eggs |
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cook pepper and onion in butter till tender; stir in next 3 ingredients. Stir in milk; cook and stir till bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in ¾ cup of the cheese and remaining ingredients. Turn into a well-greased 9x9x2-inch baking dish.
Bake in a 350° oven 30 minutes or till set. Top with remaining cheese. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into squares.
Makes 8 servings.