According to Wikipedia…

In the Southern United States, eating black-eyed peas or Hoppin' John (a traditional soul food) on New Year's Day is thought to bring prosperity in the new year.[4] The peas are typically cooked with a pork product for flavoring (such as bacon, fatback, ham bones, or hog jowls) and diced onion, and served with a hot chili sauce or a pepper-flavored vinegar. The traditional meal also includes collard, turnip, or mustard greens, and ham. The peas, since they swell when cooked, symbolize prosperity; the greens symbolize money; the pork, because pigs root forward when foraging, represents positive motion.[5]Cornbread, which represents gold, also often accompanies this meal.

So I don’t subscribe to all of the traditions above, obviously (aka ham), but growing up it was always customary to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good luck. Now, I wouldn’t say anyone in my family actually thought that these legumes would bring prosperity, but it was a fun thing to do, regardless. My mom made things more interesting by whipping the black-eyed peas up into a simple, delicious dip.

This dip is so simple but so, so good. It’s simply made from smashed black-eyed peas, some sautéed veggies, salsa, cheddar cheese and sour cream. It’s baked until golden on top, but it’s honestly just as good cold. Serve it with tortilla chips or carrots sticks and prepare to fall in love! Have a happy and prosperous 2019, foodie friends.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 - 15 oz. cans of black-eyed peas

• 1 red onion, chopped

• 1 jalapeño, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/3 c. light sour cream

• 1/3 c. corn

• 3 T. salsa

• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

• Olive oil

• Salt & pepper, to taste

STEPS

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, corn and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent.

2) Drain the cans of black-eyed peas, pour into a round dish and mash with a fork.

3) Add the sautéed vegetables, sour cream, salsa and cheddar cheese. Spoon the mixture together until it’s thoroughly combined.

4) Cook for about 25 minutes or until the top is slightly browned. Serve with tortilla chips or carrot sticks for dipping.