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New Year’s Hoppin’ John Black-Eyed Pea Gratin

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Who doesn’t want a bit of good fortune!?  Maybe some will be delivered to you via this delicious Black-Eyed Pea Gratin with spinach and mushrooms, a New Year’s Hoppin’ John dish. New Year's Hoppin' John Black-Eyed Pea Gratin in a yellow ceramic bowl with a fork.It might be a big stretch for me to call this a form of a New Year’s Hoppin’ John dish, but I’m going to anyway.

In the South, folks believe that eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s day will bring good luck and prosperity in the new year.

What is Hoppin’ John?

  • Hoppin’ John is the name of a traditional Southern dish that includes black-eyed peas, rice, bacon or a ham hock to add flavor.
  • The black-eyed peas are symbols of coins, and usually collard greens are served on the side to symbolize green money.
  • Sometimes people will hide a dime somewhere inside the dish, and it’s believed that the person who finds it in their serving will be brought even more wealth in the new year.

New Year's Hoppin' John Black-Eyed Pea Gratin in a red gratin dish with an orange serving spoon.My version?

I skipped adding bacon or a ham hock, since I figure we all want to start the new year on a lighter note.

I also skipped the rice — just because.

I added onions, garlic and sherried mushrooms for a ton of added delicious flavor.

And rather than serve a side of greens, I added spinach inside the dish, because why not have all of the money in the same bite!?  And I didn’t hide dimes anywhere because my two young boys will be having this for dinner, and well, that would likely not end well.

Giant spoonful of New Year's Hoppin' John Black-Eyed Pea Gratin.So this is what I’m serving on January 1st.

I know for sure it will be a hearty, comforting, super tasty meal — but will it bring me good luck and prosperity in the new year?  Here’s hoping!

Melissa’s Produce offers these awesome packages of ready to use black-eyed peas. They’re delicious and will save you a ton of time. (You will also be able to find them canned in most markets.) And of course you can also by them dried and cook them, like this.

box of black-eyed peas from Melissa's ProduceWant more black-eyed peas?  Here are five more delicious recipes for New Year’s Day from Kalyn’s Kitchen.

Enjoy this Black-Eyed Pea Gratin and Happy New Year!

Fun fact: Black-eyed peas are not peas, they’re beans.

If you try this gratin or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think about it in the comments below. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more of my mouth-watering recipes!

5 from 10 votes
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New Year's Hoppin' John Black-Eyed Pea Gratin
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

Maybe some good fortune will be delivered to you via this delicious Black-Eyed Pea Gratin with spinach and mushrooms, a New Year’s Hoppin’ John dish.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: comfort food recipes for winter, great for New Year's Eve
Servings: 6
Calories: 220 kcal
Author: Valentina K. Wein
Ingredients
  • olive oil
  • 1 1/4 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, washed and dried, finely chopped
  • 6 cups Crimini mushrooms, washed and dried, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup dry sherry
  • 3 cups cooked black eyed peas
  • 4 cups packed fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions

  1. Adjust a rack to the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.

  2. Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium-high heat.
  3. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until they are soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and thyme, and cook for another minute or so.
  4. Add the mushrooms, and stirring every minute or so, sauté until they are golden brown, about 15 minutes. (This will happen in a few stages -- first the mushrooms will soften, then they will loose some liquid, and once all of the liquid has reduced, they will begin to brown.)
  5. Pour in the sherry, turn the heat to high and use a wooden spatula to scrape any bits of mushroom and onion that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the sherry completely. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's how.)
  6. Turn the heat to low, add the black-eyed peas and spinach, and stir to blend. Once the spinach has wilted, mix in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and season again with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Pour the entire mixture into an (approximately 9 X 13 X 2-inch) baking pan. (You can use a deeper, smaller pan, too.)

  8. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan and the bread crumbs evenly over the top surface.

  9. Bake in the preheated 375°F oven until the top becomes golden brown and it's sizzling a bit along the edges, about 25 minutes. If it's not golden brown after 25 minutes, place it under the broiler for about 30 seconds. And if it seems like it's becoming too dark before the cooking time has finished, loosely lay a piece foil over the top.

  10. Serve!

Recipe Notes

You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gluten-free version of this dish.

This is not a sponsored post — Melissa’s Produce sent me black-eyed peas for recipe testing, and as always, all opinions are my own. 

Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.


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Comments

  12. Happy New Year to you and your family, Valentina! I have never had black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day – maybe I should try this year and see what luck comes of it!

    Reply

  13. Well, I’m here to tell you, I for one I’m eating blackeyed peas today. I’m hoping for a healthy, safe and skinnier 2019. Was just going to have plain Blackeyed peas, but now I’m inspired to cook your lighter version of Hopin’ John. Thanks, Valentina and Happy New Year!

    Reply

  15. Hello! Found your recipe this morning. I just made it and we love it! It’s delicious! Thank you!!’ Happy New Year!

    Reply

  16. You know what’s funny? My mom totally sent me a text yesterday (New Year’s Day) morning and asked if I was making black eyed peas and collards. Sadly I didn’t plan for that this year, but we’ve made Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Days in the past, and it’s a favorite around here for sure. So tasty! Your version sounds delicious, too, and I agree with skipping the dime. Hah!

    Reply

  17. We always have our pantry stocked with lentils and beans and the like cause we love ’em. These sound marvelous! How could they not with parm, mushrooms and spinach! Bet they’d also be lovely for breakfast with a poached egg on top 🙂 Happy New Year to ya!!

    Reply

    • An egg on top is perfect! My husband’s buddy always says, “just crack an egg over it.” I told him it should be the title of a book. (If it isn’t already!) Cheers and thanks for visiting! 🙂

      Reply

    • Karen, I love the sound of your dish. The sausage is perfect with black-eyed peas — almost reminds me of cassoulet. May you have a year full of good luck and fortune! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply

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