Aunt Bee’s Hoppin’ John

Just like any good Southerner, serve a Lucky New Year’s dinner — complete with pork, greens, and Aunt Bee’s Hoppin’ John! The easy rice dish comes together quickly (thanks to a few shortcuts) and is the perfect way to complete your meal!

Black-eyed peas are a must on New Year’s Day, right? No matter what we had going on, where we were, or who else was around our table, my Mom always served black-eyed peas with our first dinner of the New Year…along with the other usual suspects of pork, greens, cornbread, and often sauerkraut. Southern superstition tells us that black-eyed peas bring prosperity in the New Year, so who am I to argue with tradition?!

What is Hoppin’ John?

Also known as “Carolina Peas and Rice,” Hoppin’ John is a classic dish that’s traditionally served in the Southern United States. The recipe is often made with black eyed peas, rice, onion, bacon and salt.

In the South, eating this dish on New Year’s Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. The peas are symbolic of pennies (or coins).

We’re not really sure why the dish is called Hoppin’ John! According to this source, one possibility is that the name is derived from the Haitian Creole term for black-eyed peas: pois pigeons, or “pigeon peas” in English.

How to Make Hoppin’ John:

As she was sending me some of her recipes earlier this year, Aunt Bee was adamant that I share this dish in time for the New Year. She firmly believes in the black-eyed pea notion and we wouldn’t want any of you to miss out!

Here are the ingredients that you’ll need:

The two main ingredients in the traditional Southern Hoppin’ John dish are black-eyed peas and rice. You only need 5 minutes and a handful of other basic ingredients to prepare Aunt Bee’s Lucky Hoppin’ John — an easy side dish that’s perfect for New Year’s Day!

• A can of black-eyed peas;
• Cooked bacon (purchase pre-cooked bacon for quick prep!);
• Cooked rice (purchase the packs of pre-cooked rice for quick prep, too!);
• Onion, garlic, butter and cayenne!

To make the dish, simply stir all of the ingredients together in a 1 1/2-quart baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes, or until heated through. Then finish with a fresh parsley garnish just before serving!

What do you serve with a Southern Style Hoppin’ John recipe?

This rice pairs perfectly with other “lucky” Southern foods for the perfect New Year’s Day dinner — including:

• Pork (try this 4-Ingredient Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin or this 4-Ingredient Pork Loin Roast)
• Greens (try classic Southern Collard Greens or our favorite Easy Creamed Spinach Casserole)
• Cornbread (I love these Orange Cranberry Corn Muffins, this Secret Ingredient Jiffy Cornbread, this Old Virginia Plantation Spoon Bread, or this 4-Ingredient, 4-Minute Corn Pudding)

Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:

• You can cook your own rice and bacon, or you can do what I do and cut down on the prep by taking advantage of Aunt Bee’s 5-Minute shortcuts: use Uncle Ben’s microwaveable “Ready Rice” (or any other cooked rice) and use pre-cooked bacon!
• Use any kind of rice that you like — brown rice, white rice, or wild rice will all work!
• Adjust the heat in this dish by increasing (or decreasing) the amount of cayenne that you use. You can omit the seasoning altogether if you’re serving children and you prefer a mild dish. Hot sauce is also a great addition!
• Black-eyed peas are the traditional Hoppin’ John beans, but you can substitute with a can of any beans that your family prefers!
• Vegetarian Hoppin’ John: to make this recipe vegetarian, simply omit the bacon. I think the bacon adds a really great smoky flavor to the dish, so you may want to get creative with some additional spices if you forego the meat. Cumin would be a great addition, or even a few dashes of liquid smoke!
• This dish will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Can you freeze Hoppin’ John? Yes! Place the leftovers in an airtight freezer bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Aunt Bee's 5-Minute Hoppin' John

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total: 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 212.9 kcal

Just like any good Southerner, serve a Lucky New Year's dinner -- complete with pork, greens, and Aunt Bee's 5-Minute Hoppin' John! 

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 (15.8 ounce) can (about 1 ¾ cups) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 8 ounces bacon (about 8 strips, cooked and diced)
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more for a spicier dish, or omit for a mild dish)
• ½ cup finely-diced onion
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3 cups cooked rice (I used brown rice, but white rice works fine too!)
• Optional garnish: fresh parsley; minced bell pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 1 ½ - 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
• Add all of the ingredients to the prepared dish and stir until completely combined.
• Cover and bake for about 30 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with fresh parsley and minced bell pepper; serve.

Notes

• You can cook your own rice and bacon, or you can do what I do and cut down on the prep by taking advantage of Aunt Bee's 5-Minute shortcuts: use Uncle Ben’s microwaveable “Ready Rice” (or any other cooked rice) and use pre-cooked bacon!
• Use any kind of rice that you like -- brown rice, white rice, or wild rice will all work!
• Adjust the heat in this dish by increasing (or decreasing) the amount of cayenne that you use. You can omit the seasoning altogether if you're serving children and you prefer a mild dish. Hot sauce is also a great addition!
• Black-eyed peas are the traditional Hoppin' John beans, but you can substitute with a can of any beans that your family prefers!
• Vegetarian Hoppin' John: to make this Hoppin' John recipe vegetarian, simply omit the bacon. I think the bacon adds a really great smoky flavor to the dish, so you may want to get creative with some additional spices if you forego the meat. Cumin would be a great addition, or even a few dashes of liquid smoke!

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the recipeCalories: 212.9kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 8.5gFat: 8.1gSaturated Fat: 3.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 13.9mgSodium: 454.6mgFiber: 3.3gSugar: 0.5g

Keyword: Hoppin John recipe, New Years Day dinner, Rice And Beans

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Southern

Author: Blair Lonergan

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