Aunt Bee's 5-Minute Hoppin' John

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

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

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

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings people

Calories 212.9kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

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

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.

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!