Inventive, Different and Unique Black-Eyed Pea Recipes for New Year's

Why serve a plain pot of black-eyed peas when you can serve something unexpected and delicious?

It's an old Southern tradition to serve black-eyed peas on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Legend has it that those who eat black-eyed peas after the clock strikes midnight, or actually any time on New Year's Day, will have good luck in the coming year. There are many theories explaining how the black-eyed pea superstition started. The most popular theory is perhaps the one that has to do with the Civil War. It is said that when General Sherman’s soldiers invaded the South, they destroyed, ate or stole all the food sources they could find. However, thinking that black-eyed peas were strictly food for livestock, the soldiers left the peas untouched. Southerners were thankful the soldiers had left them something to eat, and from then on considered black-eyed peas a lucky charm.

If you're continuing this tradition or you'd like to start it up this New Year's, you can always cook up a big pot of black-eyed peas for your party guests. Whether you're throwing a lively New Year's Eve party or a more subdued "hangover brunch," black-eyed peas are always a fun and appreciated addition to a New Year's menu. However, if you'd like to offer your guests something a little different, or perhaps a little more likely to be classified as party food, consider whipping up one or two of these recipes. All three are delicious, easy to make, and offer a little something more special than plain old peas.

Follow the links to more delicious party recipes that are budget-friendly, personally-tested favorites of my friends and family.

• The Best Queso Dip Ever
• Homemade Guacamole
• Southwestern Corn Salad
• Shrimp Tacos
• Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
• Homemade Cole Slaw
• The Easiest Homemade Pinto Beans on the Planet
• Ooey-Gooey Chocolate Marshmallow Cake

2 cans black-eyed peas (15-ounces each), or about 4 cups
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced fairly small
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 to 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 small can chopped green chilies (4 ounces)
2 tsp. Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce
salt and pepper

Drain and rinse black-eyed peas; set aside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Sauté diced onion in the butter until golden; add garlic and cook about one minute longer. Reduce heat to low. Stir in shredded cheese; continue stirring until cheese has melted. Stir in chopped jalapeno, green chiles, Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce and black-eyed peas. Stir constantly and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot in a chafing dish or slow cooker. Use as a dip for tortilla chips.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. flour
1 can black-eyed peas
1 tsp. onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Tortilla chips
Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Green onions, sliced
Pickled jalapeno slices
Salsa
Sour Cream

In a nonstick skillet, stir together olive oil and flour to make a roux. Continue cooking and stirring over medium heat about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add can of black-eyed peas, liquid and all, stirring continuously while liquid thickens. Stir in onion powder, salt and pepper. Use the tines of a fork to mash the peas against the skillet. Continue stirring and mashing until most peas are mashed, leaving a few whole peas for textural interest. Stir in several tablespoons of water or chicken broth if the mixture becomes to dry.

Spread mashed (or "refried") black-eyed peas onto tortilla chips. Place chips on an oven-safe plate or platter. Top each chip with shredded cheese and place in a 350-degree oven until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with green onions and jalapeno slices. Serve with salsa and sour cream on the side.

Filling:
3 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 pound lean smoked sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick coins
1 large onion, diced
1 diced poblano pepper, seeds removed
1/4 cup flour
1 envelope McCormick’s white chicken chili seasoning
3 cups cooked chicken, diced

Crust:
1 pouch Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice ready-to-serve brown and wild rice
1 cup Bisquick
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage and saute, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add poblano pepper and onion; continue sauteing a few minutes longer. Stir in flour and McCormick seasoning mix. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Slowly add chicken broth, and stir to loosen browned bits from the bottom of the saucepan. Stir constantly and cook until liquid thickens. Add chicken and black-eyed peas. Bring to a slow boil.

Mix together rice and Bisquick in a medium bowl. Add milk and egg; stir just until moistened. The batter will be be lumpy .

Lightly coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Pour hot filling into pan, and spoon crust batter on top of filling. The batter does not have to be perfectly even or cover the filling entirely. Bake at 425° for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

I love that holidays make food so fun, and also food makes holidays so fun! I'm slowly but surely putting up as many of my best holiday recipes as I can. Two fun cakes to have the kids help make and decorate are my Snowman Cake and my Easter Bunny Rabbit Cake. The Original Fantasy Fudge, made with marshmallow cream, is a treat that my family demands every Christmas.

If you're looking for something to go with dinner rather than after it, Paula Deen's Fresh Green Beans go well with so many holiday meals, from turkey at Thanksgiving and ham at Christmas, to crock pot pulled pork barbecue on the Fourth of July. Southwest Corn Salad and The Best Pasta Salad Ever are easy, make-ahead dishes that are perfect to take to holiday potlucks and picnics, as they tastes delicious whether served chilled or at room temperature. Truthfully, they longer they sit out on the buffet, the better they taste!