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Black Eyed Peas Jambalaya Recipe

This year we are taking a new spin on our New Year good luck meal and making Black Eyed Peas Jambalaya.

My family grew up in the Midwest and we never had black eyed peas growing up. In fact, where we are from we would eat pork and sauerkraut on the first day of the New Year for good luck.

 black eyed peas jambalaya
Black Eyed Peas Jambalaya – a delicious twist on the classic good luck meal.

My parents would cook it all day in the slow cooker so the meat was nice and tender. And although I hated the taste of sauerkraut, I had to take one bite just to make sure I didn’t have bad luck for the upcoming year.

Since then, I have adapted my parents recipe and now make my Pork Roast and Sauerkraut in my Instant Pot.

But after living in the south for awhile, we now have to make a decision on which meal will bring us better luck.

browning bacon
The start to our Black Eyed Peas Jambalaya recipe is to brown bacon bits.

In the southern portion of the United States, it is customary to eat black eyed peas and greens on the first day of the new year.

Therefore, over the past few years we would make Instant Pot Hoppin’ John instead of pork and sauerkraut.

But this year we are taking a new spin on the traditional good luck meal by combining the best of both recipes. So we have decided to make Black Eyed Peas Jambalaya instead.

Black Eyed Peas Jambalaya

With this recipe we will continue the tradition of eating both black eyed peas and pork on New Year’s Day.

andouille sausage
We used Cajun Andouille sausage for this recipe but you can use any type of sausage that you like.

And because we love Cajun food, we have decided to make it as a Jambalaya recipe.

The recipe starts off with bacon. Because everything is better with bacon!

After the bits of bacon have browned, add in the onion, green pepper and celery and cook until tender.

black eyed peas for jambalaya
This recipe uses canned black eyed peas. And be sure to NOT drain them – the liquid adds extra flavor to the jambalaya.

Next add in the garlic and saute for one additional minute.

Then add in the cooked ham and andouille sausage. Now add in the remaining ingredients and seasonings.

Bring the pot to boil and let the mixture simmer for 30 minutes, covered.

rice for jambalaya
Stir in the rice and boil until soft and tender.

Before serving, remove the pot from the stove and let it sit for 10 minutes. This will allow the black eyed peas jambalaya to thicken and the flavors will meld together perfectly.

Here is to enjoying your good luck meal this year!

black eyed peas jambalaya
Black Eyed Peas Jambalaya – ready to bring in the good luck for the new year!
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Yield: 8

Black Eyed Pea Jambalaya Recipe

black eyed pea jambalaya

Take your Jambalaya to a new level with this delicious Black Eyed Pea version that will give you good luck all year long!

Ingredients

  • 6 slices of bacon, uncooked and diced
  • 1 cup of chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup of chopped celery
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-1/2 cups of diced ham, cooked
  • 1/2 pound of andouille sausage, sliced
  • 3 cups of chicken broth, low-sodium
  • 2 cans black-eyed peas, undrained
  • 2 cups of uncooked, long grain white rice
  • 1/4 cup of chopped, sliced jalapenos
  • 1/4 cup of sliced green onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

  1. In a large Dutch oven, saute the diced bacon until slightly browned.
  2. Add the onion, green bell pepper and celery and saute for about 5 minutes or until tender.
  3. Add the garlic and saute another minute.
  4. Add the ham and sausage to the pot and cook another 3 minutes.
  5. Add the broth and black-eyed peas (with the liquid) and bring to a boil.
  6. Once the pot is boiling, stir in the rice, jalapeños and green onion. Season with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Add the bay leaf and return to a boil.
  7. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
  8. Remove from the heat and allow to sit covered for another 10 minutes before serving. Fluff with a fork.

Notes

Recipe provided by Make Your Meals

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1 grams

Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
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