I have been posting black-eyed pea dips and appetizers on New Year’s for quite a few years. Some of these are creamy and served hot and some are cold or at room temperature. Honestly, I was never a black-eyed pea fan growing up, but I am now. I love creating these new recipes that fool people into eating these lucky legumes.
Basically, I start with an existing recipe (sometimes a bean dip recipe, sometimes not) and just add the black-eyed peas. With today’s concoction, I started with an onion dip recipe and made it a bit spicier.
Spicy and Cheesy Black Eyed Pea Dip
Baked Three-Cheese Onion Dip With Chive and Peperoncini)
Ingredients
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- Kosher salt
- 8 oz. Neufchatel cheese, room temperature
- ½ c. mayonnaise
- 1 (15 oz. can) black eyed peas, drained (with a bit of liquid reserved)
- 2 t. cornstarch
- 1 t. smoked paprika
- 4 oz. sharp cheddar, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
- 2 oz. Monterey Jack, coarsely grated (about ½ cup)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 T. finely chopped pickled jalapenos (Plus more slices for garnish, if desired.)
- chili oil (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium. Cook shallots, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute more. Season with salt. Let cool.
- Pulse cream cheese and mayonnaise in a food processor until smooth. Add about half of the canned beans and pulse until smooth. Reserve the rest of the beans to mix in later. If too thick, add a bit of the reserved liquid.
- Toss cornstarch, paprika, and remaining cheese in a bowl to coat. Mix in cream cheese mixture, cooked shallots, jalapenos, and remaining beans; season with salt and pepper. Scrape into a prepared 1-qt. baking dish. Bake dip until golden and bubbling, 20–25 minutes. Let dip cool 5 minutes, then top with more jalapenos and chili oil. Serve with tortilla chips. Scoops work the best.
With and without chili oil.
I did not realize that eating black-eyed peas for luck on New Year’s Day was such a Southern thing. I thought it was universal. That is, until last year. Due to some pop-up COVID illnesses that kept us away from each other on Christmas in 2022. After everyone felt better (and became non-contagious), we decided to travel north to Iowa for New Year’s and to celebrate Christmas a bit later. I wanted to make a black-eyed pea dip for our New Year’s Day spread. NONE were to be had. We went to two different grocery stores and I tried to raid my sister and mom’s pantries. Nada. No cans. No bags of dried beans. Nothing.
Usually I will make my New Year’s appetizer the previous year to post the following. Not so for 2024. This dip was made and eaten today.
I hope you enjoy and I hope you had a great holiday. Here’s to health and happiness in 2024.
