Black Eyed Peas & Ham w/Sausage

My mom would make us eat 6 black eyed peas on New Year's Eve, but they were just heated up in a pot by themselves, and were dry, bland, and yucky. A friend had some in a pot with leftover Christmas ham, along with some spices, and it wasn't too bad, so I made my own recipe and my family LOVED it! They ask for it every year now, and beg for the recipe when I'm not around. It's fabulous with the Cheddar Cheese Jalapeno Cornbread Casserole.

Christine Garza @cook_13604544

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Ingredients

25 mins

2-3 cansBush’s black eyed peas, undrained (with or without jalapenos, it’s up to you, they’re not that hot anyway)
3 canswater (2 to use right away, 1 for reserve)
2-3ham steaks, remove fat and cut into bite-sized pieces, keep bone (or you can buy cubed ham from store but I prefer the ham steaks with the bone in the middle)
1 lbbacon, fried crispy, reserve drippings
1beef sausage ring, sliced into rounds
1 cupmatchstick carrots or about ½ bag
1/2white onion, diced (or you can use dried onion flakes)
1 tablespoonWorcestershire sauce (4-5 dashes)
2pats butter (not margarine)
Coarse ground black pepper
1 cupPace chunky picante sauce (I use mild)
2whole jalapenos, seeds and stems removed

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Steps

25 mins

1

In a soup pot, add 3 cans black-eyed peas and 2 cans water, ½ teaspoon black pepper, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer, stirring often, and stirring after every addition. In the meantime, cook bacon until crispy, remove and dry on paper towel but leave bacon grease in pan. Do not add bacon to beans as bacon gets soft and creates strange texture. Cooking bacon first then the sausage provides the grease to cook the ham. Crumble bacon into bowl and set aside for topping (optional
2

Add sausage rounds to pan and cook well done (I like mine cooked with a bit of a “crust”), remove to a bowl lined with paper towels to blot, then add to beans and stir.
3

Add ham chunks to hot pan and cook until well done (don’t be alarmed if it’s cooked too much, it will soften in the stew)
4

Remove to bowl w/paper towel to blot, then add to beans and stir, bring heat up again to a soft boil, then reduce heat again to simmer. If necessary you may want to add another can of beans, this is fine, just also add at least ½ can of water for every can of beans, it will reduce down later.
5

Sautee onions and carrots until tender (either in butter or bacon grease, whichever you prefer, but you might not have any bacon grease left since the ham soaks it up), then add to beans and stir. If using dried onion flakes just add them directly to the beans at any time. Once it boils again add the Pace picante sauce to beans, stir.
6

Add 4-5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, sprinkle some more black pepper, add 2 whole jalapenos, stir, push the jalapenos to the bottom, then add 1-2 pats of butter on top and simmer (covered) on low for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t get stuck on the bottom, then remove cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, adding water from the reserve can as needed for desired consistency.
7

Remove ham bone and whole jalapenos (if desired) before serving. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle crumbled bacon on top (again, this is optional). Serves 4-5….I think, or 1 if it’s my brother. 
8

Serve with Creamy Corn Casserole.
9

Quick Version:
Empty beans into pot.
Add ½- ¾ can water for each can of beans.
Cook ham chunks & sausage rounds and add to pot.
Sautee carrots and onion and add to pot.
Add salsa & black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, jalapenos and butter.
Simmer 20 minutes and you’re done!