Hopping John

My mouth is watering just thinking about this blog post. I'm not sure the entire history of Hopping John, or what it is traditionally in the dish, but I'm sure you can Google it. I do know it is usually a southern dish made of black eyed peas. I would equate it to a black eyed pea stew. I usually serve it for our New Year's Day dinner (you know...the whole black eyed peas on New Year's bringing you good luck and all...). But then, I also have started throwing it into a monthly dinner rotation because it is that good. Bonus points, Peanut loves it and requests it often. He thinks it gives him extra jumping powers. Honestly, the only special powers it does give him comes from the gaseous emissions from his rear end!

Hopping John Recipe***

***I found this recipe on Pinterest, but once we made it and loved it, I wrote it down in my recipe book and deleted the pin. Since then, I can't find where I got the original recipe. If you happen upon it, let me know and I'll give that person credit for this delicious meal!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb package of black eyed peas, soaked overnight
• 3 large sausages (casings removed)
• 4 slices of cooked bacon (chopped into smallish pieces)
• 1/2 cup red onion (chopped)
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
• 4-6 cubes bouillon (I usually use 6 beef cubes)
• 6 cups hot water
• 3/4 tsp. cumin
• salt to taste (after cooked)

Directions:

1) Plug in and turn on a standard sized crock pot (4-6qts??) and turn on (low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours). Add the water and bouillon cubes. Let the cubes dissolve while you are prepping all the other ingredients.

2) Drain your black eyed peas and put them into the crock pot.

2) Chop and saute the onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes or until tender. Add sauteed veggies to the crock pot.

Love all the colors. PS- this smells WONDERFUL!

3) Using the same pan that you cooked your veggies in, cook and crumble the sausage. Drain and add to the crock pot. 

4) If your bacon hasn't been precooked, cook it, set onto paper towels to drain, chop up, and throw into the crock pot. (I don't have a picture of this because I had cooked the bacon the night before).

5) Add the cumin to the crock pot. Stir everybody up, put lid on, and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve over rice and with cornbread.

Into the pot everyone goes....

OM NOM NOM!

Try to keep your family from eating this all in one sitting, because as good as it is the day of, it's even better as left overs!!!

Enjoy!