bacon – The Funky Oven

Black eyed peas

Garden creations, jalapeno, Side dishes, Soup

Being from Missouri, we never…. NEVER ate black eyed peas. Now that I live in Texas they are a staple. It has taken me several years to get a spice variety I like. Now that I have it down, I could easily eat these every day. I based my recipe off the Paula Dean variation. It is warm, comforting, and just a little flavor with still allowing the peas to shine. We even grow the peas, jalapeno, onion, and okra right in our backyard. How easy is that?

This is a true “dump and go’ type recipe. It cooks for 2 hours, which can seem a bit long, but there is little that needs to be done to it once it is in the pot. It just needs a few stirs here and there.

This recipe does not work well using dried black eyed peas because of cooking time. They require much longer cooking, and I personally do not like the way they taste as much. It is a lot better to buy fresh peas or even the frozen type that can be found near frozen vegetables at the grocery store.

These black eyes peas are really a meal in itself. Serve them with cornbread and they are perfect. My husband and I like them with BBQ chicken and cornbread. For extra luck, add a side of cabbage.

2-3 cups black eyes peas – fresh or frozen

6 slices of bacon

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 handful frozen okra slices or 2-3 pods fresh okra sliced

6-8 cups water

3 chicken bouillon cubes

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon guajillo chili powder

Cook the bacon in a dutch oven. Drain the grease and replace the bacon in the pan.

Add all of the ingredients. Cover. Simmer on medium or low for 2 hours. Stir every 30-45 minutes. Add more water if needed.

Broccoli and bacon pasta salad

Side dishes

6 slices bacon – sliced small and cooked

2 cups broccoli – cleaned and trimmed small

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

4 green onions – cleaned and sliced thin

2 teaspoons dry yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup champagne vinaigrette or similar

8 ounces elbow macaroni

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta fully with cold water.

Slice the bacon into small pieces. Cook in skillet until crisp. Drain well.

Prepare the dressing by mixing the mayonnaise, vinaigrette, salt, pepper, and dry mustard.

In a large bowl, combine the green onions, cheese, raw broccoli, bacon, and cold pasta. Toss with dressing until fully coated. Allow salad to sit in refrigerator at least 1-3 hours before eating. Add additional dressing if salad becomes dry while waiting.

Bacon and green chili quiche

Breakfast

My husband had a Christmas brunch at this office, and this is what I made. It would be amazing for a holiday breakfast. It can easily be made ahead and then warmed the day it is needed.

5 eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sour cream

4 green onions, diced

1 7oz can green chilis

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

8 slices bacon, diced and cooked

1 prepared pie crust

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the pie crust into a pie plate. I never like the size of the prepared crusts because I never have enough dough to make fancy edges, but they are so convenient.