Frugal Foodie Mama: Hoppin' John Dip

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Monday, December 29, 2014

Hoppin' John Dip

A big thank you to Hamilton Beach for providing me with their Stack and Snap™ 10 Cup Food Processor and helping me bring you all this delicious recipe for a Hoppin' John Dip perfect for serving at your New Year's Eve get-together...



Hoppin' John Dip- a traditional Southern New Year's Eve meal turned into a party perfect appetizer!


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Anyone else just a little superstitious when it comes to what you eat on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day? Growing up, I remember my mother making pork chops and sauerkraut every New Year's Day (and she still does). 




I am not sure really when or why my mama started this tradition of pork and sauerkraut for New Year's dinner, but it originally started as a German & Pennsylvania Dutch custom. Eating both together brings good luck for the New Year. 




And even though I was not a fan of sauerkraut at all, I sucked it up and took ONE bite with my pork chops each year. I mean, I wasn't going to risk an entire year of bad luck over some silly sauerkraut. ;)




Looking for a more tasty and just as good fortune inducing dish to replace my mother's traditional pork chops and sauerkraut, I came across the classic southern dish of Hoppin' John. Hoppin' John is basically pork, greens, onions, and black-eyed peas all cooked together and then served over rice. 




The peas represent coins and wealth, & the greens represent paper money. It was thought that to eat "poor" on New Year's would be bring wealth the rest of the year. 




Hoppin' John is a dish that is usually served on New Year's Eve, not on New Year's Day. Since I typically only serve appetizers and nibbles for my New Year's Eve get-togethers, I decided to transform this delicious southern dish into a dip perfect for serving at a party or small gathering.




This Hoppin' John Dip starts out the same way as the traditional southern main dish, but then everything is put into a food processor and pureed together to make a tasty hummus-like dip...







Hoppin' John Dip- a traditional Southern New Year's Eve meal turned into a party perfect appetizer!

Hoppin' John Dip

by Frugal Foodie Mama
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
  • 3-4 slices of bacon
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 6-8 large leaves from greens, rinsed & torn (I used Kale in my dip.)
  • 1 15.5oz can of black-eyed peas, drained with liquid reserved
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • Hot sauce, to taste
  • Crackers, chips, carrots, etc for dipping
Instructions
Place the bacon in a large skillet, heat to medium heat, and cook until crisp. Once cooked, place the bacon on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Using the same pan (leave that bacon grease & drippings in there!), add the onions and torn greens. Cook until the tender, approx 6-7 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Add the black-eyed peas and the greens and onions from the pan into your food processor. Add a little of the reserved liquid from the can of peas. Pulse until the peas, greens, and onions are just mixed. Add more liquid and/or a little bacon grease if needed. Now Puree until a smooth dip is formed. Taste and add salt & pepper to your liking. Add in hot sauce (optional). Again, this will be to your liking. Puree again to incorporate the seasonings evenly into the dip.

Chop your bacon and then fold the bacon pieces into the dip. Transfer the dip to your serving bowl and top with a few bacon pieces and whole black-eyed peas, if you desire.
Serve with chips, crackers, carrots, etc.
Store any leftovers tightly wrapped in the fridge.
Enjoy!
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Hoppin' John Dip- a traditional Southern New Year's Eve meal turned into a party perfect appetizer!





You all, even my husband loved this dip. When he scooped a big dollop onto a plate and started eating it with crackers and pita chips, my jaw about hit the floor!  




Some of you may recall how often I have mentioned the fact that my husband refuses to eat beans or anything leafy & green. It must have had something to do with the bacon and hot sauce... ;)




What traditional dishes do you always have to make and serve on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day?




Now who is ready to buy a Hamilton Beach Stack and Snap™ 10 Cup Food Processor? I am self-admittedly what I would call food processor challenged. The twisting this way and then the other way to get the lid to lock and so on and so forth? 




That is the very reason why I have returned two food processors in the past 10 years and have not owned one again until just a little over a month ago when I received this beauty from Hamilton Beach. 




I was pleasantly surprised with just how simple this food processor was to snap together. No weird twisting to get the bowl, blade, or lid to lock. Everything just snaps right into place! :)










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