Recipe: Black-Eyed Peas and Cornbread Dumplings

The perfect simmering pot for this week, plus a little lagniappe.

Friends, hello!

This week has been slow in the very best way — the kind of slow where I tell myself I’m retiring from baking, only to wake up most mornings with enough quiet brainspace to turn on the oven and make Will and me fresh scones… just because I can. Luxury, I know.

These days feel reflective and soft in that winter-light way. I find myself looking back at how much grit and faith carried me through the 2025 and looking forward with a gentle, tentative optimism for what 2026 might hold.

Which brings me to black-eyed peas, obviously.

They’re tradition, yes. They’re superstition, sure. But mostly, they’re grounding. This particular pot of black-eyed peas with cornbread dumplings has become a staple in our house, not just for New Year’s week, but all winter long. Cozy, humble, nourishing. That’s the vibe.

Believe it or not, the bones of this recipe came from flipping through one of my mom’s old Weight Watchers magazines years ago (and listen — do not sleep on a vintage Weight Watchers recipe, there are some secret bangers in there). I swapped in Italian sausage for ground turkey and unapologetically boosted the flavor, but the real magic is letting cornbread dumplings simmer right on top of that thick, savory bean broth. That’s the move. This time of year and every winter.

This is the kind of dish that just feels steady which I find to be a perfect antidote to the frenetic pace of the holidays. I hope you simmer up a pot and enjoy every spoonful. You’ll need hot sauce so have that standing by!

Here’s how I make it.

Black-Eyed Peas and Cornbread Dumplings

For the Black Eyed Peas:

• 2 Italian sausage links, uncased

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

• 1 clove garlic, minced (a scant 1 tablespoon)

• 3 cups chicken stock

• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen black-eyed peas (about 2 1/4 cups)

• 1 cup water

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste if desired

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

For the Dumplings:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

• 1/4 cup chopped scallions

• 1/2 cup buttermilk

For Garnish:

• Hot sauce

• Chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat a large dutch oven (I used a 10-inch wide pan) over medium heat. Add the uncased sausage and cook, breaking the sausage up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once the sausage has released some oil and started to cook through add the onions. Cook until onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add chicken stock, peas, water, thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, partially cover the pan and reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

2. While the beans simmer make the cornbread dumplings. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter cubes and break the butter bits into the dry ingredients until the butter bits resemble oat flakes. Toss in the scallions. Add the butter milk and stir until thoroughly combined.

3. Once the beans have simmered to tender, spoon the cornbread batter into the simmering beans, making 8-12 dumplings. Cover and allow to simmer for 8 - 10 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy warm with a sprinkle of parsley and hot sauce.

4. I find that this dish is best the day its made but you can store leftovers in the fridge and reheat gently on the stovetop within a day or two.

* A printable version of the recipe is available on https://joythebaker.com using this link: https://joythebaker.com/2020/09/black-eyed-peas-with-cornbread-dumplings/

This Week’s Lagniappe

• For those of us outside New Orleans, January 6th (known as Epiphany or Three King’s Day) can sneak up and away from us but I don’t think we should miss an opportunity for cake in early January. Here’s a short list of my many King Cakes for inspiration if you’d like to make your own from scratch this year (which I obviously highly encourage).

• New on the blog this week is a recipe from last month’s Bakehouse Texas Popup: Cheddar Chive Scones. They’re familiar, comforting, and a perfect bake for one morning this week.

• If you needed a nudge in the kitchen: Noah Galuten has us making Rainy Day Chicken Stock this week and I’m here for it!

• I loved our friend Amy’s very honest Year in Review.

• And our friend Karlee’s reflections this week between Christmas and New Year’s: 365 Unpromised Days.

Happy New Year, friends!

xo Joy