Hoppin' John

I am rating this recipe to include the changes I made to it. After looking at the recipe I thought this was a good base, but sounded as thought it might be a bit on the bland side. Sooo..I made a few changes. First I added some garlic. I use the pre minced garlic in the jar so I added about 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons. I also chopped up a green bell pepper and added it to the mix along with a can of chopped tomatoes with green chilis (rotell tomatoes)to give it a little extra bite. Also in addition to cooking the soup with a ham bone, verses a ham hock, I also cubed up a good amount of left over ham and added it into the soup at the end. The result was yummy and would make again!!

This was the best black eyed pea recipe that I have tried...I substituted a pound of bacon for the ham hocks...it was GREAT...could be served as an entire meal...I impressed everyone with this one, even "seasoned" black-eyed pea eaters!! I made this the first time for new years and have been making it ever since!!

I used long-grain brown rice (added about 30 minutes after the peas) and a slow cooker so it took me about 4 hours. I also used precooked diced ham. The result was VERY flavorful and thick. Everyone gave it a thumbs up. Served with cornbread. This one is definitely going in the recipe box.

Overall this was a good recipe. The only thing I would do different next time is to use less red pepper (it packs quite a punch) and use less rice, so the dish has more of a wet consistency. I had to double the recipe for more guests and should have used 2 cups of rice rather than 3.

Very good! My husband and son have agreed this will be an annual New Years' Day recipe. The recipe did not call for it, but I pre-soaked the peas and tossed out the soaking water, adding fresh water for the recipe. I also increased the water to 5 cups. I also added a can of 'diced tomatoes with chiles' for color and extra flavor. Couldn't find any smoked cheddar cheese, but regular sharp cheddar worked just fine. I served it with hot corn bread muffins and a tossed salad. Great meal!!!

My number one piece of advice is start on this early. The prep can take awhile, but then it takes care of itself. This is hearty and I'd say the recipe makes enough for at least 6 people to have as a main dish. I might use ham shanks instead of ham hocks b/c they have more meat. As left overs I added some fried bratwurst and a dijon style mustard and it was great.

I use Hog Jowls instead of Ham Hocks. You can get them almost anywhere in the South around New Years and in some stores all the time. I also find that cooking the Black Eyed Peas in a crockpot is better.

Good, inexpensive hearty meal although I would spice it up a little more probably with garlic and more onion.

I completed my annual tradition of making Hoppin' John, and this, by far, is the best recipe!

Very bland. See review from Calgier. I should have heeded it myself.

Really delicious. I had never made hoppin' john before but this will be my new tradition for every new years day! Here are my modifications: I soaked my black eyed peas the overnight and used 3 cups since they had increased in size. I think the reason why people are having trouble with their peas is because they don't pre-soak. I used smoked ham shanks as I couldn't find any hocks - worked great and added a lot of nice meat. I also added 1 clove of garlic and a dash or so of old bay seasoning. I added 2 tsp of "better than bullion" chicken flavor to the simmering process. When I made the rice I actually cooked it separately in some of the broth and a little extra water. EDIT: Improved this year by keeping the rice and beans to cook SEPARATE the whole time. Just serve the beans on top of the rice. We also found the smoked cheddar to try along with it and it was a very delicious complimentary flavor to the dish. Highly recommend keeping this one simple - it's delicious and filling!

The end result of this was brown water that tasted mildly of boiled pork. I added extra onions, garlic and even doubled the red pepper.

Flavorful, easy..might become an annual event. Confused as to why people would rate a dish they never tried...try it, revise it, make it your own,but don't waste review space for something you didn't put any effort into.

I must give this recipe five stars, I am soooooo partial to black-eyed peas...I love them! I used chicken stock in place of the water, other then that the recipe was perfect!

It doesn't matter what you flavor the black-eyed peas with, it is consuming the black-eyed peas themselves that 'bring your good luck'. These are like pinto beans in that everyone has their favorite ingredients. I've made black-eyed peas for New Years, for over 60 years and I do not always make it with the rice in it for in the leftovers the rice absorbs all the juice. If I make a huge pot then I allow them to mix their peas with the rice themselves. They should be cooked with either a smoked ham hock or a ham bone, I put sofrito in mine plus either 1 serrano pepper or 1 jalapeno, minced (with seeds) as I prefer the heat. Remember that serranos are hotter than jalapenos. And you must have cornbread (sans sugar-with sugar is corncake folks)...Enjoy whether you like it spicy or bland! May you all have a prosperous 2010!!!

LOVE IT! I cook the beans and ham hock with some Tony Chachere's seasoning. I saute onion, carrots and celery in a little olive oil for a few minutes. Add some minced garlic for the last 30 seconds. I put this in the crockpot with 1 cup of rice and I add extra water. Otherwise, I follow the basic recipe. It takes a good hour for the rice to cook and my kids are always standing in the kitchen asking, "Is it ready?" YUM!

This is a poor people's dish. It was supposedly brought to America by slaves and adopted by white owners of plantations. It is simple and meant to be that way. I followed this recipe with the exception of adding some some simple sliced breakfast sausage along with the ham because while looking up the history of the recipe, I found references of adding that and I received RAVES from friends and family. When I served the leftovers, I poured a jar of home canned tomatoes over the top of the heated up John. Again, it was a great hit. This is a good and simple recipe. I wouldn't change it. Thank you!

Hoppin John does not have cheese. The additon of the trinity (celery, bell pepper and onion) at the start and chopped green onions and parsely at the end adds appeal as well as fresh taste. In the coastal south of Louisiana a little roux is added. Otherwise, this receipe is right on like we make it.

I used leftover ham instead of hocks, black beans cuz I didn't have black-eyed peas, and brown rice. Very tasty served over cornbread, even if my ham chunks were purple, lol. People who review recipes they haven't even made need to get over themselves.

I decided to rate this recipe a 5 even though I haven't made it before. I thought it might offset the poor rating that someone ELSE who never made the dish decided to bestow. I hope this helps, as I always attempt to help out my fellow man.

To make a stunning presentation of your Hoppin' John, start with a large letuce leaf on each plate (romaine works well), then add a layer of rice (we use jasmine), then the beans, a layer of cheddar cheese, a spoonful of sour cream, then chopped tomatoes, and finally chopped green onions. Make each layer smaller than the last so you have a colorful pyramid of delicious food. Beautiful to look at and delcious to eat! Enjoy!

I'm a senior citizen and grew up in SC. I have eaten Hoppin' John every New Year's day of my life. This is very similar to the way we make it except we've always used Field (Cow) Peas, NOT black eyed peas. We do add little garlic. I cook my peas the day before to cut down on time on New Year's day.

Loved it! Like another reviewer, I decided to add a can of chopped tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel). Delicious!

My grandmother and mother have made Hoppin John for as long as I can remember, and this is just as good (if not better). I must admit upfront that I have never been a fan and only eat it out of tradition's sake. However,as another user noted it is wonderfully rich and thick. I did try something different this year and did not stir the beans into the rice and think that it turned out better (just looked better). Also, I'm not certain why you need the cheese. Thank you for the recipe!

A friend gave me canned blackeye peas and told me they're supposed to bring good luck for the new year, so I told him to come by and I'd cook them up. I had to modify since the peas were canned, but I think I kept the recipe pretty close. Instead of water, I used two cans of low sodium chicken broth and instead of the dry black-eyed peas, I used three cans with the liquid. I also omitted the red pepper flakes since a couple family members can't take spiciness and instead served Crystal hot sauce on the side. We all loved it... especially with the kick the hot sauce gives it! Definitely tasted southern, now we'll see if it brings us luck!

I just made this for New Years day; friend dropped by. I decided to add the pre cooked beans to a casserole dish, add the ingredients and cover with foil. I slow baked the Hoppin John at 275 for two hours lowered the oven temp to 250 when the guest arrived. After 45 minutes, I pulled the dish out and served buffet style. This was awesome and popular with my friends. I will make this a New Years tradition for now on.

This was ok. I think it needs more than just salt and pepper to taste. It was quite bland. I ended up putting about a TBS of chicken bouillon granules towards the end to give it more flavor. I also thought there was way to much rice. I recommend cutting it down to just 1cup. I had to keep adding water by the cup full several times after i put the rice in. This serves waaaaay more than four people. More like 8 hungry people!

I make this every New Year's Day. I do not mix the rice. I just serve the peas and let my guests decide whether or not to add rice. I use hot pepper sauce rather than pepper flakes.

I cut the rice back to one cup, added 2 more cups of water, and changed nothing else. Best hoppin john I've ever had.

I have a similar receipe that I use, but the only difference is that I use SMOKED HAM HOCKS, which add's a major difference to the flavor AND I do cook my rice separately and just add whatever amount of rice I want with this dish (or just service the beans over the rice).

Fast to put together and surprisingly tasty. I used brown rice instead of white and had to add about a cup of extra water to compensate.

Forgive me but I'm giving this dish that Ive not tried to prepare this way myself 5 stars. Im so shocked because I worked in a 4 star restaurant that put this on the menu and although it was very different, it was terrific. What their preparation was is this; all separate components of cooked white rice, cooked chopped bacon and bacon grease, diced scallions, blackeyed peas, chicken stock, and butter. it was all tossed in a pan and cooked through together, and put on a plate with barbecued shrimp. it was to die for, always returned a clean plate. I cant wait to try this version!

This was a great base recipe! What I did differently with fabulous results was: 1) use my slow cooker overnight for 10 hours on low, kept warm (if using unsoaked peas, add time) 2) added celery, onion, 4 cloves of garlic and one potato diced, 3) added 3 bay leaves and three chicken bullion cubes and 4) with the water, added some left over white wine with the ham hock. The only problem was that I woke up every few hours because the house smelled so yummy! Happy New Year and thanks for a great recipe!

I modified slightly; no rice or cheese... Added a jalapeno and some bell pepper. Yum!

I followed one reviewer's suggestion and added a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes and some diced leftover ham. At first I thought I had put in too much liquid, but as it turns out I didn't have enough and had to add a bit. The taste was good but it did not turn out as creamy as I expected. I may have misread the recipe; I covered the peas with water (4cups) .I'll make it again but will use the seasonings that my family prefers. My kids love rice and beans so this will be a good recipe to have on hand.

It sounds like my moms except for the rice and cheese. Haven't tried this yet. I know I will not add cheese, maybe rice.

I think this is an excellent recipe. The only thing that I added was a bay leaf or two and a pinch of brown sugar.

If this is what you start the new year with it can only get better. Bland isn't the word.

Who makes this w/black-eye peas? The authentic southern (East Indian/Mediterranean) recipe for Hoppin' John originating in the South (specifically Charleston, South Carolina) calls for "cow peas" (another name is "field peas") is used... not black-eye peas. Of course, cow peas or field peas can only be found in Charleston, South Carolina. A native of Charleston (but now living in the Rocky Mountain West), I have to import the peas. Cow peas/Field peas are dark red and very small (not to be confused w/red beans). Yes, this is the annual New Year's Day rice dish served w/roast pork and the other usual "southern" dishes (see Charleston.com).

I used chicken broth for the water. After cooking for about 3 hrs in the slow cooker, I placed Country pork ribs on top that I fried in a pan with salt and pepper and EVOO until browned. Then cooked for another 4-5 hrs or so.

Delicious and economical! I added 2 bayleave while beans & ham cooked; then added beef broth when I added the rice. Great dish!

I've made this dish for the past three years. I take the quick route and use a can of Goya or Bush's black-eyed peas. This year, I used left-over ham that I cut into bite-sized chunks. I used a 1/2 cup of chopped mixed peppers (red, yellow, and green), 1/4 cup red onion and 1/4 cup yellow onion, 1 celery stalk chopped, 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp garlic powder, sea salt and fresh ground pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce. I cooked the veggies in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Then added the spices, ham, and peas and let it simmer while I boiled a bag of Uncle Ben's brown rice (10-12 minutes). Even my 7 yr old loves this dish. Tastes great with cornbread! And don't forget the collard greens!

I fixed this recipe on New Year's Day, using the suggestions of other AR members. I used a tiny bit of olive oil and cooked minced garlic (from a jar) for a few minutes in the bottom of the pot. I added a can of rotel tomatoes, leftover cubed ham, and canned black eyed peas. I used chicken stock rather than water. and used a mixture of wild and long grain rice. I only had 1/4 of a large onion, and I forgot the cheese. My husband liked it so much he wants me to fix it again soon and make more next time! Thanks for a great recipe. We loved it.

This recipe is easily converted for prep in a slow cooker. We save our holiday ham bones for making recipes like this and the best split pea soup ever, all in the slow cooker.

the only thing I would do different next time is make the rice separately and then stir it in with the peas and hamhocks at the end. Besides that it was good!

I also added Rotel and garlic - everyone loved it. Also, I just used a small pre-baked ham from the grocery store.

Sooooooooo good! Made this today for our New Year's meal and served with cornbread. Only modification is that I used a little more water, used diced ham instead of the hock and added 1/2 head of cabbage. I almost forgot to add the smoked cheddar and then as I was serving remembered and shredded some over the top really quickly - wow, what a difference! We'll definitely have this again for next New Year!

Very good! I added some jalapeno and green bell pepper and served on New Years Day. Everyone at the table loved them, even those that don't like black eyed peas. I highly recommend!

FANTASIC AND EASY!! Whole family LOVED it...sprinkled a little Hot Sauce on top and YUMMMMM!!

This is a great recipe. I did add some garlic powder and some onion powder. I found some really fat smoked turkey necks and also had a 1/2 pound cured pork. I soaked my beans over night which greatly reduces the gas problem beans tend to create for a lot of people (don't forget to drain soaked water and refresh before cooking). Cooked Jasmine rice in my rice cooker and served the beans over rice with some fresh chopped white onion. YUMMY!! Never tried it with a can of diced tomatoes, maybe next time.

Our luck for the New Yr. Is Cooked cabbage with either corn beef, & black eyed peas, or Ham hocks, also cole slaw because it is green, Cornbread, Mashed potatoes, green beans. & kale. we try for everything green. Thanks, Jacque

I am from the south and have always wanted to make this dish. My aunts make the best pots of beans. I love when I go home to visit they always have a pot of somethin stewing in the kitchen. Ok..This dish was excellent but took alot longer then expected. I used water and chicken stock. The ham hocks were soooo good. I added a can or rotell diced tomatoes with green chilis to kick it up and lots of garlic.. I gotta have my garlic. Next time I will soak the beans and cook the rice seperately and then combine all. Very excellent dish with cornbread and a salad. YUM!

Our family LOVES this recipe. As others have stated, our family also eats it for New Year's Day every year. I do get in the mood for it at other times especially during the winter, b/c it is a great comfort food! I've never tried it with the shredded smoked cheddar though. Otherwise, I make it exactly as written! Perfect every time!!

I left out the rice in cooking but before serving I added in two cups of leftover cooked brown rice. I also added a diced yellow pepper and a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles and some extra leftover ham. Mine was much more soupy than the picture shows, but my family and guests loved it.

This was a great cold weather dish. I omitted the ham and added fake bacon bits at the end instead, which was great. It would be kind of bland without it. I also used a little bit of lemon grass and that gave it a nice flavor. Will make again.

I made this New Year's Day...WOW...what a family pleaser. I added smoked link sausage, and used brown rice...everyone loved it!

Good dish, but recipe needed a little something. I added some chopped green chili peppers to add spice.

2 questions: 1) can this be made in a slow-cooker? 2) what would you use for the rest of the menu?

This recipe as exactly the right combination of seansonings (ham, onion, and especially the red pepper flakes). The problem that I had when preparing this recipe was that there was not enough liquid remaining after the first 1.5 hours to accomodate the 1.5 cups of rice. The combined black-eyed pea & rice mixture ended up with the consistency of concrete until I added an additional 2 cups of water that the rice needed. Next time I will fix the rice in a separate container and then serve them with the black-eyed peas placed on top of the rice (along with corn bread).

my family loved it, it's delicious!

I used 1LB cooked thick sliced hickory bacon, cut into 1" strips. 2 cans of stewed tomatoes (w/celery), 1 bell pepper finely diced cooked w/the onion in the left over bacon grease , 1 tsp minced garlic, 3/4 cup whole grain long rice instead of 1 1/2 cups and 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning instead of the red pepper, simmered for closer to 2 hours and it came out great this is the first time I've ever cooked beans not in a can! This along w/the Buttery corn bread recipe from this site is wonderful! Also make sure to NOT bring the beans to boiling while they are simmering or they'll burst open, I used a quick soak method and boiled them hard for 3 minutes. The recipe didn't call for it but I covered the pot while boiling (my trusty Betty Crocker cook book said to cover beans while simmering).

I made this for new Years with collard greens and I liked it and so did my daughter but it was a little spicy.

I want to try this recipe (I will give it 5 stars since I haven't tried it yet and it requires stars). I use 2 cans of Black-eye peas, 1 pound browned sausage and no cheese. I use celery as well as onion (doesn't affect the taste much, but adds tons of nutrients). Quick and easy supper with plenty of leftovers. I make it several times a months and everytime I have taken it to a "covered dish supper", I have gotten rave reviews and a clean pan.

Substituted Brown rice for white and had to cook longer and added a little extra crushed red pepper which made it perfect for my husband but too spicy for myself. Next time I will totally leave out the red pepper and let him add it to his plate.

Today is the first time that I've made, and eaten this dish. I was NOT disappointed! I followed the recipe only making a couple of changes. I added a couple of whole allspice and cloves and used chicken broth instead of water. My kids and I aren't big fans of spicy food so I left the red pepper flakes out. My husband added a dash of tabasco to his as he does like spicy. This will be our new New Years lunch from now on.

As many other have, I made my own variation of this recipe and the flavor was just amazing! First, I sliced in half a stick of butter, the onion, chopped up about 7 cloves of fresh garlic and used one of the packets of crushed red pepper that you get from the pizza parlor. I used 2 cups of black-eyed peas because that was the size of the package. I boiled the beans then simmered for about 25 minutes, then drained and rinsed under cold water. I then placed the sauteed onions, garlic and crushed red pepper into my crock pot, along with the leftover Honey Baked Ham we had for Christmas, keeping the bones in the pot for the whole cooking time. Then added the beans, about 3 1/2 cups of water, salt and pepper. No cheese. I steamed some Jasmine rice and served it separately. The flavor was rich and packs a lingering punch from the little bit of red pepper. Delicious!

My sister-in-law, her mom, and I had always heard of this, but never had it. It makes a LOT, but freezes well. Delicious!

Great taste and very flavorful! I did have to add more water though because mine kept getting dry but other than that, it was fantastic!

This was good! I made it with 4 chicken legs instead of ham hocks, as my daughter doesn't eat pork. Also added a chopped red bell pepper. It definitely needs some salt and pepper at the end, and Frank's hot sauce was a popular addition around the table. I made wilted kale with garlic and balsamic vinegar on the side, and that mixed well with the Hoppin' John, too.

With my changes, this is now a 5 star dish. First, I used 1 lb. of dried black-eyed peas and 4 bay leafs and put them in my crock pot on warm. I really didn't think I would be doing any cooking until the morning, but 4 hours later, the peas were tender, so I drained the peas and removed the bay leafs. I put the peas back in the crock pot with 1 large white onion that I had diced and sauteed along with 4 cloves of chopped garlic and 4 diced jalapenos - 2 of which I seeded before sauteeing. I then added a 20 ounce can of petite tomatoes with the liquid and stirred, and one diced red smoked and seeded red pepper. I then sauteed approx. 2 lbs. of chicken sausage without the casings, but with the 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Once drained, I added that to the pot and stirred. I added 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of cumin for that smoky flavor. I added 4 cups of water and 4 bouillon cubes, and stirred it altogether. After about an hour when everything was hot and the flavors melded together, I tasted it and realized it would be too spicy for my friends (they don't eat pork), so I added a 1/2 cup of honey, and a lot of the heat dissipated. I then cooled that overnight and reheated it in the morning. The flavors were perfect, but the stew was a bit too soupy for my tastes. So, I added 1 cup of medium grain white rice and 2 lbs. of fresh chopped spinach. I also omitted the shredded cheese. Served with hearty bread.

Ideal for New Years - small kids may have to develop a "taste" for it - but they will come around eventually!

I loved this dish. Very minor modifications-- I used brown rice, so I had to cook it for about 20 extra minutes. I also had to add an extra 1 1/2 c. water. I added 2 tsp of minced garlic and decreased the red pepper flakes to accommodate kids. Family members thought it was "too subtle", though.

Defiantly a do over! We loved it!

This is a good recipe, but I grew up in the South. Real Hoppin John's are a little different down there. You cook the black-eyed peas and the rice but then you put them in a dish and add fresh tomatoes, onion and corn bread to the dish. The southern version is a very good summer time, fresh from the garden version. Try it both ways!!!

Pretty good basic recipe but I did need to spice it up just a bit for my family. It turned out really good and will definitely be making it again.

i give this 4 stars only because some in my family did not like it. i took all the ingredients and threw them into the crock pot. I really liked it. Seasoned perfectly as recipe is listed no need for more, but you could add if you wanted.

I really like this recipe. I did make changes - I used chicken stock instead of water and that added even more flavor. This recipe is my new New Year's Day tradition.

I liked this, it was fast and easy. It was a little too spicy for me so I'll cut down the red pepper next time. Added already cooked rice. Thanks!

hoppin' john is traditionally made with smoked sausage, rather than ham, as well as braised collard greens. I recommend sticking to the traditional recipe, as I found that it is much better that way.

I followed the recipe and used ham hocks I got at local store. I also bought a package of ham chunks and added it to the beans in the last stages of cooking. Very good!

Great recipe! I served it on New Year's Day.

Great recipe, but being from Texas we add jalapenos to everything. I changed ham to bacon and added okra with stewed tomatoes and garlic. I also used frozen black eyes. Julie

I love black eye peas, but I didn't find this dish very appealing. Guests barely touched it.

This recipe was great. I had to make some revisions because of not having the exact ingrediants. I took the advice from another reviewer and used chicken broth instead of water. Cut up smoke sausage instead of ham hocks. Used 1 can of French Onion soup. I only left the rice out because my husband doesn't care for rice. Served this with hot out-of-the-oven cornbread. Will definetly be making this again. ** I would advise to soak the peas overnight. I cooked this with the crock pot for 10 hours and they were still a little crunchy. Had to finish in the pressure cooker.

I made this for a New Year's Day party that we hosted. Everyone loved it and I had several requests for the recipe! Several people said they took the peas because they meant good luck but didn't like them. They changed their mind after they ate them!

Delicious. I did add several cloves of minced garlic which was suggested and decided to leave the rice out. Also used the leftover ham bone from Christmas. Full of flavor, didn't need anything else added. Will make again. Although technically this makes it a Black eyed pea soup. Still rates 5 stars. Yummy.

Great basic recipe that is even better with more spice and ham

This was good. I made it mostly like the recipe except I soaked my BEP first, and then rinsed and drained them, as I was not going to cook them for a few more hours and I didn't want them to sit in the soaking water for that long. That might have removed extra flavor...not sure. But, as many have said, this is a simple meal, and meant to be that way, so that being said, it was good! I also added celery and red pepper (I have no green ones), and used up some ham from my freezer instead of the hock, and was about 1/4 cup short on BEP. We love BEP's, so next time, I would definitely use about 2 cups instead. My 12 year old daughter ate 3 servings, so this is a keeper at my house. It is similar to another recipe we make, except that one has bacon, carrots, and actually calls for celery and green pepper. We serve it with rice (cooked separately) or corn bread. Over all, a good, comforting meal, and hoping the BEP's bring another good year for us! Thanks for sharing.

I happened to find this when I was looking for a way to do lamb shanks in the slow cooker. It was delicious and has turned out to be a favourite. A local farmer sells fresh lamb and organic beans at farmers' market. Now I make this about once a month and it provides three meals for me and my partner. I use the lamb shanks in place of ham and substitute red cargo rice for white rice. The seasoning to my Canadian tastebuds is just right, not at all bland. Everything except the cheese goes into the slow cooker on low for 8 hours. Many thanks for a new favourite.

Used my cast iron dutch oven to make this dish, or should I say try and make this dish. I followed the directions up to the point of adding the white rice... Did not cook in the 20-25 mins suggested. I even went longer and had to add water. I think cooking it longer caused the peas to get mushy and my husband did not care for the dish, for the mushy peas and said it was somewhat bland. May try again, cooking the rice separtely and spice it up a bit. Should I have not used my Dutch oven?

Had left over smoked ham from Christmas so I used it in this recipe. Turned out great . Was delicious.. The only modifications was I added some celery and green peppers.

Great starter up recipe!!! Want to add my 2 cents. Instead of all water, I use Chicken broth when I cook the peas and ham/bone, add a can of green chili peppers, cut up onion, then I add rice. Sometimes I throw in some cut-tomatoes, too, but it's whatever stirs your pot!! :o)

This is close to a 5 but of course I always add garlic. I love garlic. For a fast and easy kick to this awesome dish try a spicy picante sauce and course pepper.

Excellent recipe- as the Kitchen Witch I had to tinker a bit. My changes included: adding a finely chopped green pepper, 3 handfuls of fresh, stemmed spinach, 1 lb. of bacon instead of ham hocks, 6 cloves of garlic- finely diced, I omitted the rice and finished it over night in the crock on low. MmHmm, an excellent New Years Day (or anytime) recipe-cheers!

Black eyed peas ARE bland and need to be spiced up to each ones individual taste.

This is one of the best recipes I have found for Hollin' John! Made it two years in a row now - thanks so much for sharing - my family LOVES IT!

Smoked Ham Hocks or Jowl make a big difference. I always add a little ham and finish it off with hot sauce and chopped onion once it's in the bowl. Just keep adding water or stock if it gets too thick for your liking. Even better the next day!

We've eaten this for years, but usually use a can of field peas instead of black eyed peas. Since they don't need to cook long I just cut up some ham and cook it in a skillet until it starts to brown and sprinkle over the top of the meal. It makes it a VERY fast prep and a very healthy meal.

This was my first time making Hoppin' John. I am so glad that I used this recipe. I did make a couple of changes. I added two cans of Rotel tomatoes. It gave it a nice kick! I left out the smoked cheese because I didn't have any, but it was still delicious. Mine dried out after it sat a while. I'm sure that I can reconstitute it for leftovers with a little chicken or vegetable stock. This is a true Southern dish and we loved it.