Beans and Cornbread is the ultimate southern comfort food, and with a pressure cooker, it can be a very quick dish. The following Pressure Cooker Spicy Black-Eyed Peas utilizes canned black-eyed peas, as well as canned diced tomatoes. Because we like it spicy, I add lots of fresh jalapeño peppers; you can also use canned jalapeño peppers if fresh aren’t available, and can add more or less according to taste. Another time saver is to use dehydrated onion flakes as well as dried celery; this will eliminate any chopping. For a more substantial dish, you can add leftover diced ham.

Although the new Instant Pots cook dry beans in about an hour, sometimes it’s necessary to have dinner on the table faster; using canned beans makes it possible. Everything can be finished at the same time, too. Simply get the beans in the pressure cooker and make the cornbread while they cook. This can easily be a 30-minute meal. Black-eyed peas are supposed to bring good luck, so this is a dish that can also be served on New Year’s Day.

Just a note on the cornbread: My southern husband insists that “if it has sugar, it ain’t cornbread!” You can make yours from scratch which is surprisingly quick, or use a mix. And if you prefer the sweeter kind, it also tastes good with these beans; both kinds are best when baked in a cast-iron skillet.

12 Servings

1/2 pound thick-sliced bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1-4 chopped fresh jalapeno peppers

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies

3 15 oz. can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
2 teaspoons granular chicken bouillon

1. In a 4-6 quart electric pressure cooker, brown the bacon until crisp; drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
2. Stir in the onion, celery, garlic, and jalapeño peppers; let cook for about a minute until warmed.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and green chilies, and chopped jalapeno peppers in a 4-8 quart pressure cooker (Instant Pot or similar works well).
4. Stir in the black-eyed peas, water, and chicken bouillon.
5. Cover, set the valve to sealing, and let cook on normal manual pressure for 10 minutes.
6. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure. Serve with cornbread (preferably no sugar).

Calories 138 Calories from Fat 34
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 25% Protein 24% Carb. 52%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 6 mg
Sodium 462 mg
Total Carbohydrate 18 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 8 g

Vitamin A 33% Vitamin C 71% Calcium 0% Iron 12%