Cook Up Some Good Luck With These Traditional New Year's Day Recipes
According to Southern lore, you will have good luck for the entire year if you have the traditional New Year's Day supper. In the South, that means a meal of greens, hoppin' John, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and pot likker soup. For an auspicious year, we've rounded up some of our favorite traditional New Years' Day recipes.
We have all the classic New Year's recipes, from Southern-Style Collard Greens to classic Hoppin' John. Thanks to handy gadgets like an Instant Pot, many of these traditional New Year's recipes are easier than ever, like our Instant Pot Black-eyed Pea Soup. For a new twist on Southern traditions, try our Hoppin' John Noodle Bowls or our well-spiced, oven-roasted black-eyed peas. However you choose to cook up your New Year's staples, these traditional Southern New Year's Day recipes will fill your table with the perfect ingredients for an auspicious year.
Now, we can guarantee that these dishes will taste great—the luck part is up to you.
Instant Pot Black-eyed Peas
Recipe: Instant Pot Black-eyed Peas
Soaking time aside, this Instant Pot dish comes together quicker than your typical New Year's Day black-eyed pea recipe.
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Hoppin' John
Recipe: Hoppin' John
Hoppin' John pairs black-eyed peas with rice. The rice and beans are cooked slowly with bacon, fatback, or ham hock along with onion and salt. "Skippin' Jenny," as the leftovers are known the day after New Year's, shows one's frugality; eating it increases your chances of prosperity.
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Southern-Style Collard Greens
Recipe: Southern-Style Collard Greens
Slow-cooking collards with pork makes them mouthwatering and tender. Their soul-warming taste can be perfected only with the addition of vinegar. Be sure to save a few uncooked greens to tack to the ceiling for good luck or hang over the door to ward off evil spirits.
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Southern Skillet Cornbread
Recipe: Southern Skillet Cornbread
Cornbread, which some say symbolizes gold, completes the Southern New Year's triad. Native Americans were the first to bake a cornmeal mixture, and Southerners made it daily when wheat was a rarity in the region. For authentic Southern flavor, choose a recipe that uses little, if any, sugar and flour. Don't forget the cracklings, crispy morsels produced during the rendering of lard.
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Instant Pot Collard Greens
Recipe: Instant Pot Collard Greens
These quick collards are so good that we recommend making two batches and freezing one to enjoy later.
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Hoppin' John
Recipe: Hoppin' John
New Year's Day below the Mason-Dixon just wouldn't be complete without Hoppin' John on the stove. This savory dish is going to be your family's fast favorite–guaranteed.
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Maple-Bourbon Glazed Ham
Recipe: Maple-Bourbon Glazed Ham
A New Year's Day celebration isn't complete without a glazed ham, and might we say that this recipe is one of our best.
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Slow-Cooker Peas-and-Greens Soup with Turkey Sausage
Recipe: Slow-Cooker Peas-and-Greens Soup with Turkey Sausage
Lighten up your New Year's meal with this healthier twist on a classic lucky soup, chock full of peas and greens.
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Southern-Style Collard Greens
Recipe: Southern-Style Collard Greens
Consider this recipe your ultimate guide for cooking Southern-style collard greens—on New Year's Day or any day to come.
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Pork Chops with Dijon-Buttermilk Sauce
Recipe: Pork Chops with Dijon-Buttermilk Sauce
The more pork in your meal, the more luck you will have. So don't just use ham hock and fatback to flavor your veggies; eat a baked ham or these pork chops as a main dish.
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Easy Black-Eyed Peas
Recipe: Easy Black-Eyed Peas
Don't overcomplicate things: these Easy Black-Eyed Peas have the potential to be the star of your New Year's Day spread.
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Black-Eyed Pea and Grain Salad
Recipe: Black-Eyed Pea and Grain Salad
This dish offers an updated take on black-eyed peas while still delivering the good luck of the traditional dish. Peppery watercress fills in for traditional greens, and Chilean peaches add fresh flair.
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Texas Caviar
Recipe: Texas Caviar
The best New Year's snack? A bowl of Texas Caviar, of course. This dip is made of tomatoes, bell pepper, and, of course, lucky black-eyed peas.
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Hoppin' John with Braised Oxtail
Recipe: Hoppin' John with Braised Oxtail
This updated, ultra-sophisticated recipe for Hoppin' John with Braised Oxtail requires 4 hours and 30 minutes of cook time—but we promise, it's worth the wait.
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Hoppin' John Noodle Bowls
Recipe: Hoppin' John Noodle Bowls
Serve straight from the stove, and let guests garnish their own bowls.
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Chili-Roasted Black Eyed Peas
Recipe: Chili-Roasted Black Eyed Peas
With the flavor-packed coating on these treats, you'll easily be able to eat 365; some traditions hold that you must eat one for each day of the coming year. Roasting the peas gives them a crispy texture that's perfect for snacking or serving as an appetizer on New Year's Day.
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Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon
Recipe: Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon
Not a fan of collards? Swap them out for these Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon.
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Southwest Black-Eyed Pea Dip
Recipe: Southwest Black-Eyed Pea Dip Recipe
Start your New Year's meal off right with this auspicious dip, chock full of black-eyed peas.
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Good Luck Greens and Peas with Ham
Recipe: Good Luck Greens and Peas with Ham
Spread the good fortune with this tasty dish, and don't forget to serve it with cornbread on the side.
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Cornbread Ice Cream
Recipe: Cornbread Ice Cream
Finish up your New Year's Day meal with an auspicious scoop of Cornbread Ice Cream.
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Instant Pot Black-eyed Pea Soup
Recipe: Instant Pot Black-eyed Pea Soup
Ham, collards, and black-eyed peas all make an appearance in this lucky New Year's Day soup. Be sure to sop it all up with cornbread.