Black Beans and Rice with Bacon

A bowl of black beans and rice is pure comfort food, at least for me. But I'm always looking for new tricks, because while the concept sounds simple, it's surprisingly easy to end up with a batch that is dry and flavorless.

Hearty One-Pot Black-Eyed Pea Stew With Kale and Andouille

This easy black eyed pea stew starts with andouille sausage and pork belly cooked until browned and crisped, then gets flavored with the Holy Trinity of Cajun cuisine: onions, celery, and green bell peppers, along with some leeks and garlic for extra flavor. Tender braised kale transform this into a full-on meal, while a shot of apple cider vinegar brightens up all the flavors.

Black Eyed Peas with Ham Hock

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Robb Walsh's Fresh Field Peas

Robb Walsh, author of Texas Eats keeps his Fresh Field Peas simple with a soul food inspired recipe that begins (as many good things do) with bacon. Onions are sweated in the bacon fat, and the peas are added and simmered with chicken broth, a few pods of okra as a thickener, and a lone chile for heat. Fresh peas don't need too much stove top, just simmer until tender and serve.

Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon (Southern Style)

Southern style Homemade Baked Beans with Bacon in a thick, rich savoury sauce with a perfect balance of sweet and a hint of tang.

Bacon-Braised Green Beans

I'd like to make the case for tender braised green beans that still retain a hint of crunch and are cooked in a flavorful liquid to pick up the flavors that really enhance them.

Easy Sausage, Kale, and Black-Eyed Pea Soup With Lemon and Rosemary

An easy, hearty, sausage and kale soup with black eyed peas, flavored with rosemary and lemon zest.

Chickpea Stew With Bacon and Broccoli Rabe

Got bacon and anchovies in the fridge and some onion and garlic kicking around? Then you have the base for this flavorful chickpea and vegetable stew.

Ham Hocks and Crowder Peas From 'Down South'

Smoked ham hocks are a magical, transformative ingredient. The collagen-rich bony cuts of pork leg boast intense levels of umami and the ability to turn mere water into a silky broth in a matter of hours (a.k.a. pot liquor). Throw in freshly shelled crowder peas (a small Southern shell bean) to that cooking water, as Donald Link does in his new cookbook, Down South, and you'll wind up with a homey yet flavor-packed dish.

Quick Barbecue Beans

Great barbecue beans don't need to take half a day to make—using canned beans with a sauce built from scratch delivers a lot of the depth associated with more time-intensive recipes. Great barbecue beans don't need to take half a day to make—using canned beans with a sauce built from scratch delivers a lot of the depth associated with more time-intensive recipes.