I wanted black-eyed peas this New Year’s Day, but I wanted something different than what I made for Thanksgiving. I got the idea to do them like baked beans in a BBQ sauce. It ended up going really well with everything I made.

You could easily create your own BBQ sauce for these. I kept it simple and decided to use a good bottled sauce. The one I chose was Annie’s Naturals Organic Smoky Maple BBQ Sauce.

These have a long, slow bake time, which gives them a deep flavor. However, they are a bit dry after an hour and a half. If you want them saucier, you could add more BBQ or water, or not bake them as long.

I thought this was an interesting twist and an excellent side dish for my Good Luck New Year’s Day Vegetarian Meal!

Baked BBQ Black-Eyed Peas
1 cup dried black-eyed peas
4 cups water
1 Tbsp oil
½ cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup BBQ sauce
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
black pepper, to taste

Place the black-eyed peas in a medium saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until mostly tender, about 45 minutes.

Drain the black-eyed peas, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the black-eyed peas in a 1½-qt baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Pour onto the black-eyed peas.

Add the BBQ sauce, ½ cup of the cooking liquid, the cider vinegar, and black pepper. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1½ hours. Add more BBQ sauce or cooking liquid, if desired.