By New Year's Eve and then 2020. I can't shake the feeling of turning a corner — not just a year, but a decade. 2020 sounds like a number that belongs to the future and now it's here and I'm in it, making black-eyed peas for luck on New Year's Day the same as every year, the ham hock and the rice and the cornbread, tradition as compass.
Gary and I stayed up to midnight for the first time in several years, watching the ball drop on TV with Ethan and Olivia. Mason fell asleep at eleven-thirty and Noah at ten and we carried them both to bed, which I will do until they're too heavy and then I'll mourn it. At midnight Gary kissed me and said, "New decade." I said, "Same us." He said, "Better us." And I thought: yes. Better us.
I made a resolution video for the channel — not about food goals, about cooking philosophy. About why the kitchen is worth showing up for. About how feeding people is an act of love that doesn't require any special equipment or training, just attention and care. It's the most personal video I've made and it got the most immediate response of any video I've posted. Thousands of comments in the first day. People saying it was the thing they needed to hear to start the year.
The channel is at 135,000. A year ago it was at zero. I find that number — the year-over-year one — more moving than the total count. In a year. In one year, working from my kitchen, showing up every week with a camera propped on a spice rack. In a year.
The black-eyed peas are non-negotiable in this house — they go on the stove every New Year’s Day the way the sun comes up, without debate. But this year, after a midnight that felt heavier and more hopeful than any I can remember, I wanted the whole meal to feel like abundance: warm, filling, and worth sitting down for. This Cheesy Beans and Rice is the dish I reached for, because it takes everything I believe about the kitchen — that simple ingredients, treated with care, are enough — and puts it on a plate. It’s the kind of recipe that feeds a family of six without fuss, which is exactly what a New Year’s morning with four kids and a husband who said “better us” at midnight actually needs.
Cheesy Beans and Rice
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 can (15 oz) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or green onion, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add beans and tomatoes. Stir in the black-eyed peas, kidney beans, and diced tomatoes with their juices. Mix to combine with the vegetables.
- Add rice and broth. Stir in the uncooked rice, broth, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer covered. Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer for 18–20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. Check and stir once halfway through.
- Add the cheese. Remove the lid and stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheddar until melted and combined. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup over the top, replace the lid for 2 minutes to let it melt.
- Garnish and serve. Top with fresh parsley or green onion and serve hot, straight from the pan.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 380 | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 50g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 520mg