Southwestern Hash with Eggs

New Year's Eve at my house, which meant black-eyed peas soaking by December thirtieth, which is not negotiable. In this family on New Year's Day you eat black-eyed peas for luck, collard greens for money, and cornbread for gold, and you have eaten some version of this meal on January first your entire life and you are going to continue doing so. When I told Shanice about this tradition over video call in December she said, that is exactly what the Carters do, the only difference being that her family adds cabbage. I said the cabbage tradition must come from somewhere and she said she didn't know but it had always been there. I said, bring the cabbage. Welcome it in. The more the better.

CJ and Shanice came back down for New Year's. We did not stay up until midnight — I never do anymore and I have stopped pretending otherwise. We had dinner, we watched something on television, we were in bed by ten-thirty. At midnight the neighborhood fireworks woke me up briefly and I lay in the dark and said a quiet word of thanks and went back to sleep. That is my New Year's ritual and it serves me fine.

January first: the peas, the greens, the cornbread, the cabbage. The table set, the house smelling like good things cooking. CJ said grace and he said it the long way, the way his father used to, and the way his father's father before that. Shanice sat next to him with her eyes closed and her hands folded and the pearl ring on her finger and she looked like she had been sitting at this table on New Year's Day her whole life.

2022. I am fifty-two years old. The table is full. The peas are soaking and cooking and ready, which is what they promised, and what I am choosing to believe about this year also.

The morning after New Year’s Day, with CJ and Shanice still in the house and the good smell of the night before still faintly there, I wanted something that kept that same spirit going — something hearty and honest that says the table is still full, the year is still new, and we are still here together. This Southwestern hash is what I reach for when I want a meal that feels like abundance without fuss: everything in one pan, eggs settled right on top, nothing wasted and nothing missing. It is not the black-eyed peas, but it carries the same intention — nourishing, grounding, and worth sitting down for.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
Hot sauce, sour cream, or salsa for serving

Instructions

Par-cook the potatoes. Place diced potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave on high for 4–5 minutes until just barely tender. Drain and set aside.
Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until softened and beginning to pick up some color.
Add potatoes and season. Add the par-cooked potatoes to the skillet. Sprinkle in the chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir to coat evenly. Press the mixture down gently with a spatula and let it cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes so the potatoes get crispy on the bottom.
Stir in beans and corn. Add the black beans and frozen corn. Stir everything together and cook for another 3 minutes until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Cook the eggs. Use the back of a spoon to make four wells in the hash. Crack one egg into each well. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook for 4–6 minutes until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny, or cook to your preferred doneness.
Serve. Remove from heat, scatter with fresh cilantro if using, and bring the skillet straight to the table. Serve with hot sauce, sour cream, or salsa on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Southwestern Hash with Eggs — The Table Set, the House Smelling Like Good Things