Black Eyed Pea Gumbo Chili

So I haven't ever blogged a recipe before but I thought I would give it a try. I have entered into the Pinterest scene recently and am loving the recipes that I am finding that are all Chip friendly or adaptable to his needs. This one, however, is all Tony's request! He LOVES black eyed peas - ok, so it is a weird southern thing and for those of you who don't even know what Black eyed peas are, they are essentially a legume that we Southerners have turned into a pea and we usually eat them with our New Years Dinner for luck. Anyway, Tony loves them and we were pinched for dinner on Sunday and i didn't have anything that i really 'wanted' and really were lacking grocery wise and certainly didn't feel like going to the grocery store. This is when this happened:    

and it was WONDERFUL!

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon of Vegetable oil
Sausage, Kielbasa, ham steak (really whatever you want but you want about 1 cups worth, cut up
1 yellow onion, diced
2 Cups of cooked black eyed peas or 2 cans of black eyed peas rinsed and drained
32 oz Beef Broth
2 teaspoons of Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
cooked white rice

Brown the meat in vegetable oil for a few minutes until it becomes caramelized well (approx 5 minutes). Then add the onion, stirring occasionally, cook until it becomes golden (another approx 5 minutes).
Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and let simmer for approx 25 minutes. Serve over white rice.

Now if you have ever had Gumbo, you will recognize the similarities in this meal. The beef broth and bay leaf and serving it over white rice creates almost a Gumbo feel while you have the chili powder and cumin that gives it a chili taste.

I hope that you try this before you knock it! It is so good, super yummy, and was a nice, hearty, warm meal to have on a cold day. You can take this recipe and adapt it however you would like it, too. You could use Turkey sausage or a spicy sausage if your tastes prefer that. You could also add some ground red pepper for a little heat if that is what you like. It is delicious and definitely goes in our notebook of a favorite recipe of the Sharps!