Southwest Black-Eyed Pea Dip Recipe

By jeknudson

Ingredients

• 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 2 (15-oz.) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed, drained, and divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 /2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 cup diced ham
• 1 /4 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1 /4 cup finely chopped roasted red bell pepper
• 1 (8-oz.) block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded and divided
• 2 (4-oz.) fresh tomatoes, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeño
• Tortilla chips

Details

Adapted from southernliving.com

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°F. Process cream cheese, 1 cup black-eyed peas, 1⁄2 tablespoon lime juice, hot sauce, and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until creamy and smooth (about 1 minute). Place mixture in a large bowl.

Step 2
Stir remaining black-eyed peas, diced ham, scallions, bell pepper, and 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese (1 cup) into cream cheese mixture. Spread mixture into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 4 ounces cheese.

Step 3
Bake, covered with aluminum foil, in preheated oven 20 minutes. Remove foil, and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes.

Step 4
Stir together tomatoes, cilantro, olive oil, jalapeño, remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, and remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Top black-eyed pea dip with tomato mixture using a slotted spoon. Serve with tortilla chips.