This old-fashioned oven supper is the kind of practical meal that has stayed popular for good reason: a few simple ingredients turn into something hearty, savory, and deeply comforting. Baking pork chops directly over canned black-eyed peas lets the meat juices flavor the peas as everything cooks together, creating a complete meal with very little fuss. It is especially fitting for early fall, when black-eyed peas have long been associated with frugal Southern home cooking and dishes designed to feed a family well.
Serve these pork chops and black-eyed peas with skillet cornbread, buttered green beans, collard greens, or a simple tomato and onion salad. If you want to make the plate go a little further, spoon the peas and pan juices over hot rice or mashed potatoes, and offer a splash of vinegar pepper sauce or a little hot sauce at the table.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredient Pork Chops with Canned Black-Eyed Peas
Servings: 4
Ingredients
4 bone-in pork chops, about 3/4 to 1 inch thick
2 cans (15 to 15.5 ounces each) black-eyed peas, drained lightly but not rinsed
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a medium baking dish or vintage stoneware casserole large enough to hold the pork chops in a single layer.
2. Spread the black-eyed peas evenly in the baking dish. Sprinkle about half of the onion soup mix over the peas so they are seasoned from the bottom up.
3. Lay the pork chops on top of the peas in a single layer. Sprinkle the remaining onion soup mix over the pork chops.
4. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until the pork chops are cooked through and browned on top and the peas are hot and bubbling around the edges.
5. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving so the juices settle back into the peas. Spoon the peas onto plates and place a pork chop over each serving.
Variations & Tips
Add a little liquid if needed: If your canned black-eyed peas seem very dry after draining, stir in 1/4 cup water or chicken broth before topping with the pork chops. This helps keep the peas creamy and gives you a bit more pan juice for serving.
Use boneless chops carefully: Boneless pork chops work, but they cook faster and can dry out more easily. Start checking them 10 minutes earlier during the uncovered baking time.
Make it more Southern-style: Add a pinch of black pepper, a little garlic powder, or a few thin onion slices if you do not mind stepping beyond the three-ingredient spirit of the dish. A side of cornbread makes it especially satisfying.
Final serving idea: For a fuller plate, serve the pork chops and black-eyed peas with cornbread, wilted greens, or spooned over white rice so none of the savory juices go to waste.