From hoppin’ John to collard greens, when it comes to New Year’s Day meals, Southerners eat well. The South is rich in culinary tradition, with many of its New Year’s dishes focusing on flavor and a little bit of luck.

Here are five recipes crafted by Southern chefs to welcome in the new year —with some unique twists.

Black Eyed Pea and Collard Greens Soup is hearty and healthy, perfect for New Year’s Day.

Black-Eyed Peas and Collard Greens Soup

The time-honored Southern tradition of black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year’s Day continues with this tasty recipe. Atlanta chef Virginia Willis, author of “Bon Appetit, Y’all” and a food columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, shared her favorite way to make this classic. It’s big on flavor, low on calories and hearty.

This recipe feeds six people:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
• 1 smoked turkey wing, drumstick or neck
• 6 cups low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (1-pound) bag frozen black-eyed peas
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (1-pound) bag fresh chopped collard greens

Cover the cooking surface of a large pot in nonstick spray, then add onion, carrots and celery. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes. They should be soft and translucent when done.

Add garlic and cook for 45-60 seconds, until fragrant, then add red pepper flakes, smoked turkey, salt, pepper, stock and black-eyed peas. Stir the mixture, then bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the mixture uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The peas will be tender when done cooking.

Add collard greens, stir and cook until the greens wilt in roughly 5 minutes. The meal should then immediately be served.

Southern Bistro’s Coca-Cola Braised Collards (Courtesy of Justin Keith)

Southern Bistro’s Coca-Cola Braised Collard Greens

Southern Bistro is a Sandy Springs eatery with homemade dishes and desserts, including a side of collard greens made with Coca-Cola. Owner and chef Justin Keith shared the recipe for anyone interested in a side of greens with a hint of sweetness.

This recipe serves eight people:

• 1 smoked ham hock
• 3½ cups chicken stock
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup Coca-Cola Original
• ½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• ½ small onion, cut into matchsticks
• ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
• ⅓ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 small cloves garlic, crushed
• 1½ teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste
• 1 large bunch (2-3 pounds) collard greens, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
• Morton kosher salt and black pepper (optional)

Place the ham hock in a stovetop stockpot, then cover the ham in chicken broth, tomatoes, Coca-Cola, brown sugar, onion, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and hot sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then add collard greens.

Stir the mixture, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes, until the greens are tender. Once finished, remove the ham hock. Remove all bones and add the remaining meat to the greens.

Discard the ham hock’s bone and skin.

AAJC092224 Black Mountain, NC: A plate Hoppin John, a signature menu item of The Bush Mountain Farmhouse in Black Mountain, NC. Photo taken September 5, 2024 at The Bush Mountain Farmhouse. AAJC 092224 southern classics vegan bbq (GRACE DICKINSON FOR THE THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION)

Mark Henegan’s Hoppin’ John

Hoppin’ John — dried peas, pork and rice — can be sourced back to Southern cookbooks from the 1840s. It’s an iconic meal that’s been influencing American cuisine for centuries, and it’s become tradition in many Southern households to eat it on New Year’s Day for good luck.

South Africa native Mark Henegan — owner of Black Mountain, North Carolina’s Bush Farmhouse — took inspirations from his home’s cuisine to craft a totally unique take on the iconic dish.

This recipe serves four people:

• 4 cups basmati rice, cooked with a pinch of saffron
• 4 cups umngqusho
• 4 cups morogo
• 4 tablespoons red pepper paste
• 8 tablespoons high-quality olive oil

Each serving should feature 1 cup of rice in the center of the serving plate, 1 cup of umngqusho and morogo on either side of the rice. Top the meal with 1 tablespoon of red pepper sauce and drizzle with olive oil.

For directions on how to make umngqusho, morogo and red pepper paste, visit ajc.com/food-and-dining/good-luck-everyday-a-south-african-twist-on-hoppin-john/.

Marcus Bar & Grille’s M’s Cornbread. (Courtesy of Marcus Bar & Grille/Andrew Thomas Lee)

Marcus Bar & Grille’s M’s Cornbread

Cornbread is a popular Southern classic no matter the day of the year, but it’s a great New Year’s dish, too.

Old Fourth Ward’s Marcus Bar & Grille uses a cornbread recipe adapted from restaurant owner Marcus Samuelsson’s “The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem,” according to executive chef Gary Caldwell. It’s sweet, spicy and moister than your average cornbread.

This recipe serves eight people:

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons Aleppo pepper
• 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1¾ cups sour cream
• 1½ cups full-fat buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. While it preheats, cover a 9-by-5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk the dry ingredients — flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, Aleppo pepper and salt — in a large bowl.

In a separate, empty bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients — sour cream, buttermilk, eggs, egg yolk and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix everything together.

Once combined into batter, pour the contents into the sprayed loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for about an hour. When its done, the bread will be brown and pull away from the sides of the pan. You should be able to poke a skewer cleanly to the bread’s center.

The cornbread should cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Once cooled, run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the bread.

Celebrate New Year's Eve with some quality bubbles. / Courtesy of Krista Slater

Champagne Cocktail

No New Year’s menu is finished without a proper cocktail. This recipe, by Athens restaurateurs and food columnists Jerry and Krista Slater, is a classic, ensuring all your guests get an opportunity to sip on Champagne as they welcome the new year.

Here’s the recipe for a single serving:

• 1 sugar cube
• 3 dashes angostura bitters
• 5 ounces brut Champagne or dry sparkling wine
• lemon twist

Drop the sugar cube into a Champagne flute, then cover it in the bitters. Slowly pour the wine over the sugar, careful not to let it bubble over, then garnish with the lemon twist.