This is a recipe from the Sheriff's daughter in law

Mom’s Black-eyed Pea Soup

Whatcha need:

4 15 ounce cans of black-eyed peas or purple hull peas (I use Bush’s Best brand. The generic ones get mushy.) Rinsed in cold water and drained.

½lb of bacon cut into bits (I just use my kitchen shears and cut ¼ inch pieces off of the long strips.)

1 fresh Vidalia sweet onion diced

2 fresh jalapeno peppers seeded & diced fine

½ tsp of beef base paste soup starter dissolved into 3 cups of hot water

1 fresh beefsteak tomato or 2 Roma tomatoes diced

1 teaspoon of minced garlic (I use the jarred kind that is packed in water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

10 to 12 ounces of Velveeta cut into thin pieces so it melts easier (Don’t use generic. Its gross.)

Whatcha do:

Brown the bacon until crisp. Drain bacon, but save drippings. Set bacon aside and return drippings to the pan.

Add onion, tomato and jalapenos to bacon dripping and saute until onions are translucent.

Combine hot water, salt, pepper, garlic, beef base and Velveeta in a stock pot and start blending over medium heat.

When the cheese is pretty much melted, add the sauteed mix and black-eyed peas to the stock pot. Stir gently and simmer until peas are hot.

Top bowls of soup with bacon bits and enjoy!