Creamy Collards with  Ham

Southern lore says to eat collards (and black-eyed peas) on New Year’s Day to bring good luck. This creamy rendition makes superstition delicious. 

Serves 8 to 10.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
1-1/2 cups chopped Smithfield ham, other country-cured ham, or prosciutto
2 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken stock
2 large heads (about 3 lb. total) collard greens, washed, stemmed, and cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ham; sauté for about 1 minute. Add the stock and collard greens; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the collards are tender, about 15 minutes. (The greens will diminish in volume as they cook.) Add the heavy cream and cook until it reduces and thickens slightly, another 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serving Suggestions

For your main course, serve Classic Fried Chicken with basic black-eyed peas on the side.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size: based on ten servings; Calories (kcal): 320; Fat (g): 27; Fat Calories (kcal): 240; Saturated Fat (g): 13; Protein (g): 8; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 11; Carbohydrates (g): 13; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2; Sodium (mg): 420; Cholesterol (mg): 80; Fiber (g): 5;