Creamed Peas
Creamed peas are a Southern side dish that will love! Tender, sweet peas in a homemade cream sauce. Comfort food in less than 20 minutes which is perfect for busy weeknights.
I’m always looking for new side dishes. Let’s be honest, I’m always looking for new everything to cook. Isn’t everyone? I feel like I make the same 15 things over and over again.
Trying to figure out what main dish to make is a pain but throw in one or two sides to make too and I get tired of making decisions quick. So I fall back to the same things. Rice, mashed potatoes, green beans, peas, etc.
So in a recent menu rut, I started thinking about what my mom made and my favorite side dishes I ate at restaurants. Growing up there was an amazing fried chicken place, and they served creamed peas!
I loved them! I even mixed them with my mashed potatoes. But the best part was sprinkling all the fried chicken crumbs, or “crunchies” as they called them, on top of the creamy peas. So yummy!
So I decided to make my own version, just like these creamed potatoes. They’re super simple to make and I know you will love them too. I bet this makes it into your side dish rotation just like it did mine.
Creamed peas use pantry staple ingredients, are very budget friendly, and ready in 20 minutes. So those busy weeknights are a little easier to handle.
Serving Suggestions
Mains: Meatloaf | Fried Chicken | Pork Chops
Starches: Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes | Baked Rice
Veggies: Green Beans | Glazed Carrots
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Peas: I like to use frozen peas for this recipe. They hold their texture and color really well. You can use canned but I recommend draining and rinsing really well.
- Cream: This recipe uses a combination of milk and heavy cream. The milk is great for making the sauce and the cream is added at the end to thicken the sauce more and make it extra creamy.
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How To Make Creamed Peas
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the raw flour taste is gone.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and cook the sauce 3 to 4 minutes or until it thickens. Stir in the salt and pepper to taste.
- The sauce should coat the back of a spoon and when you run a finger through it the line should still be there.
- Remove from the heat and pour in the frozen peas.
- Stir gently to coat the peas. The sauce will get very thick because of the cold peasIf it’s too thick to stir, place the pan back over low heat and stir gently.
- Stir in the remaining butter and heavy cream. Serve warm!
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Reheating
Any leftovers will last in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cover tightly or store in an airtight container.
The best way to reheat the creamed peas is back on the stove top. I have used the microwave but the sauce can get hot spots and separate. Reheating in the pan allows you to heat them slowly and add more butter or milk to the sauce to make it creamy again.
Are you thinking about freezing them? You can, technically, but the sauce can get watery and grainy when you thaw them. And the peas can get mushy.
If you HAVE to freeze them, cool them completely, use a freezer-safe container, and thaw overnight before reheating. If they are too mushy to enjoy, you can always stir them into a soup!
Variations
While these peas are great on their own, you can add some extra flavor with a few creative add-ins! Check out a few of my favorites (of course, bacon is first!!)
- Bacon: Stir in cooked bacon at the end and top with more. It adds crunch and a smoky flavor.
- Cheese: Stir in grated Parmesan until melted and smooth.
- Mushrooms: Sauté sliced mushrooms in butter until browned; add to cream sauce with peas. While this is not my fave (because I am not a big fan of mushrooms, my husband loves this version.
- Ham: Dice cooked ham and add to the sauce before stirring in the peas.
- Onions: If I have some on hand, I like to stir in some pearl onions to make them a little more fancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are a classic side dish that has a cream sauce made from a basic roux and thinned with milk or cream which helps it stick to the peas. I love it with mashed potatoes and fried chicken!
Nope! Creamed peas are a dish made with sweet peas in cream sauce. Lady peas are a specific type of peas and are smaller and more delicate than regular green peas.
Yes! Just blanch them first before adding to the cream sauce. This helps to par cook them and they keep their bright green color.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Better butter: Unsalted butter is best so you can control the level of salt.
- Flavor boost: Bacon grease instead of butter when you make the roux adds in extra flavor. Stir in some garlic powder and onion powder too!
- Milk swap: Substitute equal parts evaporated milk and water when making the roux if you don’t have milk or cream.
- Fresh peas: Blanch the peas before adding to the sauce.
- Quick side: Be careful not to overcook. The peas can get very mushy.
- Double up: This recipe easily doubles for larger families.
This classic creamed peas recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you need to get dinner on the table and don’t want to make the same old thing.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Creamed Peas Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups peas frozen
- ¼ cup heavy cream optional
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter.
- Stir in flour and cook 2-3 minutes to remove raw flour taste.
- Slowly pour in milk while whisking.
- Cook 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in salt and pepper.
- Pour in peas and cook for 5-6 minutes until peas are heated through.
- Remove from heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and heavy cream if desired.
- Serve warm.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- Better butter: Unsalted butter is best so you can control the level of salt.
- Flavor boost: Bacon grease instead of butter when you make the roux adds in extra flavor.in roux for extra flavor
- Milk swap: Substitute equal parts evaporated milk and water when making the roux if you don’t have milk or cream.
- Fresh peas: Blanch the peas before adding to the sauce.
- Quick side: Be careful not to overcook. The peas can get very mushy.
- Double up: This recipe easily doubles for larger families.
Nutrition
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