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Minty Creamed Peas

This recipe for Minty Creamed Peas takes the fresh green flavors of peas and mint and combines them with a creamy, buttery white sauce. It’s perfect as a side dish for roast beef, ham, fish, or even a weeknight meatloaf dinner. It’s also a family favorite for holiday dinners. (And if you enjoy recipes with peas, check out my recipe for Creamy Turkey Pasta with Peas.)

Bowl of Minty Creamed Peas

Are you a pea lover? I have to confess, when I was a kid, I was not a fan. I hated peas with a passion and couldn’t stand even the sight of them. But to be fair, all I knew of peas as a kid was the gray, mushy kind that they served in the school cafeteria. I don’t know what they did to those poor peas, but they had absolutely no flavor or texture. Thankfully, my palette has grown to love peas these days, and I think part of that is in the preparation. I like peas best when they are lightly cooked and still fresh and sweet. And like in this recipe, a bit of butter and cream never hurts either. 

Close up view of bowl of Minty Creamed Peas

What Ingredients are in Minty Creamed Peas?

The ingredients for this Creamed Peas recipe are simple:

Peas – You can use fresh, frozen, or canned peas (I prefer frozen.) You’ll need a 10-ounce bag of frozen peas, 1 (15-ounce) can of peas drained, OR 1 3/4 cups of fresh peas (shelled and cooked).

All-purpose Flour – Use regular wheat flour, or substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour. 

Half and Half – For the creamiest peas, use half and half. If you don’t have access to store-bought half and half, this is just a mixture of 50% whole milk, and 50% heavy cream. In a pinch, you can use whole milk but the recipe won’t turn out quite as creamy. For extra creaminess, use all heavy cream.

Onion – I like to use red onion, but any onion or even shallot will do. 

Fresh Mint – Fresh mint really compliments the flavor of the sweet peas, but you could also substitute dill or other fresh herbs. You can also just leave the herbs out. 

Butter – I use whatever butter I have on hand, which is usually regular salted butter, but unsalted butter is fine, too, because you’ll adjust the seasonings before serving. 

Sugar – Sugar is an optional ingredient, but I like to add a teaspoon to the sauce to enhance the sweet flavor of the peas.

Top View of Bowl of Minty Creamed Peas

Tips for making Minty Creamed Peas: 

Double or triple the recipe.  If you need more than the four servings the recipe makes, feel free to scale up the recipe as needed. 

Fresh, frozen, or canned peas. I prefer frozen or fresh peas for this recipe, but I’ll use canned peas in a pinch. To use frozen peas, precook them according to the instructions on the bag before adding them to the recipe. But cook them for a few minutes less than called for because they’ll finish cooking in the cream sauce. If using shelled fresh peas, cook them in boiling, salted water for 6 minutes, or until tender, and then drain thoroughly. If using canned peas, there is no need to warm or cook them first, but you will need to drain them.

Optional Add-Ins: I will sometimes add a squeeze of lemon juice and/or grate some lemon zest onto the finished dish. A sprinkle of nutmeg enhances the flavor of the cream sauce.  A few grates of fresh parmesan and lots of freshly-cracked black pepper are delicious, too (kids really seem to love peas with Parmesan, if you have a pea-hater in your family).

Store the leftovers. Store your leftovers in a bowl with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for 3-5 days. 

Spoon of Minty Creamed Peas


I hope you try this recipe for Minty Creamed Peas, and if you do, I hope you enjoy! Let me know in the comments below!

My Homemade Roots


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Top View of Bowl of Minty Creamed Peas

Minty Creamed Peas


  • Author: My Homemade Roots
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x

Description

This recipe for Minty Creamed Peas combines the fresh green flavors of peas and mint with a creamy, buttery white sauce. Serve it as a side for meat or fish, or on the holiday table.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup finely diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup half and half
  • 1 (10-ounce) bag of frozen peas, cooked until just warm (substituted 1 can of peas, drained, OR 1 3/4 cups fresh shelled peas, fully-cooked)
  • 3 tablespoons coarsley-chopped fresh mint, divided
  • Zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Stir in the flour, and cook for 1 minute while constantly stirring. Whisk in the half and half and bring to a gentle bubble while stirring. Be careful that the milk doesn’t stick to the pan.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons of the chopped mint, and then season the sauce with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper. Stir in the peas and heat gently for 3-4 minutes, or until peas are warmed through and the sauce is thickened to your liking. Add more salt and/or pepper to taste.
  4. Serve the creamed peas in a bowl, and sprinkle with the remaining mint and lemon zest (optional).
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 hours

Minty Creamed Peas Pin

And for more delicious homemade from-scratch recipes, visit my friends at the Homestead Blog Hop.

 

3 Comments

  • Mary
    April 25, 2022 at 6:50 pm

    I’ve never made this before. I might have to try this for Friendsgiving. It looks so fancy.

    Reply
    • Melissa
      May 2, 2022 at 6:20 pm

      I hope you love it!

      Reply
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