Leftover Chili & Cornbread Breakfast Casserole

Leftover Chili & Cornbread just got a makeover! Our easy layered Chili & Cornbread Breakfast Casserole transforms your leftover cornbread and chili (or stew) into a hearty, company-worthy breakfast.

What's the Story Behind this Recipe

To make this scrumptious layered Cornbread Breakfast Casserole, all you need is leftover cornbread, a cup or two of leftover chili or thick stew, and a handful of standard pantry and fridge staples. Easy-peasy!!!

Cornbread is one of those things that is best eaten the day it is prepared: after that, it quickly begins to toughen and lose its freshness.

Recently, while developing my recipe for Sweet Skillet Cornbread, I made four separate batches of cornbread in the same week. I usually try to string recipe tests out over a few weeks, but that didn't happen this time, and as a result, we had a mountain of leftover cornbread.

Normally when I have leftover cornbread, I crumble and freeze it for use as breadcrumbs for casserole and pasta toppings; but that giant cornbread pile just called out to be made into something wonderful. 

My first thought was to make a savory cornbread pudding, but then, Ooo... What about a stratta? (FYI - stratta, or strata, is just a fancy name for a layered casserole, often prepared with bread). 

As it happened, we had a fridge full of fresh eggs thanks to Lady Bird Johnson and Harriet Lane Johnston (our two surviving chickens), and a bowl of leftover chili. A plan began to take form. 

From Inspiration to Reality

It is a long road from having a cool food idea to creating a viable recipe that is both tasty and can be successfully replicated by others. That road requires knowledge, preparation, organization, and testing, testing, testing. 

When I'm working on a new recipe, I usually make it between one and four times, depending upon how involved it is and how many times I've made it in the past.

For tried and true recipes like Mom's Spaghetti Sauce or Split Pea Soup, which I've made countless times in the past, I make a single batch to verify ingredient amounts, instructions, and cooking times - and so that I can take pictures, of course!

For original recipes like this Leftover Cornbread Breakfast Casserole, however, I make the recipe a minimum of three times, and often more. A few years ago, Mr B and I made at least ten batches of (Almost) Original Taco House Fiesta Dressing before we deemed it perfect.

NOTE: The leftovers I used for this Cornbread Breakfast Casserole recipe were equal to roughly ⅓ of a batch of Sweet Skillet Cornbread.

How to Make this Leftover Breakfast Casserole

Make the Pan-fried Onions

Heat 10" cast iron skillet (or cast iron pie dish) over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add one tablespoon of butter to the skillet and swirl to coat as the butter melts. The butter should sizzle, but not brown. Immediately place the onion slices in hot butter in the skillet in a single layer.

You can crowd them a bit because they will shrink as the cook. Fry onions for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden. Using a spatula, carefully turn onion slices over to fry the other side.

When onions are nicely browned on each side, carefully remove them from skillet using a spatula and set aside on a plate.

Assemble the Casserole

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 10" cast iron pie dish (or cast iron skillet). Swirl melted butter to coat bottom and sides.

Cornbread Layer #1 • Cubed

Into the prepared cast iron pie dish, lay in 1 ½ - 2 cups of sliced (or crumbled) leftover cornbread, so that the bottom of the dish is completely covered by about ½ inch of cornbread.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and ⅓ cup milk. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and a few turns of freshly ground pepper, and pour evenly over cornbread layer in pie dish.

Press down slightly, just enough to flatten layer.

Grated Cheese Layer

Sprinkle grated cheese over cornbread layer.

"Leftover" Layer

Spread leftover chili (or stew, or whatever you are using) on top of the grated cheese.

Cornbread Layer #2 • Crumbled

Spread 1 ½ - 2 cups crumbled leftover cornbread over the top of the Leftover layer.

Egg & Onion Top  

Carefully crack 6 to 8 eggs onto casserole, arranging them evenly in a ring. Arrange pan-fried onions around egg yolks.

This part is actually kind of fun: I was thinking of Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night" while I was working.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350°. Eggs whites should be set, and the whole thing is relatively firm to the touch.

Allow casserole to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or cilantro. Serve warm.

Now it's time to grab those leftovers out of the fridge and throw together one of the best breakfast casseroles you've had all year! 

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