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The Good Hearted Woman

Home Cooking & Cozy Living

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Old-fashioned Navy Bean Soup with Ham {Slow Cooker}

April 16 By Renée 10 Comments

Easy to make and budget-friendly, this Old-fashioned Navy Bean Soup with ham makes a hearty, comforting meal. It’s also an excellent way to use that leftover hambone from your holiday dinner!

Old-fashioned Navy Bean Soup with Ham {Slow Cooker}
This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

This Old-fashioned Navy Bean Soup recipe is easy, adaptable, and very forgiving. It’s budget- and pantry-friendly, too; to make it, you just need a hambone (and/or leftover ham), a few basic vegetables, and a pound of beans. With that, you can easily feed small crowd with leftovers to spare.

Serve Navy Bean Soup with fresh skillet cornbread, buttermilk biscuits, or a slice of sourdough for a simple, delicious, satisfying meal. 

Ham Bone Navy Bean Soup

Wavy Line

How to Make Old-Fashioned Navy Bean Soup in a Slow Cooker

[Scroll down for printable Recipe Card and step-by-step directions.]

Soak beans overnight, or do a quick soak.

Drain and rinse soaked beans, and combine with diced celery, grated carrot, and chopped onions in your slow cooker.

Using a Hambone in your Navy Bean Soup

If you are using a ham bone, put it in the slow cooker now, too. 

When using a hambone (and I HIGHLY recommend that you do) DO NOT add any salt to your Navy Bean Soup until after the first 5 hours of cooking. Ham bones are notoriously salty, and it is easier to know how much salt to add once the ham bone has cooked out into the soup. 

Navy Bean Soup Ingredients

Ham Juice = Liquid Gold!

Pan juices (“Ham Juice,” in this case) is the liquid that collects in the bottom of your roasting pan when you are cooking or reheating a roast or other large cut of meat. It is also one of my favorite Secret Ingredients! 

If you use pan juices in your soup, it’s best to refrigerate them for at least four hours, until very cold. Then, using a fine mesh sieve, strain the pan juices to filter out any fat solids and other bits you might not want in your soup. Add enough water to the pan juices to make a total of 2 quarts of liquid, and then add all the liquid to the ingredients in the slow cooker.

  • If you DO use pan juices as part of your liquid, hold off on adding any additional seasoning until after the first 5 hours. 
  • If you DO NOT use pan juices as part of your liquid, add the brown sugar and black pepper from the ingredient list at this time.

Just as the type of ham bone you use will determine the underlying flavor profile of your soup (i.e., sweet, smokey, etc.), so too will your pan juices. For example, we usually have a honey-glazed ham for the holidays, and then make either navy bean or split pea soup right after, so our post-holiday soups generally have a slightly sweet undertone. 

Wavy LineAfter you have loaded everything in the slow cooker, give it all a quick stir. Add the crushed chili peppers at this time if you are using them. Set slow cooker to HIGH and cook for 5 hours. I usually stir the soup a couple of times during the cooking time.

Navy Bean Soup 5 Hours

After about 5 hours cooking time.

After cooking for 5 hours, the meat on the ham-bone should be falling apart. Reduce the slow cooker to LOW.

Using tongs or an extra-large serving spoon, carefully remove ham bone to a plate and set aside to cool. (Give it some time! I’ve burnt my fingers more than once trying to hurry the process.) 

Ham bone, stripped

After you have removed the ham bone, taste the soup broth, and then salt and season to taste. Add fresh thyme if desired. (Or any other fresh herbs you choose to use.)

Allow soup to continue to simmer on low while ham bone cools, checking every 30 minutes until the beans are done to your liking. Beans are usually done in 6 to 8 hours. 

For a creamier bean soup, when the beans are fully cooked, use an emersion blender to blend some of the beans a bit. (Be sure to do this BEFORE you add any ham back into the soup.)

Ham added to Soup

When the beans are fully cooked and the hambone is cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bone. Return the meat to the soup, and discard the ham bone. Add any additional ham to soup, taste again, and adjust the seasonings.

Violà! You’ve made this hearty, delicious Old-fashioned Navy Bean Soup for the whole family with only about 20 minutes of hands-on time!

Ham Bone Navy Bean Soup

Arugula sprouts are my new favorite micro-green! Use them to garnish your soups to add a little contrast of color, plus a fresh, mildly peppery accent.

As with most soups, Navy Bean Soup is always better the next day, when the flavors have had a chance to meld. 

Wavy LineBeans, Beans!  

I’ll bet I know what you’re thinking right now! (They are magical, aren’t they?!)

What kind of beans can I use for this recipe? 

This recipe is technically for Old-fashioned Navy Bean Soup, and thus calls for using dried navy beans. Also known as “Boston beans”, these small, cream-colored oval beans are a standard in American cooking. Navy beans work well as a soup bean because they can be pureed, or cooked to a very soft consistency. 

However, there is nothing to stop you from using an “alternative bean.” You could make this recipe into Old-fashioned Calypso Bean Soup, or Old-fashioned Great Northern Bean Soup, or even Old-fashioned West African Brown Bean Soup. All you really need is a pound of any small bean, or combination of beans. 

(Note that changing the type of bean may affect the soup’s cooking time.)

Soaked Navy Beans

To Presoak or Not Presoak

This recipe calls for you to presoak your beans before starting your soup. There are basically three way to do this:

  1. Long Soak (Overnight): Rinse the beans under cool, running water and remove any stones or shriveled beans. Transfer beans to a large bowl, and cover with enough water so that there is 2 inches of water above the beans. Let sit overnight. Drain and rinse thoroughly before cooking. 
  2. Quick Soak (Stovetop): In a large saucepan, cover dried beans with triple their volume of cold water. Bring water to a boil and cook beans, uncovered, for 2 minutes over medium heat. Remove pan from heat, cover, and soak beans for 1 hour.
  3. Quick Soak (Instant Pot): I’m not a big Instant Pot user; however, when I do presoak my beans in my Instant Pot (and I have a couple of times) these are the directions I follow. 

Do I haf’ta presoak the beans?

No.

So, why should I presoak my beans? 

There are a couple of good reasons to presoak beans. First, soaking can reduce overall cooking time considerably. Presoaked beans also tend to hold their shape better. On the down-side, dark-skinned beans, speckled beans, and mottled beans will loose color in a presoak; and soaking does leach out some nutrients.

However, reduced cooking time or improved texture is not the primary reason I presoak my beans before cooking them. No, the main reason I soak my beans first is because doing so helps remove some of the indigestible complex sugars in them that cause gas. In fact, if you have a difficult relationship with beans, you may find that presoaking all your beans before cooking changes that relationship noticeably for the better.

Let me translate that into the clearest possible terms: if you presoak your beans and thoroughly drain and rinse them before cooking, you and the people who eat your food will (probably) fart less. 

(My mother would be doing somersaults in her grave if she knew I was writing about Gas.)

But it is a totally true, and I have years of anecdotal evidence to back it up. Which is to say, I live with people (not naming any names or anything) who have more trouble than some digesting those aforementioned “indigestible complex sugars.” (In other words, they are very gassy.) I have noticed that, after eating a soup or chili made with thoroughly presoaked beans, the incidence of button dropping (as Mr. B’s Granny used to call it; as in, “Oops! I dropped a button.”) does seem to be less than after eating, say, a bowl of canned chili. 

Note that presoaking your beans does not mean an end to button dropping, as it were; rather, it means there will likely be less incidents if you do.

That’s probably all I need to say about that. 

Hearty, comforting, easy, economical, and even pantry-friendly! Oh, and it's De-licious, too! There's a lot to love about this Slow Cooker Navy Bean & Ham Soup! Tweet & Share!

Ham Bone Navy Bean Soup

Wavy Line

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5 from 6 votes

Old-fashioned Navy Bean Soup {Slow Cooker}

Easy to make and budget-friendly, this Old-fashioned Navy Bean Soup with Ham makes a hearty, comforting meal. It’s also a great way to use that leftover hambone from your holiday dinner!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time6 hrs
Bean Soak (quick)1 hr
Total Time7 hrs 15 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beans, budget recipe, slow cooker, soup
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 179kcal
Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker
  • Fine Mesh Sieve

Ingredients

  • 1 pound navy beans
  • 1 meaty ham bone
  • 1 cup ham More or less. Use meat from hambone, plus any additional ham you want to add.
  • 1 ½ cups chopped onion about one large onion
  • 1 cup grated carrots or finely diced
  • 1 cup finely diced celery 2 stalks
  • 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar or honey
  • 1 teaspoon salt or as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper or freshly ground black pepper
  • Pan juices from ham OPTIONAL; 16-24 ounces
  • 2 quarts water* water + pan juices = 1 ½ to 2 quarts of liquid
  • ½ - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • sprig fresh thyme optional
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Soak beans overnight, or do a quick soak.
    Dry Navy Beans
  • Drain and rinse soaked beans.
    Soaked Navy Beans
  • Combine drained, soaked beans with diced celery, grated carrot, and chopped onions in slow cooker.
    Navy Bean Soup Ingredients

Using pan juices in your soup

  • If you are using pan juices (i.e.,ham juice from the bottom of the roasting pan):
    Refrigerate pan juices for at least four hours, until very cold.
    Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the pan juices to filter out any fat solids and other bits you might not want in your soup.
    Use 16-24 ounces of pan juices in your soup; less if your ham was particularly salty or the juices very thick.
    Add enough water to the pan juices to make a total of 1½ to 2 quarts of liquid, depending upon how thick you like your soup. (i.e., more liquid = thinner soup)
    Add liquid to the ingredients in the slow cooker.
    If you DO use pan juices as part of your liquid: Hold off on adding any additional seasoning until after the first 4 hours.
    If you DO NOT use pan juices as part of your liquid: Add the brown sugar and black pepper at this time.
    DO NOT add any salt to your Navy Bean Soup at this time. Ham bones are notoriously salty, and it is easier to know how much salt to add once the ham bone has cooked out into the soup. 
    Navy Bean Soup in Slow Cooker

Cooking the Soup

  • Give everything in the slow cooker a quick stir. Add the crushed chili peppers at this time if you are using them.
    Set slow cooker to HIGH and cook for 5 hours. I usually stir the soup a couple of times during the cooking time.
    Navy Bean Soup 5 Hours
  • After cooking for 5 hours, the meat on the ham-bone should be falling apart. Using tongs or an extra-large serving spoon, carefully remove ham bone to a plate and set aside to cool.
    Reduce the slow cooker to LOW. 
    After you have removed the ham bone, taste the soup broth, and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
    Ham Bone
  • Add fresh thyme if desired. (Or any other fresh herbs you choose to use.)
    Allow soup to continue to simmer on low while ham bone cools, checking every 30 minutes until the beans are done to your liking. Beans are usually done in 6 to 8 hours. 
    For a creamier bean soup, when the beans are fully cooked, use an emersion blender to blend some of the beans a bit. (Be sure to do this BEFORE you add any ham back into the soup.)
    Bean Soup - nearly done
  • When the ham bone is cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the bone.
    Ham bone, stripped
  • Stir ham from bone into soup. Add any additional reserved ham at this time.
    Discard the ham bone.
    Ham added to Soup
  • Season to taste.
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Notes

Ham bone:  The type of ham bone you use will determine the underlying flavor profile of your soup. If you use a honey or glazed ham bone, your soup will be slightly sweeter. If you use a smoked hambone (or ham hock), your soup will taste more smokey.

Three Ways to Presoak Beans

  1. Long Soak (Overnight): Rinse the beans under cool, running water and remove any stones or shriveled beans. Transfer beans to a large bowl, and cover with enough water so that there is 2 inches of water above the beans. Let sit overnight. Drain and rinse thoroughly before cooking. 
  2. Quick Soak (Stovetop): In a large saucepan, cover dried beans with triple their volume of cold water. Bring water to a boil and cook beans, uncovered, for 2 minutes over medium heat. Remove pan from heat, cover, and soak beans for 1 hour.
  3. Quick Soak (Instant Pot): I'm not a big Instant Pot user; however, if I were using an Instant Pot to cook my beans, these are the directions I would follow. 

As with most soups, Navy Bean Soup is always better the next day, when the flavors have had a chance to meld.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 437mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2841IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Wavy LineCooking Navy Bean Soup in an Instant Pot

While personally, I prefer cooking soups in my slow cooker, I am certain that you can cook this entire soup in an Instant Pot. So, if you successfully make this soup in your Instant Pot, please take a minute to share your settings in the comments below! I know that many of our readers would love to know!

Empty Soup Bowl with Spoon

Wavy Line

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of The Good Hearted Woman. ? Be sure to PIN this post!

blank.  Old-fashioned Navy Bean Soup with Ham {Slow Cooker}

Wavy Line

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Filed Under: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Recipes, Soup, Chowder & Stew Tagged With: Beans, Comfort Food, easy meals, Ham, leftovers, Slow Cooker

Egg & Cheese Rolls: The Weirdest Food Your Whole Family Will Love

April 7 By Renée 8 Comments

Egg and Cheese Rolls are inexpensive, easy, kid-friendly, and surprisingly tasty. They are also one of the weirdest meals that your whole family will love.

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This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Egg and Cheese Rolls are probably one of the weirdest meals we make at our house. (To clarify, I don’t mean that they are weird in the “exploring unique flavor profiles” or “discovering world cuisine” sort of way. I mean it in the “this is just plain weird” way.) Also, they are delicious. As in, all five of my children love them! In fact, for some inexplicable reason, everyone seems to love them. 

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Post Updated April 7, 2020 (Originally published April 22, 2015) 

We were first introduced to Egg & Cheese Rolls years ago by my girls’ Uncle Lucky and Aunt Brenda, and I’ll be honest: if I hadn’t eaten them first and I’d simply ran across the recipe online, I probably would have never tried them. The combo is weird, and they contain one ingredient that we rarely (if ever) buy or eat. But having already bitten the bun, so to speak, I can’t look back. 

Beyond the fact that they are ridiculously tasty in a strangely familiar, comforting sort of way, Egg and Cheese Rolls offer a few other nice perks: 

  • They are super easy to make. (Your kids can help!) 
  • The ingredient list is short and inexpensive.
  • They can be prepared ahead of time.
  • They make great leftovers.

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However, the most compelling reason to try Egg & Cheese Rolls may be this: for some inexplicable reason, everyone seems to love them. 

If you have more than three people in your family, you know how hard it is to find meals that everyone enjoys. Egg & Cheese Rolls consistently comes up in the top five among our kids, and they are one of the most requested meals by our older kids when they return home for a visit. 

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Egg & Cheese Rolls

Egg and Cheese Rolls are inexpensive, easy, kid-friendly, and surprisingly tasty. They are also one of the weirdest meals that your whole family will love.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time40 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Main Course
Keyword: easy meals, eggs, kid-friendly
Servings: 15 rolls
Calories: 268kcal
Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

  • 1 dozen eggs hardboiled & chopped
  • 1 lb Velveeta cubed (We prefer Velveeta Light)
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped olives
  • 18 hard rolls
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cut a flap on the top of each roll and hollow out the inside, leaving about ½-inch of roll all around. Set aside. (If the flap comes off, it's totally OK. It just makes it a little easier to close them after they are filled.)
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  • Begin melting the cubed Velveeta cheese over very low heat. When the Velveeta starts to melt, add in the tomato sauce, chopped garlic, and chopped olives.
    blank
  • Stir until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is well blended. Remove from heat.
    blank
  • Add the chopped eggs to the melted cheese sauce and stir to incorporate.
    blank
  • Fill hollowed out rolls with egg mixture. 
    blank
  • Replace the top on each roll, and wrap in aluminum foil.
    Rolls can be wrapped individually, or in small groups of 3-4 rolls. Either way works - it just depends on how you plan to serve them.
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  • Bake at 350* for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before unwrapping. 
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Notes

We usually serve these in the foil wrapper, and allow whoever is eating the roll to unwrap it themselves. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 940mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 561IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 245mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

BONUS: Egg & Cheese Rolls are a perfect way of using up your post-Easter eggs! 

Naturally dyed Armenian (or Russian, Greek, Serbian) Easter Eggs | The Good Hearted Woman

Naturally-dyed Armenian Easter Eggs!

When it comes to making these Egg & Cheese Rolls, the only hurdle you really need to get over (maybe it’s just me) is buying the Velveeta. If you can’t bring yourself to do it, give this Homemade Velveeta a try.

Egg & Cheese Rolls are inexpensive, easy, kid-friendly, and surprisingly tasty. They are also one of the weirdest meals we make. | The Good Hearted Woman

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THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. ? Be sure to PIN this post!

Egg & Cheese Rolls  Egg & Cheese Rolls Egg & Cheese Rolls Egg & Cheese RollsWavy Line

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Filed Under: Main Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: Cheese, eggs, leftovers

Cornbread Breakfast Casserole (Leftover Makeover)

August 1 By Renée 14 Comments

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

Leftover Cornbread Breakfast Casserole | The Good Hearted Woman

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

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!!!

Leftover Cornbread Breakfast Casserole | The Good Hearted Woman

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 chickens), and a bowl of leftover chili. A plan began to take form. 

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The leftovers that I used for this Cornbread Breakfast Casserole recipe were equal to roughly 1/3 of a batch of Sweet Skillet Cornbread.

From Inspiration to Reality: How Recipe Developers Really Test Recipes

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 seven batches of (Almost) Original Taco House Fiesta Dressing before we deemed it perfect.

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How Do Other Food Writers Test Their Recipes?

As I chiseled away at my Mountain of Leftover Cornbread, turning it into a trio of breakfast casserole test runs, I started wondering about how other food writers, recipe developers, and bloggers approach the task of proving a new recipe, so I ask a few of my foodie friends to share a little about their process. 

It was interesting to learn how other food writers approach the challenge of testing out a recipe. I know first hand the amount of time and work involved, but the lengths some go to in pursuit of perfection surprised even me! (I’m looking at you and your 100 cakes, Eileen! ?) Check out what they have to say: 

QUESTION: On average, how many times do you make a recipe from start to finish before posting it to your blog? What is your standard process for developing recipes?

Every recipe has been tested at least three times in my kitchen after it’s been perfected. First test is for measurement accuracy. Second is for timing. Third for photography. New recipes and new methods are tested more extensively before they enter this process. When someone tries a recipe from my blog I want them to know it will turn out and I can’t give that guarantee by making a recipe just once.
~ Renee, Renee Nicole’s Kitchen

I make all of my recipes about 4 to 5 times before I post. The first two times are just for me and my husband to eat. I make most of my changes at this stage. The next two batches are given out to different groups of neighbors to get outside feedback. Finally, if I haven’t done it already, I make it one last time to re-shoot any photographs that I might want for the article.
~ Valerie, Tiny Kitchen Cuisine

Typically once ?, sometimes twice, but the most to date I’ve repeated and photographed and tweaked was my Nutella Banana Bread; I made it 3x in 10 days. I share that experience in my post. Most of my recipes are tried and true and since my focus is easy and simple, if I can’t get it right the first time then I typically don’t make it again.
~ Kathleen, The Fresh Cooky

[I make a new recipe] at least 3 times, then more to test different substitutions that I know readers will ask about…so I usually make each one 10x (including one for photos and one for video). I work ahead so I spread out the batches (so we’re not eating the same thing 10x in a short time frame).
~ Laura, Joy Food Sunshine

Because I have a baking blog and baking recipes need to be precise, I usually make a recipe a minimum of 3x before I’m ready to post. Four or five tests for a recipe is not unusual. For my Pound Cake Perfection recipe I baked over 100 cakes to get the best recipe possible.
~ Eileen, Baking Sense

Leftover Cornbread Breakfast Casserole | The Good Hearted Woman

Usually it’s 3 times but sometimes more if I end up creating variations or if I want to test different methods of cooking (stove top, instant pot, etc). There was one time where I tested it like 6 times and ended up with so much leftovers that my husband told me to STOP! haha..because he ends up eating most of it.
~ JinJoo, Kimchimari

I make a recipe at least three times and sometimes more before the recipe is completely worked out. By the time I’ve done the video and the photos and all the recipe testing it’s a total of 7 or 8 times. By that time I never want to see it again. Lol. I actually have a little group of people who I call my baby bellies who take a lot of extras off of my hands..
~ Wendi, Loaves and Dishes

Typically, the third time is the charm, although I have nailed recipe experiments on the first try (but made it again to be sure) … and abandoned ideas altogether after too many tries, chalking them up to “recipe fails.” When it comes to recipe development, like anything creative (plus scientific), you must be willing to fail in order to succeed.
~Kelly, Kitchen Gone Rogue

I like to make my recipes 3-4 times before posting, assuming it’s a brand new recipe. If it’s a family favorite that I’m just getting around to posting, it won’t take that many tries. If it’s a dessert recipe I try to time it around a social gathering of some sort so I can give a batch or two away.
~ Megan, Scratch to Basic

Third Time’s a Charm

Overall, three successful trial runs seems to be the magic number for the majority of recipe developers who responded to my question, though clearly everyone puts their own spin on that triple-check. Many thanks to those recipe writers and bloggers quoted here, as well as the many others who chimed in, for all their hard work and dedication! 

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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!

Leftover Cornbread Breakfast Casserole | The Good Hearted Woman
5 from 6 votes

Leftover Cornbread Breakfast Casserole

This easy layered Cornbread Breakfast Casserole transforms your leftover cornbread and chili (or stew) into a hearty, company-worthy breakfast.
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time30 mins
15 mins
Total Time1 hr 10 mins
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Breakfast or Brunch, Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cornbread, eggs, leftovers
Servings: 8
Calories: 272kcal
Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

  • Cast Iron Skillet (10-Inch)
  • Cast Iron Pie Dish (10-inch)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter divided
  • 1 large sweet onion peeled and sliced 3/8" - 1/4" thick
  • 3 cups leftover cornbread to 4 cups; sliced, cubed or crumbled (see Notes)
  • 1½ cups leftover thick chili or stew to 3 cups
  • 1½ cups grated cheese to 2 cups (see Notes)
  • 8 whole eggs to 10 eggs
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

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.
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Assembling 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 1/2 - 2 cups of sliced (or crumbled) leftover cornbread, so that the bottom of the dish is completely covered by about 1/2 inch of cornbread.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and 1/3 cup milk.
    Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few turns of freshly ground pepper.
    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 1/2 - 2 cups crumbled leftover cornbread over the top of the Leftover layer.
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  • Carefully crack 6 to 8 eggs onto casserole, arranging them evenly in a ring.
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  • Arrange pan-fried onions around egg yolks.
    This is actually kind of fun: I was thinking of Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night" while I was working.
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  • 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.
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  • Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or cilantro.
    Serve warm.
    Leftover Cornbread Breakfast Casserole | The Good Hearted Woman

Notes

For best results, use leftover cornbread from my Sweet Skillet Cornbread recipe. 
Preparing Leftover Cornbread
If possible, try to avoid making your leftover cornbread into fine breadcrumbs. This will result in a very heavy, dense casserole. 
I prefer to cube, or even slice, the cornbread that I use for the first layer. I try to slice it 3/8 - 1/2" thick, and use the slices to cover the bottom of the pan. That said, occasionally leftover cornbread defies slicing; in which case I try to keep it in the largest crumbled state possible. I use the larger crumbles for the first layer, and smaller crumbles for the top layer. 
Cheese
Cheddar and Mozzarella are always safe bets, but feel free to use whatever goes well with your "leftover layer."

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 582mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 509IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 222mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

I found the act of arranging the pan-fried onions around the egg yolks quite therapeutic. I was thinking of Vincent Van Gogh while I was working. 

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Need more ideas? Try these delicious, eggy breakfast recipes from GHW!

  • Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict
  • The BEST Huevos Rancheros
  • Sweet Potato Carrot Hash

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Filed Under: Eating Style, Main Dishes, Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: Breakfast, Comfort Food, eggs, leftovers

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