What is Jennifer Eating Now?: Ham, Beans, and Cornbread: Easter Leftovers the Sequal

In thinking about what to do with my leftover Easter ham I can't believe ham and beans didn't cross my mind until a co-worker brought some to lunch. It felt like a forehead slap moment. Derp! How could I not have thought of this especially since I have a pantry full of beans I need to use. I used pinto beans instead of the more traditional navy bean. I was a little concerned that the pinto beans would become too creamy and have almost a refried bean texture, but they worked about perfectly. The beans were soft and tender, creamy, but not mushy. The best part of all was that I put everything in the crock pot this morning before I left for work and came home to perfectly cooked beans. I don't think I'll ever cook beans on the stove again. I always get impatient and take them off too soon which results in crunchy beans.

I also made a batch of cornbread, which turned out really well. I used this recipe. It is a Southern cornbread, so it's not very sweet. Next time I think I'll add a bit more sugar because I guess I like more of a "Yankee" cornbread. I did bake this in my cast iron pan, and I will continue to cook cornbread this way. The cornbread mixed up very quickly and baked up with a delicious texture.

When I cook beans I always lay them out on a cookie sheet and check them before they soak. This prevents any stones from making it's way into my final product. Please don't skip this step! It only takes a minute and is completely worth it.