Cowboy Hot Pot

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Today I am showing you a very adaptable casserole that you will probably find comes in very handy with some of your Easter dinner leftovers. Cowboy Hot Pot.  Don’t ask me why it is called that, because I really have no idea at all, but I can tell you that it is delicious . . .  then again, everything I show you is!  This is one of those old fashioned types of dinners, the type that you might have seen your Grandmother putting together with a bit of this and a bit of that. 

This casserole involves layering some pretty simple ingredients.  Today I have used leftover ham from our Easter Dinner, but you can also use corned beef (tinned) and yes, even spam.  All are really tasty!

You drain a tin of baked beans, (reserving the juice from the tin) with your meat of choice in a casserole dish with leftover cooked potatoes, and sliced onions.

The reserved bean juice is then combined with a few herbs and other ingredients and some boiling water and then gets poured over top.

A topping of buttered crumbs is sprinkled over top and the whole thing gets covered and baked, until the onions are tender and the flavours have begun to meld together.  You uncover it then and bake it for a little while longer so that the crumbs can brown to a golden crispness.

Just look at those delicious layers. Yes, it might seem a bit old fashioned when compared to the popular dishes of the day.  Let’s face it . . .  there’s no Kale to be found or any other fiddly things.  Just pure, simple ingredients.  I can tell you this, I never had a meal cooked by my grandmother that wasn’t delicious, as simple as everything was.

black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Butter a 1.75 litre/3 pint casserole. 

Spread half of the sliced onion over the base of the casserole.  Cover with half of the sliced potatoes. Place half of the corned beef or ham slices on top of the potatoes.  Drain the baked beans, reserving the sauce in a measuring cup. Spread the baked beans over the potatoes in the casserole dish. Top with the remaining onions, then the remaining corned beef/ham and finally placing the remaining potatoes on top. 

Whisk together the reserved bean juice, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, stock cube and black pepper.  Add boiling water to make up the measure to 200ml/7 fluid ounces, whisking all together well. Pour over the casserole.   

Cover tightly and baked for 35 to 40 minutes, until the onions are cooked, uncovering about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time and topping with the buttered crumbs.  Bake for 10 minutes longer until golden brown.  Serve hot with a vegetable on the side. 

The thought just occurred to me. Perhaps the origin of this fabulous casserole was meant to use up the leftovers from a Saturday night bean supper.  I can only imagine how wonderful it would be when made with leftover home baked beans and ham.  Oh boy.  Now I simply must bake some beans.  Maybe next Saturday.  Just for nostalgia’s sake. Bon Appetit!