Need a creative way to use up leftover ham? Fix an ultra-comforting pot pie recipe! This frugal dish uses homemade skillet cornbread as the crust, which is then topped with shredded cheddar cheese for extra flavor. Hidden beneath the crust are salty ham pieces, carrots, celery, and potatoes in a sauce comprised of homemade chicken stock, white wine, milk, and butter. A touch of thyme and garlic powder brings everything together.

Leftover Ham Pot Pie in a Cast-Iron Skillet with a Cheesy Cornbread Crust

One of my favorite parts of cooking a large cut of meat with several side items is re-inventing meals with the leftovers. When I cook a whole chicken, I use the leftover shredded chicken for quesadillas, nachos, or salads. After making slow cooker pork shoulder for pulled pork & carnitas, the leftovers turn into pork tacos, burrito bowls, soup, and more.

So...when I fixed a smoked bone-in ham last month, I made a batch of skillet cornbread and homemade pinto beans for serving on the side. Ham + creamy white beans is one of my all time favorite comfort food meals.

I could nosh on this fare for days with no problem, but I knew the boyfriend (who isn't big on cornbread or beans) would grow tired of it quickly. And since a girl can only eat so much cornbread on her own, I devised a plan to use up my leftovers in a new way--pot pie!

This recipe uses the same base as my other two chicken pot pie recipes, the only difference being the meat and topping. Normally when I make pot pies in my cast-iron skillet, I bake a batch of homemade cheesy garlic biscuits to use as a topping (I did this recently with leftover turkey after Thanksgiving), but in this case, I needed to use up my leftover cornbread.

Hey, it was less work for me, and it tasted great!

Leftover Ham Pot Pie Recipe with a Cheesy Cornbread Crust

Serves: 4-6 (less if you're eating large portions and second helpings, like I did)

Ingredients

Pie Filling:

1 1/2-2 cups of leftover smoked ham, cubed

1 tablespoon of cooking oil (like extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil)

1 medium sweet onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, diced

2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

3 tablespoons of flour (I used unbleached white whole wheat)

3 tablespoons of salted butter

1/2 cup of dry white wine (I used a chardonnay)

1 cup+ 2-3 tablespoons of low-sodium chicken stock (homemade has the most flavor)

1 cup of organic milk

2 tsp dried thyme (add more if you like thyme…it makes the dish!)

1 tsp granulated garlic (or garlic powder)

Sea Salt, to taste (I recommend Pink Himalayan, Celtic or Utah sourced salt)

Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Cornbread Topping:
Leftover homemade skillet cornbread or leftover homemade cornbread muffins (the texture will be softer), cubed

1 cup of coarsely grated cheese (sharp cheddar is amazing!)

Recommended Equipment
cast-iron skillet

Directions

Peel and dice the onion, carrots, celery and potatoes. Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium and add a tablespoon of olive oil. When that's warmed, add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, and potatoes. Stir everything, salt & pepper to taste. Add 2-3 tablespoons of chicken stock, cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Let the vegetables cook about fifteen minutes or so, or until fork tender. Now would be a good time to pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

While the vegetables are cooking, cut or cube the leftover ham and cornbread, and shred the cheese. When the vegetables are cooked through, remove the lid. Slowly add the flour and stir to incorporate. Then add the butter, giving it a few stirs. Pour in the wine, cook for 2-3 minutes or until it's evaporated slightly. Then add the chicken stock and milk and cook for another few minutes. The mixture will begin to thicken.

Stir in the leftover ham, thyme, garlic powder and additional salt & pepper into the filling. Taste the sauce and add more seasoning if necessary.

Turn off the burner and top the filling with the cubed cornbread pieces, spreading them in an even layer. Top the cornbread with the shredded cheese and place in the oven, uncovered. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Notes & Tips

As the veggies and filling cooks, the sauce thickens up quite a bit. If you like a saucier pot pie recipe, simply increase the chicken stock and milk by 1/2 a cup each and adjust the seasonings as needed.

I'd like to hear from YOU!

What's your favorite way to re-use leftover ham in a recipe?

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P.S. Keep Reading! More Posts From The Rising Spoon:

Homemade Cornbread Muffins (Sweet or Savory)