Egg And Cornmeal Pudding With Refried Beans

Anyone who reads this blog already knows that I use cornmeal in all kinds of dishes, not only for its sweet corn flavour and crunchy-chewy texture, but for its incredible versatility — and this smooth and creamy pudding takes full advantage of the versatility of both cornmeal and eggs to take care of almost any kind of bean or vegetable leftover that you might have on hand. Here I use my leftover Refried Beans to give it a zesty Mexican flair, but even if you don't have any leftovers on hand, this pudding works just as well with a good few handfuls of some sautéed peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, corn, or whatever you've got on hand. For a more savoury version, add some of your favourite herbs or try using fresh grated parmesan cheese or crumbled goat's cheese for the topping.

It was a very successful use of leftover refried beans, and a good reason to submit the recipe to Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity who will be hosting the next Leftover Tuesday, a roundup of creative and tasty ways to clean out your fridge.

Egg and cornmeal pudding with refried beans

3 cups milk
1 cup fine cornmeal
4 large eggs
1 cup refried beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup grated aged cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350° and grease an 8-inch square baking pan with butter. In a bowl, beat the eggs.

Heat the milk in a saucepan over high heat until almost boiling. Turn the heat down to medium and slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. The cornmeal and milk should have a porridge-like consistency after 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the beaten eggs, refried beans, salt, mustard, black pepper to taste, and half the cheese. Pour the combined mixture into the baking pan, and bake for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and return to the oven to bake for 10 more minutes, or until the pudding is firm in the center.

Cut into squares and serve hot with sour cream or salsa.