Fully Loaded Ham Casserole

This Fully Loaded Ham Casserole is jam packed full of flavor and ingredients. It's extremely filling and makes a great weeknight meal. Be sure to add this to your casserole recipes list, you'll want to make it again.

Notes

Mirepoix (as seen in ingredient list above) is finely diced carrot, onion, and celery cooked until tender in 3 tablespoons of butter or oil.

Cooking MethodCasserole

Ingredients

2 cups washed lentils
6 cups water
2 1/2 pounds ham or pork shoulder butt, cut into chunks
2/3 cup mirepoix
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup red or white wine, or dry white French Vermouth
1 1/2 cup ham stock
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme or oregano
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons shallots or scallions, minced
3 tablespoons minced parsley
1/4 cup fresh white bread crumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cook the lentils very slowly in water for about 30 minutes, until barely tender. Drain.
Meanwhile, dry the chunks of ham in paper towels and spread in a roasting pan.
Brown the ham in the upper-middle level of the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the meat and basting occasionally with accumulated fat and juices from the pan.
Prepare the mirepoix (see notes below), and when done blend in the flour, cook slowly, stirring for 2 minutes. Then remove from heat.
Beat the wine into the mirepoix, then the stock and simmer 5 minutes, add the herbs to this sauce, and rest of seasonings.
Choose a baking dish such as a 9 x 12 inch oval 2 inches deep, and butter it lightly. Fold the lentils and sauce together, and spread in the baking dish.
Arrange the browned meat on top, pushing the pieces into the lentils.
Pour fat from roasting pan into a small bowl, and deglaze pan with a little wine or bouillon.
Pour in the liquid, set over heat, and scrape coagulated meat juices into liquid with a wooden spoon, boiling rapidly until liquid is syrupy. Pour over the meat.
Season meat lightly with salt and pepper; sprinkle the shallots or scallions, parsley, and bread crumbs over all.
Baste with 2 tablespoons of fat reserved from the roasting pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Set in upper-middle level of oven, until sauce is thick and bubbling hot, and crumbs are nicely browned.