Deep Fried Chicken Tenderloins with Honey Mustard Sauce, Garlic Baby Potatoes, Sweet Corn Casserole.
Whether seeing recipes online, reading through a myriad of cookbooks, or finding a product at the supermarket, I am always looking for something new to cook or bake. During the 2024 holiday season, I discovered a new product from frozen food diva, Marie Callender, Sweet Corn Casserole. The description is, “Indulge in sweet whole corn kernels in a creamy cornmeal batter with a touch of cheese for a quick and convenient casserole with homemade taste you'll want to savor.” This product can be eaten alone, or as a side dish, with 2-4 servings dependent on how much is spooned out.
At home, the product was prepared according to package directions, using the oven method, as I am not very keen on microwave cooking. Why? Personally, I have found cooked, or “baked”, dishes, have unpredictable results, as the microwave simply does not cook evenly throughout. Anyway, after 20 minutes, I pulled the oven proof dish out, stirred the ingredients and then waited. What did I get? Soup, yes, a soupy mixture of very little corn kernels and barely noticeable cornbread around the rim. What the…? Read the directions again, and I had done them correctly, but this looked nothing like the photo on the box. How do I fix this? I opened and added a can of whole kernel corn, put the dish back in the oven for another 20 minutes, and wallah…sweet corn casserole. It was tasty, a consistency similar to very firm mashed potatoes, and, of course, now loaded with corn.
Overall, though, I was very disappointed with the experience, and needed to know how to make the dish myself. First, I found hundreds of references to Paula Dean, as she is the queen of southern cooking, and here is her recipe.
Paula Deen's Corn Casserole
Ingredients:
14.75 oz. creamed corn
15.25 oz. whole kernel sweet corn, drained
8.5 oz. Jiffy corn muffin mix
8 oz. sour cream
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the cheddar cheese. Be sure to drain the whole kernel corn.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish or 10-inch cast iron skillet.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
Top with shredded cheddar. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the top begins to brown.
Let stand for 5 minutes prior to serving.
Servings: 6 (those must be whopping sized servings!)
Reviews varied from worse to best thing ever, so I decided to do a bit more digging about this dish. Sweet corn casserole is known by a variety of names: corn pone, spoon bread, corn pudding, and hoppy glop. It originated with the Native Americans of the south who added ash to the cooking process of corn with water. The ash would soften the corn by breaking down the cellular walls, allowing more water to penetrate. The name “corn pone” likely came from one of these Native words, apan, oppone or supawn which translate to “baked”, since the mixture would be baked on hot coals to form a cake. As explorers and settlers came to the east coast of the New World, ingredients, such as butter, sugar and flour, were introduced to the mixture.
Being an explorer of foods myself, I eventually came up with a recipe that hit the spots of sweet, tangy and savory. During these last weeks of frigid weather, a warm bowl heated the hands, while the casserole heated the body from the inside-out. Since my hubby ended up eating most of this casserole, I would rightly say that I must have done it correctly.
Sweet Corn Casserole (I did it my way…. sing it Frankie!)
Ingredients:
2 cups plain cornbread mix
1 (15.25 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
½ cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp. honey
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350F, and butter inside of a 2-quart casserole dish. Stir together all ingredients and spoon into the dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes; or until top is golden brown. If desired, spread more shredded cheese over top and leave dish in oven for two minutes to allow melting.
Remove from oven, let rest for five minutes before serving.
Makes 12 servings.
But wait, I found another cornbread convenience trick that surprised even me. I recently purchased a cornbread from the local market which was simply delicious. It was moist, did not fall apart when using a fork, honey sweet and one of the best I have ever tried. Reading the ingredient label, I found “cake mix” as one of the main ingredients. Huh? Cake Mix? Yes folks, I have found another baked good that has cake mix as one of its main ingredients. Researching recipes, several food bloggers stated that this was a trick used by many a restaurant that served cornbread as a side. Not only does it stretch the recipe, but it makes the cake less dry and crumbly, allowing for softened butter to spread on more easily and smoothly.
Here is a basic recipe that can be played with. Like cornbread with cheddar cheese, honey, or chopped jalapenos? Add them! it is your creation, so have fun playing.
Cake Mix Cornbread
Ingredients:
1 (15.25 oz.) box yellow cake mix (with or without pudding, both work)
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cornbread mix
1/2 cup milk
4 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup warm water
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter, or use butter flavored nonstick spray, in a 9x13 baking pan, or 2-8-inch round baking pans
Whisk cake mix and corn bread mix together in a large bowl to smooth out any lumps. Add remaining ingredients and whisk well to combine.
Pour into baking pan(s); bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan. With the round cake pans, there will be 8 servings. Depending on how the cake, in the 9x13 pan, is cut, there could be up to 15 servings.
Note: If high altitude, check cake mix box for any additions to the cake mix, such as flour.
Mary Cokenour
No comments:
Post a Comment