APT12: Corn Casserole
I made this for the first time this Thanksgiving and it was a huge success. It’s super easy and incredibly delicious. As you’ll read below, I’ve deemed this a success because of the low cost, taste, and versatility. If you have particular diet requirements like Gluten Free or Vegan, be sure to pay attention to the labels as I did not factor in those aspects when I made this item myself. But, it does seem like it has the potential to fit a variety of diet requirements!
I found this recipe on the Food Network website, after simply random Googling. I kept seeing Corn Casserole popping up in places, so I wanted a fast and easy recipe to make it myself. An added bonus is that this recipe is basically inexpensive to make. While I don’t have an exact tally of the cost, it yields 6–8 servings and none of these ingredients are particularly costly. So, it’s a win-win all around.
I normally don’t care for Paula Deen’s recipes, nor for the things that have made her infamous as of late. However, her recipe worked out fine. See the link or the information below on how to make it.
Ingredients: (with some of my comments)
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (get this exact size, drain well)
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn (get this exact size)
1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream (try reduced fat or vegan, see my notes below)
1/2 stick butter, melted (try reduced fat or vegan, see my notes below)
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (possibly optional, see my notes below)
Directions:
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
(2) In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.
My Recipe Notes:
(1) I highly recommend using Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix as well. It’s less than $1 per box and reliable as heck. According to the Jiffy website, they do have Vegetarian Corn Muffin Mix. See their site for more information about that.
(2) You could use reduced or low fat dairy products in this. It would probably turn out fine. I have to imagine that using vegan versions of the dairy products would also make a fine corn casserole. I know that some vegan cheese doesn’t melt well, so defer to your own experience.
(3) I honestly don’t think the casserole really needed the Cheddar cheese on top. I think it was fine without it. So, that makes this one step easier to being vegan-friendly for those who need that. For those who like cheese, adding cheese is rarely a bad thing. But, I really don’t think it needed it.
(4) Accessorize! As I was making it, I realized that adding something like jalapeños or some chili spice would really give this corn casserole a kick! Be sure to pat dry any extra ingredients, as you don’t want to upset the balance of the batter with extra liquid.
(5) I imagine that this will freeze well, if you want to save some for later. But, honestly, it’s so addictive and delicious that I doubt there will be leftovers.
Happy Baking!
