Corn Casserole - Very Sweet

Sure to please the pickiest eaters, this corn casserole has never been anything less than a big hit! Then again, how can a recipe by Paula Deen be anything BUT a big success! It is soooo sweet, that it's dessert served with supper, in my humble opinion. (Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, Photos from Jack's kitchen).

Ingredients

• 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

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.

Note: we add chopped scallions and green peppers when company is sharing. When it's just for us, we chop in jalapenos.

Corn Zucchini and Poblano Lasagna

We enjoyed this side dish immensely. 

Perhaps add a little meat if your family is not vegetarian, or serve as a side dish. 

The corn sauce is amazing! Photos are from our kitchen but...

Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid of the Food Network.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears), or frozen and thawed

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion
• 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 4 poblano chiles, charred, peeled, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch strips
• 12 (7 by 3-inch) no-boil lasagna sheets
• 2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese, or mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare roasted peppers on grill or in oven as shown here.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 2/3 of the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Mix in the corn and saute for 5 minutes. 

Stir in the cream and thyme. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes for the flavors to incorporate. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 1 minute. Mix in the zucchini and poblano strips and cook for 5 minutes for the flavors to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.

Spread about 1/4 of the corn mixture over the bottom of an 11 by 8-inch baking dish. 

Cover with a layer of 3 lasagna sheets. 

Spread 1/4 of the poblano mixture and 1/4 of the cheese over the pasta. 

Repeat the layering 3 more times. 

Cover with foil.

Bake until the pasta is cooked and tender, about 50 minutes. Remove the foil and turn up the oven temperature to broil. 

Broil until golden brown and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.