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| Mom's corn pudding casserole |
Serving mom's chile corn casserole anytime is a wonderful treat, but it is most welcome when the kids and their kids gather together for the Christmas meal.
The children love my corn "pudding" casserole that I often make for
Christmas dinner. Along these same lines, last evening I made corn
chowder with green chili much like my corn pudding.
That's a favorite time to make and bake my traditional corn casserole. It's unique and more like a chili corn casserole than the plain corn casserole recipes you see in cookbooks today.
I make it in a pretty baking dish that I also use as a serving dish. That makes it easy on clean up. You probably don't need the kind of dish with a lid, because there is never any leftovers [smile]. That's how good it is. But the lid does come in handy when storing in the refrigerator, because you can put items on the lid, which you can't do when the dish is covered with plastic wrap. I digress.
My recipe for chile corn casserole is like a cross between corn pudding and corn souffle. Whatever you want to call it, it is melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious. Nice thing is that "corn" basically goes with just about any meal from beef and pork to chicken and turkey. We serve it with enchiladas.
This is definitely one of my kids' favorites. It has been often requested from when they were still in elementary school.
I know that my daughter and at least one of her brothers has tried to make this dish. It was good, but not quite the dish I make. It's almost a legacy recipe. So for them, here is how I make it. Follow it faithfully, and you have mom's chili corn casserole mastered.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 medium onion, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons sifted flour
2 tablespoons corn meal
3 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cans (14 3/4 oz) cream-style corn
1 small can Ortega whole green chiles
1 cup cheddar cheese, grate half and cut half in cubes
Onions and Garlic Mixture: In a small frying pan, add a tablespoon of the butter, onion and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until onions are clear, about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
Corn Mixture: In a small mixing bowl, whisk the flour, corn meal and sugar to mix well. Add the two egg yolks (reserving the whites until later) and mix through. Add the baking powder, and mix for two minutes. Slowly add the cream corn and remaining butter. Mix well. Add the cubed cheese, cooled onions and garlic mixture that you sauteed.
In a separate bowl, beat the two egg whites until stiff. Add the cream of tarter and beat 2 more minutes. Gently fold the egg whites into the corn mixture.
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| Strings of chile |
Pour the corn mixture into a lightly greased (spray with Pam) 9 x 9 inch baking dish.
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| Corn mixture with chile and grated cheese on top |
Place the grated cheese on the top of the corn mixture so the cheese is distributed evenly.
With the back side of a spoon, gently push the chile and cheese down into the corn mixture without stirring. Just push the chile and cheese down enough so that the chile and cheese no longer shows, but is completely covered with the corn mixture.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 375 degrees until top is golden, or until a toothpick comes out clean. (I bake at 385 degrees because my oven runs cool, so adjust your baking temperature as needed depending on how accurate your oven heats up.)
Serves 12-16
It so yummy, I've served it at Christmas time for years and years. It's the first side dish gone. Scooped up, placed on the plate, and eaten up. I love that!
When it's the Christmas season, it's time to think about celebrating, and what food to serve at our family gathering. Chile corn casserole is a dish that I think I'll put on the menu, because the kids love it.
I make this dish the day before and store it in the refrigerator until it's time to warm it in the oven. If I use a dish that didn't come with a lid, I spread plastic wrap across the dish to keep fresh.
BTW: DO NOT put any glass dish in the over directly from the refrigerator. Set it on the kitchen counter for a few minutes so it can come to room temperature before you put it in the oven.
By making my food ahead of time, I can enjoy the family gathered together at home instead of being in the kitchen cooking. Enjoy!
That's it for today, blog.