Corn Casserole

After Thanksgiving, the question always comes up. Why is it that we only enjoy certain dishes during Thanksgiving and not throughout the year? It’s true… we tend to go all out on Thanksgiving and prepare specific side dishes then and only then. So in an effort to feature some of those popular Thanksgiving dishes in everyday meals, I made this Corn Casserole to enjoy with some Chili con Carne the other day. Why it took me this long to pair the two together is beyond me because it was such a great combination of sweet and savory…

Many may already be familiar with this corn casserole. If you’re like me, it’s probably the only time you’d consider buying a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix. But since I already had the ingredients on hand I made a homemade version of Jiffy’s baking mix. The rest of the ingredients for the casserole were thrown in. Sometimes cheese can overshadow flavors and textures so I omitted the addition of cheddar cheese since I wanted the corn to really shine through. This was especially good with chili. The subtle sweetness of the corn casserole played well against the savory chili. I prepared this in a baking dish but you can also bake this in muffin cups for individual portions… even freezing them to enjoy later too. This recipe also lends itself well to use as a base by adding additional ingredients like cheese, herbs, bacon, etc.

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together all the ingredients until well combined for the batter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch baking dish or casserole dish.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.