Last week I gave you the classic corn casserole that I’ve been making for (gasp) thirty years or so. But recently I found myself thinking that I wanted to make something like it, but different. Funny how that happens a lot in this household.
For once I was well-stocked with supplies, so I started reconstructing the recipe.
--I wanted to add some protein and I had a handy ham slice, so I put in a half-pound of ham, cubed
--I decided to toss the whole corn, but I wanted to keep the cornmeal in the recipe because it adds a nice texture (if you use fairly coarse meal) and helps bind the whole thing together
--The original recipe calls for Monterey Jack cheese, which is sort of semi-soft. I didn’t have any, but I had a really interesting Italian smoked cheese called Scamorza with the same kind of texture, so I cubed it, because that too makes the texture a bit more varied, and in that went. I figured smoked ham and smoked cheese should work well together.
--Since I’d eliminated the corn kernels, I needed to replace the volume of the dish with something, and I happened to have some colorful small sweet peppers, so I chopped them and they went in too.
--Rather than use the lovely ceramic casserole dish that has always been home to the original recipe, I tried out the new/old Pyrex casserole I bought at a yard sale simply because I like the shape (it cost $1).
I kept the sour cream from the original, as well as the eggs and salt.
A Different Corn Casserole
Ingredients:
1/2 lb of ham steak, diced
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheese*, diced
1/2 cup coarse-ground cornmeal
Assorted sweet peppers, diced
(enough to make up about 1 cup)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp salt
*I’m going to guess that you can substitute any number of different cheeses, but I’d recommend sticking to something semi-soft, that will melt easily. Parmesan wouldn’t work, and I think Brie or a really runny cheese would make a mess. But you could try a nice orange chedder and add more color that way. Feel free to experiment!
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Generously butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
Beat together the melted butter (cooled) and eggs in a bowl.
Mix the remaining ingredients another bowl. Add the pureed mixture and blend well.
Pour into the casserole dish and bake, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes, or until lightly browned.
I’ll admit at the beginning I was a bit worried whether this would result in a texture like the original’s, or if I’d end up with a soggy blob (remember there’s not any leavening in it). But it worked fine. It’s not a sensitive dish, so you can add more peppers, or spicier peppers, or whatever you have in your fridge and it should be fine. I liked it. My husband liked it. I think it’s a keeper!
Still waiting for the next book, A Late Frost, to come out--not until November! But don't worry, because I keep busy with at least three other series, including a brand new one (The Victorian Village series) next year.
And right now I'm in Ireland playing, er, doing research. It's a hard job, but somebody's got to do it!
