Thanksgiving is the foodie event of the year for those of us who love to cook (and eat). It’s also the best time to watch the foodie channels, read all the magazines and get inspiration for what you are bringing to the holiday table. Last year Joe and I prepared the turkey and sides for my family and this year we are going to be celebrating at my parents new home. I am in charge of bringing two vegetable sides and since my mom makes the potatoes, I thought perhaps something green and a corn dish would be fun to bring.
This corn pudding recipe is inspired by the very traditional one that we have every time my family gets together. We have to have two 9×13 pans of it made because all eight of us adults will finish that off. I wouldn’t dream about messing with the corn pudding recipe that gets prepared for the family but since it was just Joe and I, let’s shake this up. I went to Gordon Food Service Store to pick up some produce and supplies for recipe testing. They have a great fresh produce selection as well as interesting cheeses and a deli to shop from. I always buy double the amount of Brussels sprouts that I think I’ll need because by the time I cut them back it’s never enough. Also, it’s not bad to have leftovers. You can toss these left overs into a salad, frittata or even a pizza the next night. If you are going to take these sprouts to a second location I would recommend roasting and glazing them at home and then tossing them in the oven to finish at the final location for 5 minutes at 400F. The corn pudding can also be made the night before and then baked at the final location or it reheats nicely.
Typically the corn recipe calls for cheddar but I bought this awesome cheddar and gouda mix with peppercorns and it was fantastic shredded and melted into the corn. I did save about a quarter cup to sprinkle on top right before baking. It was hard to choose a cheese to mix in because there were so many options at Gordon Food Service Store. I also like that you can find cheese there cut to serve two people or two hundred people. They have a variety of sizes and types of cheese so you can find just what you need. The fun part about this corn dish is you can mix in any good melting cheese that you like. There are no wrong answers here!
Below is what you are going to need for the Brussels sprout recipe. Do not let the lime throw you off it adds this perfect acidic kick to the dish. Also I’ve made this with and without the minced garlic. Joe and I both agreed the garlic takes it up a notch. I have also made this previously with the brine from my pickled jalapeños I canned earlier this summer. You are just going to want some element of spicy, sticky sweet heat. If you have jalapeño honey on hand that would also be a great addition.
Recipe: Honey Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:
2 lbs of Brussel Sprouts
Salt and Pepepr
Olive Oil
2 tbsp of Honey
1/2 tsp of red pepper Flakes
1 clove of garlic minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Remove the layer of outer leaves from your Brussels and toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a lined baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes until starting to turn golden.
2. While the Brussels are cooking, whisk the honey, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, soy and lime juice together.
3. Pull the Brussels out of the oven and toss the dressing on top of the vegetables and using a spatula, roll the Brussels around to soak up the sauce. Place back into the oven and bake another 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Now on to the corn pudding. My mom’s recipe using corn muffin mix but I didn’t have any on hand so I added in a few extra eggs and some corn starch and that did the trick. This is why I love casserole style cooking. It feeds you for days and you really can’t go wrong by trying to add something in that just sounds good.
Recipe: Loaded Corn Pudding
Ingredients:
2 cans of cream corn
1 can of corn kernels, drained
4 eggs, scrambled
5 tbsp of corn starch
1/2 cup of milk
8 oz of a good melting cheese, shredded*
2 tsp of salt
1 sweet onion, sliced
2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
5 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
2 tbsp of brown sugar
2 tbsp of butter
* I used the 8oz of cheddar/gouda mix with peppercorns from Gordon Food Service Store
1. Preheat the oven to 400F and grease or butter a 9×13 casserole dish. Prep all of your veggies.
2. In a large bowl whisk the cans of cream corn, corn kernels and eggs together.
3. In a separate bowl whisk the corn starch and milk until the starch is dissolved. Pour into the large bowl of corn mix.
4. Stir in the shredded cheese (save 1/4 cup), jalapeños, bacon and salt.
5. In a small sauce pan melt the butter, add the onions and cook until translucent. Stir in the brown sugar and let simmer for a minute or two. Add to the large bowl of corn mixture and stir as you add the onions in.
6. Pour into the casserole dish, top with remaining cheese and bake at 400F for 1 hour. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
What are you whipping up for Thanksgiving? Does one person in your family do all the cooking or does everyone pitch in? Share your recipes below!
*This post is sponsored by Gordon Food Service Stores. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
