Thursday, December 4, 2014

Corn Pudding

Corn pudding is a delicious dish, often a holiday favorite. It's one of those foods people bring to parties and family gatherings. It's a big hit and easy to make so I prepare it fairly often. Like cranberry sauce, I eat it all year round. It's vegetarian, yet hearty and very filling. You can have lots of variety depending upon how you prepare it.


I got the recipe from my mother, so I'm sharing her basic recipe first:

MOM’S CORN PUDDING

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter (melted)
8 oz. pkg. of sour cream or substitute
1 box of corn muffin mix (of your choice) (8.5 ounces)
1 can of creamed corn
1 can of corn kernels (drained)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of sugar

 
Optional:
Chopped green onion
Cheddar cheese

Mix the butter, sour cream, and corn muffin mix well.
Add the corn and other ingredients
Bake at 400 degrees temp for 30 minutes or until golden.  Watch closely

Enjoy!

Love,
Mom




I like to experiment, and I aim to make healthier versions of recipes so I made some changes. Instead of sour cream I use yogurt. When I use almond yogurt it reduces dairy and is still quite tasty. I only use one egg instead of two. I think I made it without egg at all at least once and it was still good. At first I reduced the sugar, but now I eliminate it altogether. I don't miss it at all. I encourage you to experiment with your own changes. Everyone has unique tastes, and I think meals should reflect that.

Here's my remake of Mom's Corn Pudding recipe.

Joanne’s Corn Pudding

Ingredients
  • 1 stick of butter softened
  • 1 individual size container Greek or almond yogurt (about 6 oz)
  • 8.5 ounces of Bob’s Red Mill Cornbread Mix
  • 1 can creamed corn
  • 1 can sweet corn kernels (drained)
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (can be eliminated altogether)
  • 2+ tablespoons nutritional yeast (vegan Parmesan cheese alternative)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
°.
Mix butter, yogurt & corn muffin mix in large bowl (with spoon - not mixer).
Stir in corn, egg, nutritional yeast and any remaining ingredients.
Pour/spoon into casserole dish about 8" in size. 
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden.

My Favorite Optional Ingredients
Cheese (vegan cheddar shreds preferred) 
Chopped vegetables (fresh or frozen)
     Onion (any kind)
     Peppers (any kind)
     Celery


Some of the embellishments I like to make are to add cheese. Mom does that too, but I tend to use vegan cheddar cheese shreds. I also like to add vegetables. Mirepoix cajun style blend veggies (available for only a dollar frozen at Kroger) are an easy favorite. It's diced onion, green pepper and celery. I also use chopped onion, or fresh veggies. I didn't list it among my favorites, but you can use broccoli, cauliflower, and/or a wide variety of veggies. That's the beauty of cooking, you can make the same dish and make it different every time.


MY SERENDIPITOUS MISTAKE

While making corn pudding I'd left a bag of Bob's Red Mill rolled oats on the counter. I use Bob's Red Mill cornbread mix for the corn pudding. Well wouldn't you know I accidentally used the rolled oats instead of the cornbread mix. Fortunately I was using a tiny measuring cup, so I only added about 4.5 ounces. I'd already dumped them on top of other ingredients so I couldn't scoop them out. So I added 4.5 ounces of cornbread mix and prepared as usual, hoping for the best. I added some vegan cheddar cheese shreds and the last of a fresh orange pepper I'd been using for salads. It needed to be used quickly and it added just the right kick.

This is what it looked like before I put it in the oven:


And this is what it looked like after baking:


It was just as tasty as usual! It still tasted like corn pudding. I feared it might taste like some weird oat bar - corn pudding hybrid. If anything, it might have been a little heartier — more like a casserole and less like pudding. I can't say I recommend that you try it with oats; but if you happen to do it I think you'll still be pleased. I may do it again!

My Mistake Recipe
1 stick butter softened
1 cup 365 Everyday vanilla yogurt
4.5 ounces Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats
4.5 ounces Bob's Red Mill Cornbread Mix
1 can creamed corn
1 can sweet corn (drained)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Fresh orange pepper (diced)
About 2-3 ounces vegan cheddar cheese shreds

Mix ingredients in large bowl. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes until golden.

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