Corn Casserole

My Venture into Corn Casserole
Blog Buddies – As you have seen, I have not been posting as often as I would like. I am absolutely swamped at work right now so I've had to put cooking and new recipe development on the back burner (pun intended!) for now. With the long hours at work, cooking is definitely not something I look forward to when I get home. I do NOT know how working moms do this every day!!! For at least the next month, my postings will be sporadic. My apologies in advance!

Today's recipe is quick and easy to make and is especially good when corn is in season. Some American and Mexican corn casseroles/puddings are often VERY sweet. When I eat them, I feel like I'm eating dessert for dinner. With this recipe, I set out to make a flavorful and savory casserole with just a bit of sweetness.

Corn-based casseroles and puddings are not unique to North America. In Paraguay, they have a very popular side dish called "Chipa Guazu." I've eaten it here in the U.S. but I'm sure it's not as good as a Paraguayan grandmother could make. Chipa guazu is normally made with a fresh cheese called "Queso Paraguay", which is impossible to find where I live. From what I understand, it's similar to Monterrey Jack but, not having tried it myself, I cannot corroborate that. I've worked with a few Paraguayans throughout the years and they are the ones who introduced me to chipa guazu. I played around with one of their recipes to come up with the one I am posting today. I adapted their recipe to include easier-to-find ingredients that better suit my taste preferences.

I think it tastes pretty darn good. I'm not willing to officially call it chipa guazu since I've never been to Paraguay to taste the real thing but I think most Paraguayans would consider my attempt to be at least edible (even if it's not authentic). Give it a try with some homegrown sweet corn! Very yummy! Enjoy – and happy shucking!

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Corn Casserole
(Printable Version)

1/2 c butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 c heavy cream
1 14-3/4 oz can sweet-style creamed corn
1 12-oz package frozen sweet corn niblets (thawed in the fridge) or 2 c fresh corn
8 oz monterrey jack cheese, finely shredded
1 c flour
1 1/2 tsp table salt
2 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat a skillet over medium heat with the butter. When melted (don't allow the skillet to get too hot), add the onions and gently sweat the onions until they are very soft but not browned (about 8 – 10 minutes). Let cool about 5 minutes.

While the onions are softening, beat the eggs and cream together in a medium bowl. Add the creamed corn, thawed corn, and cheese.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.

When the onions have cooled about 5 minutes, add them to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into a 9x13" glass dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the casserole is brown around the edges and the center has set.