Finding Comfort in Cornbread Convenience.

 

Deep Fried Chicken Tenderloins with Honey Mustard Sauce, Garlic Baby Potatoes, Sweet Corn Casserole.

Whether seeing recipes online, reading through a myriad of cookbooks, or finding a product at the supermarket, I am always looking for something new to cook or bake.  During the 2024 holiday season, I discovered a new product from frozen food diva, Marie Callender, Sweet Corn Casserole.  The description is, “Indulge in sweet whole corn kernels in a creamy cornmeal batter with a touch of cheese for a quick and convenient casserole with homemade taste you'll want to savor.”  This product can be eaten alone, or as a side dish, with 2-4 servings dependent on how much is spooned out.

At home, the product was prepared according to package directions, using the oven method, as I am not very keen on microwave cooking. Why? Personally, I have found cooked, or “baked”, dishes, have unpredictable results, as the microwave simply does not cook evenly throughout. Anyway, after 20 minutes, I pulled the oven proof dish out, stirred the ingredients and then waited.  What did I get?  Soup, yes, a soupy mixture of very little corn kernels and barely noticeable cornbread around the rim.  What the…?  Read the directions again, and I had done them correctly, but this looked nothing like the photo on the box.  How do I fix this?  I opened and added a can of whole kernel corn, put the dish back in the oven for another 20 minutes, and wallah…sweet corn casserole.  It was tasty, a consistency similar to very firm mashed potatoes, and, of course, now loaded with corn.

Overall, though, I was very disappointed with the experience, and needed to know how to make the dish myself.  First, I found hundreds of references to Paula Dean, as she is the queen of southern cooking, and here is her recipe.

Paula Deen's Corn Casserole

Ingredients:

14.75 oz. creamed corn

15.25 oz. whole kernel sweet corn, drained

8.5 oz. Jiffy corn muffin mix

8 oz. sour cream

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the cheddar cheese. Be sure to drain the whole kernel corn.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish or 10-inch cast iron skillet.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

Top with shredded cheddar. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the top begins to brown.

Let stand for 5 minutes prior to serving.

Servings: 6 (those must be whopping sized servings!)

Reviews varied from worse to best thing ever, so I decided to do a bit more digging about this dish.  Sweet corn casserole is known by a variety of names: corn pone, spoon bread, corn pudding, and hoppy glop.  It originated with the Native Americans of the south who added ash to the cooking process of corn with water.  The ash would soften the corn by breaking down the cellular walls, allowing more water to penetrate. The name “corn pone” likely came from one of these Native words, apan, oppone or supawn which translate to “baked”, since the mixture would be baked on hot coals to form a cake.  As explorers and settlers came to the east coast of the New World, ingredients, such as butter, sugar and flour, were introduced to the mixture.

Being an explorer of foods myself, I eventually came up with a recipe that hit the spots of sweet, tangy and savory.  During these last weeks of frigid weather, a warm bowl heated the hands, while the casserole heated the body from the inside-out.  Since my hubby ended up eating most of this casserole, I would rightly say that I must have done it correctly.

 

Sweet Corn Casserole (I did it my way…. sing it Frankie!)

Ingredients:

2 cups plain cornbread mix

1 (14.75 oz.) can cream style corn

1 (15.25 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained

½ cup butter, melted

2 Tbsp. honey

1 cup sour cream

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F, and butter inside of a 2-quart casserole dish.  Stir together all ingredients and spoon into the dish.  Bake for 45-55 minutes; or until top is golden brown.  If desired, spread more shredded cheese over top and leave dish in oven for two minutes to allow melting.

 

Remove from oven, let rest for five minutes before serving.

Makes 12 servings.

 

 

 

But wait, I found another cornbread convenience trick that surprised even me.  I recently purchased a cornbread from the local market which was simply delicious.  It was moist, did not fall apart when using a fork, honey sweet and one of the best I have ever tried.  Reading the ingredient label, I found “cake mix” as one of the main ingredients.  Huh? Cake Mix?  Yes folks, I have found another baked good that has cake mix as one of its main ingredients.  Researching recipes, several food bloggers stated that this was a trick used by many a restaurant that served cornbread as a side.  Not only does it stretch the recipe, but it makes the cake less dry and crumbly, allowing for softened butter to spread on more easily and smoothly.

Here is a basic recipe that can be played with.  Like cornbread with cheddar cheese, honey, or chopped jalapenos?  Add them!  it is your creation, so have fun playing.

 

Cake Mix Cornbread

 

Ingredients:

1 (15.25 oz.) box yellow cake mix (with or without pudding, both work)

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cornbread mix

1/2 cup milk

4 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup warm water

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Butter, or use butter flavored nonstick spray, in a 9x13 baking pan, or 2-8-inch round baking pans

Whisk cake mix and corn bread mix together in a large bowl to smooth out any lumps.  Add remaining ingredients and whisk well to combine.

Pour into baking pan(s); bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan.  With the round cake pans, there will be 8 servings.  Depending on how the cake, in the 9x13 pan, is cut, there could be up to 15 servings.

Note: If high altitude, check cake mix box for any additions to the cake mix, such as flour.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

Kentucky-Up Those Turkey Leftovers.

Thanksgiving leftovers stocked in the refrigerator, and the thought of one more cold turkey sandwich makes you winch a bit?  Now this scenario might not be an issue in your home, but for others it is, as they want the leftovers gone now!  Many, like myself, clean off most of the the meat and freeze for later comfort meals of turkey strata, tetrazzini or added to a hearty soup.  The bones themselves are simmered in seasoned water, strained, and the savory stock also frozen.

For many years, I watched many a show on Food Network or The Cooking Channel, and I gained truckloads of knowledge.  Well I should also admit to watching PBS cooking shows on Saturday afternoons, and this started well into my teens.  Once I moved to Pennsylvania, I would attend a “food-con” in Ephrata, and I attended demonstrations of many of my favorite PBS chefs.  Buying a latest cookbook, getting it signed, and speaking with the chef; oh I was wowed for days; and could not wait to attempt some recipes.

As with MTV (remember when it showed actual music videos!?!), I have noticed, that the channels geared towards food, are now more prone to game shows or competitions.  Too fast paced and definitely not informative enough for me.  Back in the middle 2000s though, there was one show that was a competition, but slow paced enough to allow the viewer to make notes, and learn.  Throwdown with Bobby Flay was looked forward to weekly, not just to see if someone could beat him, but what new recipe might be tempting enough to try myself.

Now why am I rambling on about cooking shows when I first began writing about turkey leftovers?  To share with you all a recipe, learned on Throwdown, tried out at home, and deemed most delicious!  The Hot Brown was featured (Season 2, Episode 13, Air Date: July 10, 2007); Joe and John Castro, chefs of the Brown Hotel in Kentucky, competed and won against Bobby Flay.  The Hot Brown could be considered a fancified version of an open-faced hot turkey sandwich, or, as the originator intended, the Welch Rarebit.  Originally created during the 18th century and called Welsh Rabbit, no actual cute, fluffy-tailed bunnies were used, so the name changed to Rarebit.  Welsh Rarebit is a British dish consisting of a hot cheese-based sauce served over slices of toasted bread, often topped with tomatoes and bacon.

The Hot Brown was created in 1926 by Chef Fred K. Schmidt; he worked at the Brown Hotel, located in Louisville, Kentucky.  “In the 1920's, The Brown Hotel drew over 1,200 guests each evening for its dinner dance. By the wee hours of the morning, guests would grow weary of dancing and make their way to the restaurant for a bite to eat. Sensing their desire for something more glamorous than traditional ham and eggs, Chef Fred Schmidt set out to create something new to tempt his guests' palates. His unique dish? An open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and a delicate Mornay sauce.” (History of the Hot Brown: https://www.brownhotel.com/dining/hot-brown )

Here is that original recipe.

 

The World Famous Hot Brown

Ingredients:

Makes Two Hot Browns

2 oz. Whole Butter

2 oz. All Purpose Flour

8 oz. Heavy Cream

8 oz. Whole Milk

½ Cup of Pecorino Romano Cheese

Plus 1 Tablespoon for Garnish

Pinch of Ground Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper

14 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast, Slice Thick

4 Slices of Texas Toast (Crust Trimmed)

4 Slices of Crispy Bacon

2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

Paprika

Parsley

In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk heavy cream and whole milk into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place two slices of toast with the crusts cut off in an oven safe dish – one slice is cut in half corner to corner to make two triangles and the other slice is left in a square shape - then cover with 7 ounces of turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and two toast points and set them alongside the base of the turkey and toast. Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese. Place the entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

Around the same time, I found a similar recipe, by Paula Deen, but the Hot Brown was made casserole style.  Since we held gaming groups regularly on Saturday nights, I used our players as guinea pigs, and happily there were no leftovers and only praises.

Paula Deen Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

https://www.pauladeen.com/recipe/kentucky-hot-brown-casserole/

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups divided shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup shredded extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 slices thick sandwich bread, toasted

2 pounds thinly sliced turkey

1/4 teaspoon paprika

8 slices bacon, cooked and halved crosswise

Garnish chopped tomatoes

Garnish fresh parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to broil. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in 1 cup Swiss, Cheddar, salt, and pepper until melted.

Place bread in prepared pan, overlapping as needed to fit. Top with turkey, cheese sauce, and remaining 1 cup Swiss; sprinkle with paprika.

Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Top with bacon and tomatoes. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

There you have it, two recipes to help those turkey leftovers have an original taste, and new recipes to add to your book or card file.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Macaroni and Cheese That Even Paula Deen Would Envy.

Even though I make a mean Macaroni and Cheese, I'm always trying to improve my own dishes. Most of the time it's to impress my husband, Roy, who is a hard working man and a most excellent husband indeed. To surprise him after a long stint at work, I decided to make one of his all time favorites, Beef Brisket, but what side to go with it was the question. Something that would complement the beef, mix well with the spices of the rub and the barbecue sauce I added onto the meat afterwards, something rich and satisfying; nothing else would do, but homemade macaroni and cheese.

Now I named this version of my mac n' cheese "Heart Attack Mac n' Cheese" for a very good reason; anyone who tried it out said, "Eat this mac n' cheese everyday, and you'll end up having a heart attack!"  Oh they loved it for sure, but once they learned what the ingredients were, out came the statement.  I used a friend as a guinea pig, who shared some with her son; she asked if there was anyway she could get more.  I considered that request a great complement in itself, so of course gave her another container full.  The amount you get from the recipe I'm going to post is enough to share with lots of folks.  By the way, I break a rule on making the Roux by not using equal parts fat with flour, but once you taste this, forgiveness is easily given.  One more thing, as I'm making the sauce I'm also cooking up the elbow macaroni; that way it all comes together piping hot and fresh.

Ready for a heart attack?

Heart Attack Mac n' Cheese

 

Ingredients:

16 Tbsp salted butter
1 cup flour
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp fine sea salt
1 tsp paprika
4 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 cups shredded, extra sharp Cheddar cheese
6 cups cooked large elbow macaroni

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, melt the butter on medium-high heat (make sure to watch and not let burn or brown); begin whisking in the flour until well incorporated.  Continue whisking for five minutes as the roux begins to turn a golden color.  Add in the black pepper, sea salt, paprika, heavy cream and milk; bring to a boil. 





Immediately add in the Monterey Jack cheese and begin whisking until smooth; add in the goat cheese, whisk until smooth; repeat with the Cheddar cheese, but one cup at a time.

If you took my advice and cooked the macaroni while making the sauce, drain it, but put it back into the pot it was cooked in.  Once you begin adding the cheese sauce, the heat from the pot will keep it from clotting around the drained pasta.

 

 

 

Mix it all together gently; you don't want to smash or break apart the macaroni.  Now serve it up and enjoy; and we found out that even eaten cold, it was delectable!  Servings?  Good question and I'm going to estimate 12 to 16; while I could only eat a half cup before going into "this is so good!!!" shock, Roy was able to eat a whole cup full and still want more.


I made fried chicken a couple of days later, and you guessed it, this was a perfect side dish.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Country Fried Steak Ain't No Chicken..

My first introduction to Country Fried Steak, also called Chicken Fried Steak, was back in the 1980's.  A new restaurant had opened up in Farmingdale, New York which served "Southern" food; after all these years, I don't remember the name of it.  It was a thin piece of steak which had been beaten into tenderized submission; deep fried with a bread coating, served with a white gravy, mashed potatoes and corn.  Personally, I thought the white gravy was pretty bland, so when I started to experiment with making this dish on my own, you know I was intent on jazzing it up.

 

Now when I first visited Utah in 2006, that's when I learned about black pepper gravy; still the white gravy, but packed with pieces of cracked, black peppercorns.  This was considered the traditional Southwestern version of Country Fried Steak. My hubby Roy loved it this way which was understandable, since he grew up in the Southwest, but I wasn't too much of a fan of all those peppercorns. 

Then there was another way I learned watching one of Paula Deen's many shows on Food Network; prepare the meat the same way, but finish cooking it off in a rich, brown gravy packed with onions.  I love variety in preparing food, so knowing there were different types of Country Fried Steak was a boon for me.  Oh, the term "Chicken Fried Steak" just refers to the method of cooking the thin steak the same way you would a chicken cutlet.

 

Now what exactly is "cubed" steak? The term "cubed" refers to the indentations left in the meat after the tenderizing process. Originally the meat used was top sirloin and served in finer restaurants; however, the need to tenderize cheaper cuts of meat made the term "cubed" more generalized. Nowadays you'll find cubed steak in the local supermarket and it can be made from chuck, round or flank steaks. The steaks are cut thin, about a half inch, then pounded out to a quarter of an inch thickness.

There is a variety of ways to prep the cubed steaks for frying: flour, dried bread crumbs, egg wash, milk wash, seasoning the meat, seasoning the flour or bread crumbs. It is up to the cook how to prepare the dish overall, whether their own methods or following the old family recipe. For me, it depends on my mood; what you see in the side photo is the cubed steaks preseasoned on both sides(one tablespoon each of salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder, plus a half teaspoon of cayenne powder). I lightly coat with flour, dip in an eggwash and then coat with the flour once again. If I use dried bread crumbs, I will use preseasoned as it doesn't lose its flavoring during the frying process like seasoned flour typically does.  My described flour method ensures that the seasoning stays on the meat rather than be leeched out into the oil during frying.

I love using peanut oil for frying. Yes, it tends to be more expensive than canola, vegetable or corn oils, but whatever is fried in it is extremely less greasy and the taste is clean; you taste the food, not the oil. I use a deep 12 inch skillet for frying, fill it about 1 and 1/2 inches with oil and use medium-high heat. You'll know the oil is ready when you drip a couple of drops of cold water into the oil; it will sizzle. If it's popping and splattering already, you let it heat up too long, so turn down the heat to medium and let it come down to the sizzle stage. Turn the heat back up to medium-high and put your first two steaks in. The dredged cube steaks will be large, so only frying two at a time will prevent crowding, and allow even browning.  If you let the oil remain at that "too hot" stage, the meat would have browned very quickly, but be still raw inside. Once browned, remove the steaks to a plate covered with paper towels to let them drain any excess oil.

Lets talk gravy. Now while the typical gravy you might see in restaurants or even make yourself is the white gravy, or the pepper gravy; I jazz it up with some browned, ground sausage. A mildly seasoned, loose breakfast sausage works great.

Black Pepper Sausage Gravy

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mildly seasoned ground sausage
1/2 cup flour
4 cups half n' half
2 Tbsp cracked black peppercorns
pinch of salt

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, brown the sausage making sure to break up the meat into tiny pieces. Stir in the flour thoroughly and cook until golden brown. Gradually stir in the half n' half, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in cracked peppercorns and pinch of salt. Pour over steaks and serve.

This will make enough to cover six Country Fried Steaks, and with excess to spoon over mashed potatoes if desired.

The next gravy I call "Onion Red Gravy"; I use regular white or yellow onions, but instead of a brown only gravy, I make it sing with a little tomato sauce.

Onion Red Gravy

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp oil (oil from the skillet the steaks were browned in)
1 large onion cut into 1/4 inch slivers
3 Tbsp flour
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can beef broth
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic

Preparation:

In a deep, 12 inch skillet, heat the oil on medium-high and saute' the onions until they just begin to soften.  Stir in the flour thoroughly before adding the tomato sauce, beef broth, black pepper and garlic.  Bring to a boil and immerse the steaks into the liquid.  Turn the heat down to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes before serving.

This will be enough to simmer 6 Country Fried Steaks in.

So there you have it, Country Fried Steaks and two very different gravies to serve them with.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Someone's Soup is Another's Stew.

Chili, is it a soup or a stew?  It all depends on geographical location, for the most part, and what recipe the cook grew up on.  I am used to chili which is thick and hearty; that's the way I make it, that's the way my family enjoys it. However, I have been many a place where the chili is thinner and called a soup.  Is the soup that different from the stew?  Yes and no, sometimes it is very brothy, sometimes it is thick like a stew, but still called a soup.  Confused?  Welcome to the crowd and enjoy the chili.  

Even though I have a standard recipe that I follow, I have played with it from time to time; substituting ground beef for the sirloin steak pieces, using a different mixture of beans, different chilies.  The absolute best chili so far was when I used ground New Mexico chilies instead of the regular ground chili powder which has six varieties of chilies.

So this is all leading to?  Taco Soup.  Taco Soup?  Yes, Taco Soup and yes, depending on your point of view, it can be considered chili, but it is purposely made brothy, so it is a soup.   For the first time I tried taco soup; it was absolutely fantastic!!  Now here's the funny part, just that day I was going through a Paula Deen cookbook and saw her recipe for taco soup.  I'm not one to believe in coincidence, so I got the message clear...another recipe to play with and it was for taco soup.

As I ate the soup, I consciously considered the ingredients and while I thought it was so close to chili, someone voiced the thought and there was a brief discussion on chili being a soup or not.  Anyway, the next day I read the recipe in Paula's book again and then went online to see what other recipes I could find.  What really amazed me most of all is how many recipe sites had taco soup listed and most of the "cooks" had Paula's recipe listed word for word; yet they listed the recipe as their own "original" recipe.   So I have "cooks" in quotes to show my sarcasm as they aren't real cooks, just copycats who don't have the manners to give credit where credit is due.  Back to the recipe...I didn't want to follow Paula's recipe word for word as the soup I had at the Credit Union was different than hers ingredient wise.  I also didn't see the point of adding a packet of dry ranch salad dressing mix and water; I wanted the soup to taste like tacos, not ranch dressing.  However, I did see it mentioned on some recipes that using dressing from the bottle could give the soup a mild, creamy texture without loading it down with heavy cream and not overpower the overall flavor.  That's an idea I could go with; so while my recipe is not an exact copycat of one particular recipe, it is a mixture of ideas and wouldn't call it a completely original concept.

Ok, enough droning...here's the recipe I came up with and it was perfect for the cold, windy weather that invaded our area over the weekend.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (85%), browned, drain excess grease
1 (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1(14.5 oz) can beef broth
1 (15 oz) can great northern (white) beans
1 (15 oz) can whole black beans
1 (11 oz) can Mexican style whole kernel corn
1 (1.25 oz) packet taco seasoning mix
¼ cup bottled original ranch dressing, not buttermilk

Preparation:

Set 4 qt crock pot on low; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Put in all items from ingredients list; do not drain beans or corn. Cover and cook for 4 hours.

Makes 10 (2 cup) servings.

Mary Cokenour

Garnishes:

Chopped fresh cilantro
Avocado slices
Diced red onion
Sour cream
Shredded Mexican cheese blend
Crumbled Queso Fresco cheese
Tortilla chips or strips