Corn Bacon Casserole

One of my favorite potluck dishes that's always a big hit is my Corn Casserole. It has been requested on several family gathering. It is a very very simple casserole. It is a 5 ingredient dish; can of corn, creamed corn, sour cream, butter and Jiffy corn mix. You drop it in a bowl and mix, pour into a 9x13 dish, bake at 350F for 45 minutes & you're done! It's a no-brainer! The outcome is this creamy delicate corn delight.

The casserole is delicious as is, but I was thinking what if I add bacon to the mix. Bacon can only enhance this deliciousness. So that's what I did and boy does it work! The salty bacon plays well with the sweet corn. It's a balanced bite of salt & sweet.

I've made both versions, one with bacon and without. Both are a hit! You can't go wrong!!

Buen Provecho!

The Yummy Suspects!

Delicious crisp bacon, divided into 2 piles.

Into a medium bowl pour can of drained corn,

can of creamed corn,

8oz of sour cream, 

 2 oz of melted butter (1/2 a stick)

and then Jiffy corn mix.

Stir until it looks like....

...this.

Add 1/2 of the bacon and

stir to combine.

Pour into a 9x13 casserole, smooth out with spoon and gently shake and tap casserole to settle and even out mixture.

Crumble and sprinkle the other half of bacon. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Put toothpick in and if it comes out clean it's ready.

Put oven to broil and brown casserole for 1-2 minutes. Watch carefully don't let it burn! Take it out when golden brown.

Let it set for 5 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature. Delicious creamy, sweet and salty! So good!!!

Corn Bacon Casserole - 5-7 servings

1- 15.25 oz can whole corn kernels, drain
1- 14.75 oz can creamed corn
8 oz sour cream
2 oz butter, melted (1/2 a stick)
1- 8.5ox box of favorite corn mix (Jiffy is my brand)
4-5 thick cut bacon, chopped (I use applewood bacon)

Note: If you cook in a smaller casserole your cooking time will be longer, 50-60 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick. It comes out clean your casserole is ready. Then broil until golden brown for 1-2 minutes.


Road Map:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Chop bacon and place in a dry skillet on medium heat. Crisp up bacon bits and drain on a paper towel. Divide bacon in half.

2. Place drained corn kernels, creamed corn, sour cream, butter and corn mix in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Add half of the bacon and mix until combined.

3. Pour mixture into a 9x13 pan. Smooth out with the back of a wooden spoon. Gently shake and tap the casserole dish to help the mixture settle and even out. Crumble and sprinkle the half of bacon over casserole.

4. Place casserole into the oven, cook for 40-45 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Turn oven to Broil and cook until brown, 1-2 minutes. Watch carefully, will brown rapidly you don't want it to burn.

5. Once golden brown, place casserole on a trivet to rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

6. Enjoy! 

French Fries

I love potatoes! Baked, mashed or fried. Pretty much anyway you can cook the potato I love! There something about this everyday vegetable that just has a special place in my heart. On it's own its not really flavorful, but you add a few things here and there and WOW what a delicious mouthful! 

One of the best ways to enjoy the simplicity of the potato is French Fries. They are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and kissed with salt! Oh so good!!! I eat fries with ketchup and sometimes I eat ketchup with fries, as my husband would say! :) You can dip these delicious golden sticks into any kind of dip. Ranch, bbq, honey mustard, sweet & sour sauce, mayo and so on. I love Campfire Sauce (this is a  dipping sauce from Red Robin), it's a mix of bbq sauce and ranch. It's is so good! I make my own at home, you just need to adjust to your taste. A little more bbq or a little more ranch, up to you.

How ever you like to dip, these fries will be just perfect!

Buen Provecho! 

Clean & Cut into sticks.

Soak for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Can also soak overnight.

Drain and blot fries dry.

1st fry- 5-6 minutes, until soft, par-cooked

The fries should still look pale & soft.

2nd Fry - Cook until golden brown.

Crispy goodness.

Season with salt.

Dip & Eat!!

French Fries: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2-3 large Russet Potatoes, scrubbed

Oil for frying

Salt for seasoning

Road Map:

1. Rinse the potatoes. Leave skin on, cut them into stick. 

2. Place them in a large bowl cover them with cold water. Soak 30 mins to 1 hour at least. You can also stick them in the fridge and let them soak overnight.

3. Drain off water and lay the potatoes on 2 baking sheets lined with paper towels. Blot with paper towels to dry them.

4. Heat a few inches of oil in a heavy pot to 325 degrees F. In 3 or 4 batches, cook the potatoes until soft, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Remove each batch and drain on rack lined with paper towels.

5. Once all the potatoes have been fried once, turn up the heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F. When the oil's hot, start frying the potatoes in batches again, cooking until the fries are golden and crisp. Remove the potatoes from the oil and drain on paper towels.

6. Season with salt and enjoy!