Corn Pudding: Lunch For Two

Corn Pudding Topped with Ham Cracklings

I made this as a lunch dish for my husband and I one day last week. In the past I've made this as a brunch dish, light supper dish, and as a side dish to a regular dinner. With a green salad on the side, this makes a light meal, serving two (possibly three if ham, cheese, or bacon are added). If using this as a side dish or one of several dishes, it serves 4 to 5.

As I know there are several here who find themselves cooking for two as a regular thing, I thought someone might benefit from this recipe.

Corn Pudding

• one 15 oz can of corn, save the liquid
• 2 tablespoons butter (or other fat, I used ham fat in the pudding pictured above)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• cream, milk or water, to add to corn liquid to make 1 cup total (drained corn liquid + extra liquid = 1 cup total)
• 2 eggs, separated (whites in a medium to large bowl, yolks in a small dish)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

optional add-ins (one or several):

• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 1 1/2 cups chopped ham
• 1/4 cup diced bell pepper, red or green
• 2 to 3 tablespoons canned green chiles, diced
• 1/4 cup crumbled, cooked bacon
• a sprinkling of meat cracklings, such as ham, pork or beef, to top just before baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Butter a 2-quart round casserole or 9 X 9 pyrex.

Drain can of corn, reserving liquid in a measuring cup. Add cream, milk or water to reserved liquid to make 1 cup of liquid, total. 

In a saucepan over Medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour. Combine this with reserved corn liquid plus extra liquid of choice, stirring well. Continue cooking until sauce is smooth and has thickened. Add drained corn, peppers, chiles, ham, or bacon. Remove from heat.

Beat the egg yolks with a fork. Spoon a tablespoon of the sauce over egg yolks, and stir well. Add another spoonful of hot sauce to egg yolks, and stir well. Repeat one more time.

Add the warmed egg yolks to the sauce. Stir well. Return to heat (Medium), stir and heat for 3 or 4 minutes, until egg yolks have cooked and thickened the sauce slightly. Stir in salt and paprika. Remove from heat.

In medium or large bowl, use a mixer to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Sprinkle with grated cheese (optional). Fold the egg yolk, sauce and corn mixture into the stiff egg whites (and grated cheese, if used). 

Transfer to a prepared casserole or baking dish. You can top the mixture just before baking with additional bacon or ham bits, more shredded cheese, or cracklings (if you make them).

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until puffy, golden and eggs are set. Serve immediately.

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for Early December

As we're eating fresh oranges regularly, now, I thought I'd save some of the peel and make a batch of candied orange peel. My kids all think of this as a Christmas treat, and I love this stuff. Some people don't care for it. So I guess this is a love it or hate it treat. In any case, it's a thrifty candy.

My whole family agrees that candied orange peel is even better when coated with dark chocolate. I used about 1/2 cup of chocolate pieces, combining semi-sweet chips and broken pieces of unsweetened baking chocolate for a dark chocolate with about 70% cacao.

 It's reminiscent of those jellied orange sticks enrobed in chocolate. I didn't coat all of the candied orange pieces, but saved some as is to chop and freeze to add to cranberry bread later this winter.

On with the suppers this week.

Friday  pizza and movie night

scratch pepperoni and olive pizza

cabbage and avocado salad with salsa and mayo dressing
carrot sticks
leftover pie

Saturday
leftover Thanksgiving dinner
leftover pie

Sunday
chicken soup, using chicken carcass from Thanksgiving plus veggies and potatoes
scratch biscuits

Monday
beef stew
pumpkin scones
salad of shredded cabbage, lentil sprouts, sliced celery, avocado chunks
persimmon wedges (our neighbor gifted us with a box of persimmons)

Tuesday
Salisbury steak and gravy
brown rice
frozen peas
roasted root vegetables (garden beets, garden turnips, store carrots)
stewed prunes

Wednesday
beet green frittata (beet greens from yesterday's harvested beets)
toasted whole wheat bread
Asian slaw
steamed carrots

Thursday
tuna melts (gotta get our fish in some way)
roasted pumpkin (our last fresh pumpkin)
canned green beans
sautéed gingered pears (Asian pear chunks I froze in September from neighbor's downed tree branch, butter, ground ginger -- delicious and no sugar needed)

What was your favorite meal this past week? My favorite was our pizza night. The pizza was good, but it's more than just the meal. I really look forward to sitting and watching a movie with family each week. It's relaxing and takes me out of my own life for a few hours, if that makes sense.

Everything so quickly changed from Thanksgiving and late fall to Christmas season. I've got some gingerbread cookie dough in the fridge to make little men and women tomorrow. I listen to Christmas music (using Roku to find yule log Christmas music videos) all day while I'm working in the house. The dining room has been transformed into gift wrap central. Saturday we'll pull out the rest of our Christmas decorations (tree went up on Thanksgiving and outdoor lights on Sunday) and have a decking the halls snacky dinner. I feel like we're full into holiday mode. How about you? Are you all in on the Christmas season already, or are you putting it off another few days. I understand going either way. I really wasn't looking forward to doing the Christmas season work. But now that I'm listening to music, lighting candles, reading Advent scripture, and making plans for gifts for my loved ones, I think I can do this and be cheery about it.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.