One item that I make no less than three times each year between Thanksgiving and New Years is Cheesy Corn. I got a few requests for the recipe this year so I figure this is as good a place as any to leave it. I started with a recipe for Smoke Stack Cheesy Corn Bake and adjusted it to suit my preferences, laziness and general distaste for open packages lying about in my freezer.
Serves 10-12
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 teaspoons flour
1 teaspoon minced garlic*
3/4 cup milk
2 cups sharp American cheese, shredded
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, cut up
2 (16 ounce) packages frozen whole kernel corn
3 ounces diced ham*
1 small can diced green chilies
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Melt butter and add garlic, cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and mix to make a roux. Cook this for a few more minutes, until the mixture smells nutty.
Add milk, cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Stir in cheeses, start with cream cheese and once it's almost melted add the American. Cook and continue to stir over low heat until cheeses melt, stir in ham, green chilies and then one package of frozen corn. Stir until just combined.
Put the remaining frozen corn into a 2 qt casserole, evenly covering the bottom. Top this with the hot cheese/ham/corn mixture and spread it out evenly. Cook for 45 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.
*You can add a little more garlic and ham to this if you like. I usually buy the Farmland Diced Ham, I think it comes in a 10 ounce package, and just use half of it. And there's no such thing as too much garlic as far as I am concerned. (Note to self, time to develop garlic-based cookie.)
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