DONNA SCHLAPMAN’S CORN CASSEROLE

When I was writing this book, my husband said if he could pick just one recipe to add, it would be his mother’s corn casserole. She was gracious enough to share the recipe.

When you get married, you marry into a family. I was lucky enough to fall in love with not just my husband, but his family as well. Donna, my mother-in-law, is an elegant lady—and the consummate hostess. She’s known for her gracious entertaining, and I’ve learned so much from her. Why, days before a sit-down dinner, she’ll have already assembled all the dishes, glassware, flatware, and linens. She entertains with such poise and grace, and when we host a dinner party, I try to channel my “Inner Donna.” One of the main things I’ve learned from her is to do all you can ahead of time. A flustered hostess can ruin a perfectly good dinner party! So I turn to her corn casserole again and again when cooking for company. Everyone loves this sweet corn custard topped with crispy crumbs, so it’s one less thing to worry about.

This casserole is also a Schlapman family favorite. It’s just not Thanksgiving without it! Thanksgiving is a bittersweet time for us now. For years it has been the tradition for both sides of our family to make the trek to Nashville to spend Thanksgiving with us. We have a houseful for a week and have a big old time. On the day before Thanksgiving 2012, Allen and his mom and daughter had driven over from Virginia. He took our motorcycle out for a drive and was killed by a drunk driver. That day changed all of our lives forever. My husband founded an organization, The Dogwood Project, in his brother’s memory. Its purpose is to help children through the grief of losing a parent or sibling. The Dogwood Project sends a dogwood tree to the grieving child for them to plant in memory of their loved one, and helps the family find counseling for the child. I’m so proud of my husband for the work he has done through The Dogwood Project out of love for his brother. More information can be found at www.thedogwoodproject.org.

Makes 6 servings

TWO 16-OUNCE PACKAGES FROZEN CREAM-STYLE CORN

2 EGGS, BEATEN

¼ CUP SUGAR

6 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER, MELTED

1 CUP HEAVY (WHIPPING) CREAM

2 CUPS SALTINE CRACKER CRUMBS

1 TEASPOON SALT

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the corn, eggs, sugar, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, the cream, 1 cup of the cracker crumbs, and the salt. Pour the mixture into a 2-quart baking dish and bake for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the topping: In a medium bowl, mix the remaining 1 cup cracker crumbs and the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter.

4. Spread the topping over the casserole and bake until the topping is nicely browned, about 30 minutes.

SOUTHERN SIMPLE: This casserole can be assembled well ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake.

SOUTHERN SIMPLE: In the summer I like to add a tablespoon of chopped fresh basil to the corn mixture, while in the fall I like to add a couple of teaspoons of chopped fresh sage.