JOLENE’S QUICK AND EASY
CHEESY CORN-AND-BACON SIDE DISH

This recipe earned rave reviews and an empty casserole dish when I had to whip up something quickly after learning the day before Thanksgiving that my husband had forgotten to tell me that our neighbor had invited us to dinner. Since it proved so successful, I decided to give it to Jolene, who needed something she could make for Thanksgiving with the Mannions.

Ingredients:

1 jalapeño

2 cloves of garlic

2 cans of whole kernel (not creamed) corn, drained (Chef Ètienne, who rescued Jolene by sharing this recipe, grills his corn, but canned will work just as well.)

1 8 oz block of cream cheese (Yes, the entire block and please don’t skimp and use nonfat. This is not the time to worry about calories.)

A large handful of grated cheddar cheese

A large handful of grated Parmesan cheese

About 6 pieces (or more, depending on thickness) of bacon, to taste (If you’re like me, you usually eat a piece—just to make sure it’s okay—before adding to the dish.)

2 tablespoons of butter

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

For the topping:

½ cup panko bread crumbs

½ cup finely grated Parmesan

A handful of fresh herbs: I used fresh thyme leaves and chopped sage from my kitchen garden, but these days grocery stores all carry some fresh herbs. (If you can’t find any, dry will do, just adjust accordingly. Rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon dried for 1 tablespoon fresh.)

Instructions:

Cook the bacon, chop into pieces, then put aside.

Chop the jalapeño, scraping the seeds out if you don’t want the spice, then sauté with two cloves of finely chopped garlic in a saucepan or skillet large enough to fit in two cans of corn and cheese. I recommend adding the jalapeño 2-3 minutes before the garlic, which cooks a lot faster and you don’t want it to burn.

When the garlic and pepper start to soften and fill your kitchen with fragrance, stir in the two cans of drained corn, cut up cooked bacon, 2 tablespoons of butter, cream cheese, cheddar and Parmesan. (Be sure to leave out that extra ½ cup of Parm you grated for the topping.)

Season with salt and pepper.

Taste. If you decide it needs more cheese or bacon, toss more in. You’ve already broken your diet bank and can exercise an extra twenty minutes tomorrow. This is worth the indulgence.

Pour into a baking or casserole dish.

Mix the saved ½ cup of Parmesan, bread crumbs and herbs together, then sprinkle over the corn, bacon and cheese mix.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and all melted.

And if this isn’t already easy enough, you can make it the day before! Just leave off the topping, cover the dish and put it in the fridge. When it’s almost time to serve, sprinkle the cheese, crumb and herb topping over it and bake.

Then, prepare for the accolades from diners wowed by their first indulgent, creamy, cheesy, corn-and-bacon spoonful!

Keep reading for a special sneak peek at the next book in JoAnn Ross’s Honeymoon Harbor series, Summer on Mirror Lake.