A savory side rather than a sweet pudding, this is a great way to use stale cornbread, refreshing it with corn kernels and creamy Colby cheese. When we're making basic cornbread anyway, we sometimes bake an extra pan to create deliberate leftovers for the dish.
SERVES 8
| 8-inch square pan of stale cornbread, crumbled | |
| 2 | tablespoons butter |
| 1 | medium onion, chopped |
| 1 | cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen |
| 1 | teaspoon minced fresh marjoram or thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried marjoram or thyme |
| 3 | eggs, lightly beaten |
| 1 | cup evaporated milk |
| 1 | cup grated Colby cheese or mild cheddar cheese |
| Paprika |
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a large baking dish.
Place the cornbread in a large bowl.
Warm the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in the corn and marjoram and cook another minute. Spoon this mixture into the cornbread. Then stir in the eggs and milk, followed by the cheese. Pour the pudding into the prepared baking dish. (The pudding can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated. Let it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before proceeding.) Dust the top of the pudding with paprika and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly firm and golden.
Serve the pudding hot.
TECHNIQUE TIP: A moist, soft-textured form of mild cheddar first created in Colby, Wisconsin, Colby cheese melts especially well in this and other dishes because of its high moisture content. It's often marketed as "longhorn," a name derived from the cylindrical mold used to form the cheese rather than any association with rangy Texas steers.