Jalapeño Corn Pudding

This silky, savory corn pudding recipe is one of my favorite dishes after dinner.

If you are looking for a new Thanksgiving side dish (or something to accompany the green beans), look no further than this corn pudding. It is comforting and familiar, and even though it has a spicy, peppery kick, that didn't stop my six-year-old from devouring it last year.

Jalapeño Corn Pudding

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 C diced yellow onions
1 1/2 C fresh kernels of corn (about 3 to 4 ears) or equivalent amount of frozen which is likely what you'll find this time of year
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 C heavy whipping cream
3 C cornbread, crumbled
8 oz Jalapeno Jack cheese, shredded and divided (1 C and 1 C) You can add more if you're like me and love melty cheesy goodness.
dash of salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 fresh jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced*
2 to 3 roasted red peppers, thinly sliced (I omit these because I like the jalapeño to be the star)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Grease and 8 inch square pan.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and corn, saute until onions are translucent. Remove from heat. Stir in eggs, cream, cornbread and 1 C cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour pudding into pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with jalapeno and red pepper slices.
Place pan in a water bath and bake 50 minutes-1 hour or until firm.

Sesame Corn Saute

Frozen whole kernel corn is a must-have in my freezer. There are so many things that you can make with it. If you're a fan of corn dishes, also see my Corn and Bacon Saute. It attracted me because it seemed like a simple recipe with familiar ingredients used in a different way. I just happened to have all of the ingredients already. We have a beautiful basil plant in our back yard. I wanted to put it to good use. Make it work for its money. Plus, corn and sesame together? I was intrigued and, at the end, very pleased.

Sesame Corn Saute

2-1/2 tsp. sesame seeds
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
6 ears fresh corn, shucked, kernals cut off the cob (about 4 cups)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. fresh basil chiffonade (very thinly sliced)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the sesame seeds on a baking sheet until very light tan, about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and saute garlic for about 2 minutes. Add the corn, salt, and pepper. Cook until corn is just tender, about 8 minutes. Gently toss in the sesame seeds and basil.

First, I made a slight change in the original recipe's directions by toasting my sesame seeds in a skillet. It only took a few minutes. Then, I reused the skillet to cook the corn.

Such a pretty color. It looks and smells like a Japanese restaurant in here.

Garlic: If one clove is good, two cloves are better.

I cooked the garlic for a few minutes in the olive oil over medium heat before adding four cups of corn. Again, I deviated from the original recipe by using frozen corn. I seasoned with salt and pepper.