Tag: cheese

Mexican Corn Pudding

Over the years friends and family members have given us many cookbooks. We enjoy receiving them and make a point of trying at least one recipe from each gift as soon as practicable. Today we look forward to getting cookbooks as gifts because they inspire us to make something new.

Favorite Foods of Home Economics Teachers-Foreign Foods Edition is one of those books that someone gave us many years ago, and it contains a number of recipes that we still enjoy.

Don’t expect authentic foreign foods from most recipes in this book. They have been tailored to American tastes, which means that most can be enjoyed even if you were brought up thinking that catsup was a spicy sauce or that Swedes ate mostly meatballs.

Here is a side dish that complements meat dishes from south of the border: Mexican Corn Pudding or Pudin de Maiz. We have customized it slightly to suit our taste.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup grated medium cheddar cheese
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 15 or 16 ounce can creamed-style corn
2 large eggs
2 cups milk
1 4 ounce can chopped green chiles
5 T melted butter or bacon grease

PROCEDURE:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grate the cheese and melt the butter or bacon grease. Grease a two quart casserole.

Mix the cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs until lemon yellow, then mix in the milk. Stir the milk and eggs, corn, cheese and chiles into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Then stir in the melted butter or bacon grease and pour the batter into the casserole. Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees. After 50 minutes, test for doneness: A butter knife inserted into the center of the casserole will come out clean when the casserole is done.

NOTE: For a little spicier version, add a finely chopped jalapeno pepper (seeds and membrane removed) to the batter. Inside the front cover of the old cookbook is a note that this recipe goes particularly well with Layered Enchilada Pie.

Jalapeño Poppers

Here is a simple and delicious appetizer that is great for an afternoon or evening party.  I made them the first time because I was being pressured to use up all the jalapeño peppers that I had bought (They were on sale!), but I have made them often again, sometimes at the request of my wife.  

Occasionally a friend will comment that they are a bit hot, usually as they are reaching for a second or third popper.  And for those who cannot tolerate the heat from peppers, I suggest that they try the stuffed mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS:

Jalapeño peppers (2 to 2 1/2 inches long ones are best)

Cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese

Bacon 

PROCEDURE:

Preheat the oven to 375º.

Cut the strips of bacon into thirds or halves.  (I use halves of thick cut bacon, which doesn’t stretch as much as ordinary bacon, though I have also used thirds of regular commercial bacon.) Put a roasting rack on a baking pan.

Put on your rubber gloves.  Wash and cut the jalapeños in half lengthwise.  With a spoon or knife, remove the seeds and white membrane.  Fill each half with softened cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese.  Wrap each jalapeño half with bacon,  Secure the bacon with a toothpick to finish the popper and place it on the rack. 

Bake the poppers about 22 to 27 minutes until the bacon starts to brown.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTES:  The amount of cheese you need depends on the size of the peppers.  An eight ounce package of cheese will be plenty for 24 poppers.  Neufchatel cheese seems to work just as well as cream cheese.  The major difference is that Neufchatel has fewer calories and is a little less creamy in the poppers, but people seem to like them equally well.  Wear rubber gloves while working with hot peppers unless you know that you can take the heat.