“JUST AS I REMEMBERED” CORN CASSEROLE

Prep Time: 1 ½ Hours
Yields: 8 Servings

Comment:
This recipe, submitted by Melissa Anders, is a nostalgic recreation of a holiday dish her grandmother used to make, which started out by frying fresh corn in bacon drippings in a black iron skillet. I have adapted it slightly and have taken the liberty of including crawfish in my version.

Ingredients:
1½ cups frozen whole corn kernels
1 (20-ounce) package Southern style cream corn (yellow or white)
6 slices bacon
¼ cup onion
¼ cup celery
¼ cup red bell pepper
¼ cup green bell pepper
¼ cup garlic
1 pound well-drained crawfish tails (optional)
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 (9-ounce) package cornbread mix
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a sauté pan place bacon slices and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon from pan, chop and set aside. In the rendered fat, sauté onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic until vegetables are translucent. Add the crawfish and cook 3-5 minutes more.  Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, mix butter, sour cream, and eggs. Stir in the crawfish mixture, corns, and cornbread mix.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a well-greased 12-inch black iron skillet, sprinkle the chopped bacon and spoon the mixture on top.  Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until golden brown.