Cheesy Jalapeño Corn Casserole

If you are a fan of cheese and spice and corn, you are going to love this cheesy jalapeño corn casserole. The whole dish is great, but that golden top is the absolute best part.

I must confess that in my family we have a standard set of sides that must be made for Thanksgiving and Christmas and this cheesy jalapeño corn casserole isn't on that list. Not because it’s not perfectly spicy, cheesy and delicious. No, it's because that list was set in stone many years ago and no one is allowed to alter it. In fact. lest we forget, the list is kept at the front of my recipe binder, in a little pocket. Along with the turkey and stuffing, we must have rich creamed potatoes, sticky sweet potatoes, maque choux, green beans with baby new potatoes and, of course, my aunt's best pecan pie for dessert. Is it only my family that is so set in our ways?

If your family is not as persnickety about the holiday menu, you’ll want to add this casserole to your line up. Never mind, if they are. Just make it for a Sunday Supper.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 fresh jalapeño or part thereof- depending on your heat tolerance - minced
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, about 12 oz or 340g
4 cups or 540g fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 eggs
1 cup or 240ml milk

Method
Use one tablespoon of the butter to sauté the onion, garlic and jalapeño in a small saucepan, over a very low heat, just until softened, about 5-7 minutes. The onion doesn’t need to color, just soften. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C and use the other tablespoon of butter to grease your casserole dish.

Toss together cheese, flour, mustard powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add in the corn and mix well. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and whisk in the milk and the sautéed vegetables.

Pour milk/egg mixture in the corn/cheese mixture; stir well to blend evenly.

Pour the combined mixture into your buttered casserole dish. It looks a bit dry on the top but don't worry, the egg and cheese will rise up and created a beautiful almost soufflé like texture throughout.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until puffy and golden on top. The middle should be ever so slightly jiggly when you take it out and will firm up as it cools.

Enjoy!

Check out all the other special tasty side dishes our Sunday Supper tastemakers are sharing today! Many thanks to this week's host, Caroline of Caroline's Cooking and our event manager, Renee of Renee's Kitchen Adventures for all of their hard word.

Fruity Side Dishes

• Cranberry Apple Relish by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Cranberry Fluff Salad by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Easy Cheesy Pineapple Bake by This is How I Cook
• Pecan Cranberry Jello Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
• Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Apples by Dizzy Busy and Hungry

Other Side Dishes

• Chestnut Stuffing by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Easy Mushroom Rice Pilaf by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• One Pot Macaroni and Cheese by A Mind “Full” Mom
• Potato Dinner Rolls by The Redhead Baker
• Sausage, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffing by Life Tastes Good

Potato Side Dishes

• Gingered Sweet Potatoes by Simple and Savory
• Marmalade Glazed Sweet Potatoes by Sunday Supper Movement
• Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes by Cookin’ Mimi
• Sour Cream and Onion Smashed Red Potatoes by Food Done Light
• Southern Praline Sweet Potato Casserole by The Weekend Gourmet
• Southwestern Potato Bake by The Freshman Cook
• Stacked Sweet Potatoes by My Imperfect Kitchen
• Sweet Potatoes with Cumin Sage Butter by Cooking Chat
• Twice Baked Potato Casserole by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes by Mindy’s Cooking Obsession

Vegetable Side Dishes

• Acorn Squash and Brussel Sprout Side Dish by Caroline’s Cooking
• Bacon Balsamic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts by The Crumby Cupcake
• Braised Red Cabbage by Turnips 2 Tangerines
• Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Bake by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Candied Acorn Squash by Cricket’s Confections
• Cheesy Jalapeño Corn Casserole by Food Lust People Love
• German Green Bean Salad (Bohnensalat) by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Homemade Green Bean Casserole by Family Around The Table
• Loaded Mashed Cauliflower Casserole by My Life Cookbook
• Miso Glazed Corn by NinjaBaker.com
• Pan Roasted Carrots with Apple Molasses by Palatable Pastime
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pine Nuts and Cranberries by The Chef Next Door
• Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Walnut Pesto by The Hungry Goddess
• Roasted Onions with Parsley Pesto by Monica’s Table
• Roasted Parsnips with Balsamic Vinegar and Rosemary by Wholistic Woman
• Roasted Pumpkin with Rosemary and Thyme by Feeding Big
• Spicy Balsamic Roasted Vegetables by Pies and Plots
• Sweet Corn Pudding by Brunch-n-Bites

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Christmas Morning Muffins #BreadBakers

With just a little preparation the day before, your family can enjoy freshly baked cranberry orange muffins on Christmas morning, with the bonus of filling your house with Christmasy baking aromas. What a joy to wake up to these!

The Christmas Day rule of my family growing up was that no presents could be opened before breakfast. I remember being happy with a bowl of cereal - and let’s get this show on the road! - but frustrated by the grownups who wanted eggs or pancakes or, most likely, freshly baked biscuits. Clearly they had their priorities askew! But don’t you know, when I became a mother, I kept the same rule. Turns out that it’s always a good plan to serve a decent breakfast when Christmas dinner won’t be on the table until three or four o’clock in the afternoon.

With just a little preparation, a hot, freshly baked breakfast is a cinch and you can get to the important part: Opening the gifts! This month our Bread Bakers host is Holly from A Baker’s House and she has challenged us to bake breads – quick or yeasty – which can be started one day and baked the next, giving you lots of lovely ideas for a perfectly easy holiday breakfast.

(And don’t forget my friend Donna’s great cookbook, Make Ahead Breads <Amazon affiliate link* which is also a wonderful source of recipes and inspiration for this theme and would make a fabulous Christmas gift for a baker in your life.)

This post is not technically part of Christmas Week but I would be remiss if I didn't tell you to check out my coconut praline post from yesterday, with details on how to enter to win one of three ($500, $250 and $50) Amazon gift cards up for grabs!

These muffins are adapted from this recipe by Nigella Lawson.

Ingredients
2 cups or 250g flour
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 120ml whole milk
1/3 cup or 75ml canola or other oil
1 large egg
2 clementines (for zest and 1/3 cup or 80ml juice)
1 cup or 140g dried cranberries, plus 12 more for decoration, if desired.

Method
Prepare your muffin pan by greasing it with butter or nonstick spray or lining it with paper muffin cups. I usually line it with the paper cups and give the whole pan a quick spray. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Add in the dried cranberries, mixing well, and cover the bowl with cling film and set it aside with the baking pan.

Measure your milk and oil into a large measuring jug. Add the egg and beat until well combined.

Zest the two clementines with a fine grater or microplane straight into the measuring jug.

Juice the clementines and add 1/3 cup or 80ml of the juice into the measuring jug as well. If you don’t get quite enough juice, top up with more milk to reach your required measurement. Cover the jug with cling film and pop it in the refrigerator.

The next morning, preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Give your liquid ingredients a good mix with a fork and pour them into the dry ingredient bowl.

Fold to combine, being careful not to over mix. If a little flour still shows here and there, that’s a good thing.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Add one more dried cranberry to each muffin, if desired. I like to see a little of what's inside on top of my muffins.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful these smell while baking! The aroma will get the laggards out of bed and running to the kitchen.

Leave the muffins to cool for a few minutes in the pan and then remove them to a wire rack. Serve them warm with a hot cup of coffee or a glass of Champagne, if you are so inclined, in front of the sparkling Christmas tree.

Enjoy!

Check out all the other great recipes for Overnight Bread! Which one will you make first this holiday season?

• Braided Holiday Stollen from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Bran Muffins from Cali's Cuisine
• Christmas Morning Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Christmas Morning Sticky Buns from Sara’s Tasty Buds
• English Muffins from Ruchik Ranhap
• Fruity Butter Bread from Magnolia Days
• Gingerbread Breakfast Loaf from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Herbert’s Traditional Overnight Bread Loaf from G’Gina’s Kitchenette
• Old Fashioned Doughnuts from Cooking Club
• Onion Bagels from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Overnight Apple Fritters Monkey Bread from I Camp in My Kitchen
• Overnight Belgian-Style Yeast Waffles from A Baker’s House
• Overnight Brioche Cinnamon Rolls from Hostess at Heart
• Overnight Pecan Sticky Bread from Cook’s Hideout
• Stollen Muffins from Baking in Pyjamas

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

*Items purchased through an Amazon affiliate link cost no extra to the buyer but earn me a few pennies to buy more bacon. Thanks for the support.

Aussie Boiled Fruitcake #FoodieExtravaganza

Since the dried fruit and candied peel are first boiled with sugar, water and butter, they turn plump and juicy, filling the cake batter with tender bits of fruit. This makes for such a moist fruitcake that even non-lovers would like a slice.

Happy Christmas month! We are finally into December and while I’d like to say, “Let the holiday baking begin!” I know for many of you it started ages ago. Meanwhile, my Foodie Extravaganza group is getting their fruitcake on. Growing up, the only fruitcake I would eat was my grandmother’s because it wasn’t dry and hard as so many are. Nowadays I am a little more flexible but since the dry cakes still aren’t a favorite, I was intrigued by recipes that kept popping up on the Australian websites. Called variously boiled fruitcake, Australian fruit cake or quick-mix fruitcake, the fruit mix is first boiled with sugar, water and butter then set aside to cool, allowing time for the dried fruit to be rehydrated in a most delicious manner.

I think you’ll find that this version isn’t dry at all and may even win over some fruitcake naysayers.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups or 375g mixed dried fruit

1/2 cup, firmly packed or 100g soft brown sugar
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup or 240ml water
3 1/2 tablespoons or 50g butter, plus extra for buttering the pan
3 tablespoons brandy
3 tablespoons golden syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups or 280g flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons honey
To decorate:
1/2 cup or 80g whole blanched almonds
1 candied cherry - optional

Note: The Australian tablespoon is four teaspoons to the US tablespoon’s three. Amounts given here have been converted from the original recipes to match the US standard, where appropriate. Also, the Australian cup is 250ml to the US cup’s 240ml. This has likewise been converted when necessary or the recipe has been adapted to compensate.

Method
Place mixed dried fruit, soft brown sugar, sugar, water, butter and salt in a pot.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the brandy. Set aside to cool. This can even be done a day ahead.

The fruit will plump right up as it cools.

When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Grease a 9in or 23cm springform pan with the softened butter and line the base and sides with parchment baking paper.

First cover the buttered bottom with a circle of parchment and cut a long strip for the sides.

Use the long strip to cover the buttered sides from top to bottom.

To the cooled fruit mixture, add the golden syrup and vanilla extract and give it a good stir.

Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda straight into the fruit mixture.

Stir again until well combined.

Spoon the mixture into your prepared springform pan and decorate the top with the blanched almonds and the cherry.

Bake in your preheated oven for 55 minutes or until the top is dark golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Cover the top with foil if it’s browning too fast before the cake is baked through.

Remove the fruitcake from the oven and brush it with the honey while hot.

Wrap the pan in 2 clean tea towels and set aside until cool. Remove the cake from the pan. Store in an airtight container. You don’t want it drying out at this point!

Enjoy!

Many thanks to our host this month, Laura from Baking in Pyjamas, who says that fruit cake, soaked in brandy, is an absolute must for Christmas to be Christmas. From the looks of our link list this month, the rest of the Foodie Extravaganza group agree!

• Aussie Boiled Fruitcake by Food Lust People Love
• Brandied Apricot-Ginger Fruitcake by Cherishing a Sweet Life
• Chocolate Fruit Cake by Baking in Pyjamas
• Cinnamon Apple Cake by Fearlessly Creative Mammas
• Dried Plum Stollen by Caroline’s Cooking
• Festive Kid Friendly Fruitcake Muffins by A Day in the Life on a Farm
• Fruit (Pan)cakes by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Irish Spiced Fruitcake by Making Miracles
• Lemon Berries Bundt Cake by Cookin and Craftin

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays or shares recipes with the same ingredient or theme every month.

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!

If you're a reader looking for delicious recipes, check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out here.

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Chocolate Filled Peanut Butter Cookie Cups #ChocPBDay

My favorite classic peanut cookie dough recipe, baked in a muffin pan, then filled with dark chocolate. This is how you should celebrate Chocolate Peanut Butter Day!

Peanut butter and chocolate fans, have I got a treat for you! This is the second annual celebration of the completely made up but fabulous holiday, Chocolate Peanut Butter Day, created and hosted by Carla from Chocolate Moosey and Miriam from Overtime Cook, where we share wonderful recipes featuring peanut butter and chocolate. It's a classic combination!

You might remember my contribution from last year, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares, topped with chopped peanut butter Girl Scout cookies. They were so delicious, but I don't think they were as wonderful as this year’s chocolate filled peanut butter cookie cups! Just look at these guys! That is one chewy center.

Well, what are we waiting for? Let's bake some peanut butter cookies with chocolate inside!

Ingredients
2 cups or 250g flour
2/3 cup or 180g peanut butter
1/2 cup or 170g honey
1/3 cup or 65g sugar
1/3 cup or 75g butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
2 1/2 oz or 85g good quality chocolate (I used part of a Lindt dark chocolate bar.)

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Mix all the cookie dough ingredients together in your mixer until fully combined. Scrape sides down occasionally.

Roll into 24 balls and place in mini muffin pans. No need to grease the pan.

Bake for 15-18 minutes in your preheated oven or until balls are golden. They will probably still be a bit under cooked but it's all good. We are looking for chewy here.

When you take them out of the oven, use something clean and cylindrical (As you can see, I used a fingernail polish bottle.) to press the middle of each cookie down to make room for the chocolate. It won't go down far, perhaps half an inch or one centimeter.

Leave the cookies to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then remove them. Leave them cool completely on a wire rack.

Melt your chocolate a few zaps at a time in the microwave in a microwaveable bowl. Stir frequently. When it’s pourable, spoon or pour it into the cookies.

Give the chocolate time to firm up again before you move them. Store in a cool place in an airtight container. Fair warning: If you take them out to a picnic, keep them in the cooler. The chocolate will melt again in hot weather.

Enjoy!

Isn’t chocolate and peanut butter one of the best combinations every?! No wonder we celebrate! Many thanks to our two hosts, Carla from Chocolate Moosey and Miriam from Overtime Cook. You two are brilliant!

I want to make each and every one of these. Where to start?!

• 4 Ingredient Chocolate and Peanut Butter Candy by Colleen from Souffle Bombay
• Chocolate Drizzled Peanut Butter Tiger Paws by Renee from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Chocolate Filled Peanut Butter Cookie Cups by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate-Glazed Peanut Butter-Stuffed Doughnuts by Coleen from The Redhead Baker
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies by Diane from Created by Diane
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Magic Bars by Jen from Jen’s Favorite Cookies
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Roasted Banana Milkshake by Jennie from The Messy Baker
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Tandy Cake by Cindy from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Twix Cake by Susan from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls by Lauren from Healthy Delicious
• Dark Chocolate Doughnuts with Peanut Butter Glaze by Lauren from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake by Erin from The Spiffy Cookie
• Espresso Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and a Rum Drizzle by Barb from Creative Culinary
• Flourless Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Icing by Shashi from Runnin Srilankan
• Funky Monkey Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls by Brianne from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Ganache-Stuffed Peanut Butter Bars by Karen from The Food Charlatan
• {Healthy} Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bars by Kayle from The Cooking Actress
• Low Fat Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Dip by Becca from It’s Yummi
• Microwave Peanut Protein Pancakes with Chocolate Chips by Taylor from Food Faith Fitness
• No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie by Lisa from Snappy Gourmet
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake Nancy from gotta get baked
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites by Carla from Chocolate Moosey
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream by Renee from Magnolia Days
• Peanut Butter Cup Cookies by Miriam from Overtime Cook
• Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Lava Cakes by Anita from Hungry Couple
• Small Batch Chocolate Peanut Butter Doughnuts by Sarah from What Smells So Good?
• Tagalong Dip by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Besitos de Coco - Coconut Kisses #CreativeCookieExchange

Besitos de coco or coconut kisses are little bite-sized cookies that are popular in Venezuela and other South American countries, especially around Christmas time. Besitos are chewy and sweet, best baked till just golden. Mine also have a little rum, because it's the holidays!

This month’s Creative Cookie Exchange theme of International Winter Holiday Cookies challenged the group to make a cookie that is traditional at this time of year in a culture other than our own. I fear I have a distinct advantage here because of all the places I’ve lived, so choosing a cookie was pretty easy.

Venezuelans love their coconut and these little treats are popular, with or without the chocolate, which probably isn’t strictly traditional. But, since Christmas is coming, I thought it best to fancy them up. To that end, I also added a little rum. Delicious!

Besitos de Coco - Coconut Kisses

The recipe is based on one I found on Yo Soy Venezolano.

Ingredients for about 3 dozen cookies
3 1/2 cups or 300g flaked, desiccated coconut
1 can (14 oz or 405g) sweetened condensed milk (Not evaporated milk.)
1/2 cup or 65g flour
1 tablespoon dark or gold rum
1 teaspoon salt

Optional for decorating: 3/4 cup or 150g semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method
Preheat your oven to 350˚F or 180˚C and prepare your cookie sheet by lightly greasing or lining it with parchment or a silicon baking sheet. If you have two cookie sheets, prepare them both.

 In a large bowl, combine the coconut, condensed milk, flour, salt and rum.

Stir until well blended and you have a nice thick dough. If you are a fan of coconut and condensed milk, do not try the dough. It’s delicious and I cannot be responsible for how many cookies you end up with at the end.

Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets at least one inch apart. Try to keep them a bit rough looking so that the bits that stick out will brown first. A perfectly round ball won’t look as rustic or pretty.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the outside bits of coconut are toasted.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

If you are decorating with chocolate, warm the chocolate chips in a microwave, in a microwaveable bowl, by zapping them for 15-20 seconds at a time, until the chips are melted and you have a lovely drizzling consistency.

Drizzle the chocolate on the cooled besitos with a spoon or use a cake decorating piping bag.

Allow the chocolate to set before storing the besitos in a cool covered container. These make a great gift! What better thing to give someone for Christmas than a bunch of sweet kisses?

Yes, that's a Christmas deviled egg plate. Aren't you jealous?

Enjoy!

Check out all the other International Winter Holiday Cookies or what I've been calling Christmas Around the World in my head:

• Almondy Delites from Indian Curries/Stew
• Besitos de Coco - Coconut Kisses from Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate Chip and Mandarin Orange Cookie Bars from NinjaBaking
• Zimsterne - German Christmas Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Norwegian Almond Cookies from Magnolia Days
• Pecan Linzer Cookies from Sweet Cinnamon & Honey
• Polish Vanilla Hazelnut Crescent Cookies (Ciasteczka Waniliowe) from The Spiced Life
• Rugelach from A Baker's House
• Stained Glass Cookies from Spice Roots
• Swedish Rye Cookies from What Smells So Good?

If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links. 

You can also just use us as a great resource for cookie recipes--be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts. (You can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month!

My "fireplace" in Dubai. It flickers and there is a switch you can turn on to make it blow hot air. 

Pin it! 

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