Cheese and green onion cornbread

I love cornbread—I really do. This time around, I was looking for a cornbread that would not only hold together well and could be toasted, but also one that could serve as a meal. This one meets my goals.

Ingredients:

Vegetable cooking spray

1 Tablespoon corn meal

2 boxes Jiffy(TM) corn muffin mix

1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn

2 eggs

1 ½ cups buttermilk

3 green onions, chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar

Directions: preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and sprinkle in the corn meal. Shake the pan so that the corn meal evenly coats the bottom and sides of the loaf pan. Discard any excess and set the pan aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the corn muffin mix, corn, eggs, buttermilk, green onions and cheddar cheese. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut into thick slices.

If you want the slices toasted, spray a non stick skillet and toast the slices for 5 minutes per side on medium heat.

Serve with honey, hot honey, butter, or pepper jelly.

Zucchini, Corn and Green Chile Casserole

So, a local store just got in a huge shipment of Hatch green chiles. I bought as much as I could, charred them on the grill and needed to add them to something right away because they are that good. Feel free to play with this recipe-maybe you want buttered crumbs on top or to throw some ham or beans in there to make it a complete meal.

Ingredients:

3 cups grated zucchini (or yellow squash or a combination)

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

½ cup half and half or milk

¾ cup crushed buttery crackers (like Ritz™) or saltines

1 (15 ounce) creamed corn

1 cup low fat shredded cheddar, divided

1 cup low fat mozzarella (or Jack cheese), divided

½ cup chopped onions

1 cup mild green chiles (drained if using canned)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Directions: Spray a 8 by 10 inch casserole with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the zucchini a colander in the sink and sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon of salt to draw out moisture. Let sit 10 minutes and then squeeze all the excess liquid out.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, crushed crackers, creamed corn, ½ cup cheddar and ½ cup mozzarella. Stir in the onions, green chiles, salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of cheddar and ½ cup of mozzarella.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the sides are bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.