Thanksgiving Recipe Week - Corn Pudding

Check back for a daily dose of Thanksgiving recipes all this week - it's a digital all-you-can-eat holiday brunch at the Cheap$kate Chateau! And keep checking back for holiday leftover recipes.

Is it a dessert or savory side dish? You be the judge for my cheap$kate video version of Corn Pudding. Maybe it's best to let your guests determine the verdict. So for Thanksgiving today, I sentence you to make a luscious Corn Pudding!

You only need four ingredients: corn, milk, eggs and a tablespoon of honey.

The only big decision is about corn. Do you use fresh corn from the cob, a few cans of cooked corn, or fresh frozen bag of corn kernels? I went the easy route and used frozen, but you can use any type you prefer.

It couldn't be easier to make. Add 3 whisked eggs to milk and stir in a one pound bag of corn kernels (3 cups,) and finally drizzle on a tablespoon of honey (or your favorite sweetener.) Bake the mixture for 45 minutes at 350 degrees -- that's it.

Some recipes sprinkle on a little ground nutmeg for extra festive holiday flavor.

The ingredients are cheap, just the way I like it, especially one pound bags of frozen corn and canned corn.

I think you will like the texture -- it's similar to flan, with the extra crunchy addition of sweet corn kernels.

This side dish is perfect for travel and can be done at the last minute. I did it in under an hour, most of the time reserved for baking. You can make it ahead of time and serve it chilled or warm.

My latest recipe video below features sweet and savory side dish recipe that's simply delicious to make. So for this Thanksgiving holiday meal serve my cheap$kate side dish of Corn Pudding, it has all the right ingredients.

Corn Pudding - Video

Play it here. Video runs 1 minutes, 55 seconds.

To view or embed from YouTube, click here. 

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

• 3 cups corn kernels - fresh, frozen or drained from can. I used a one pound package of frozen corn kernels, that I defrosted and drained.
• 2 cups milk - regular or low fat. I used 2 percent milk
• 3 medium eggs - add an extra egg if they are small. 1 used medium eggs.
• 1 tablespoon honey - Okay to use any favorite sweetener. You can add less, or leave out sweetener, it will still be slightly sweet from the corn.
• Salt and pepper to taste - I left it out for this version.

Directions
Prepare corn kernels, you want 3 cups total. If you use fresh corn removed from the cob, it may take about 4 to 6 ears to fill 3 cups. For canned corn use three 16 ounce cans and drain liquid.

I used a one pound bag of frozen corn. Best to let corn defrost and drain any liquid.

In a bowl or baking dish, whisk 3 eggs together. Don't overdo it, just blend enough to mix well.

Pour milk into baking dish. Add the blended eggs. Stir and mix.

click on any photo to see larger

Finally add the corn and sweetener, again mix well.Okay to leave out any sweetener, corn has a bit of sweetness already.

It's best to use a deep dish so you have a thick pudding. If you only have a shallow baking pan then reduce baking time by about 10 minutes, so pudding doesn't dry out too much.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Remove and allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving. This will allow pudding to set (serve too soon and the Corn Pudding may be too watery.)

Hindsight
Some recipes add a cup (or two) of crumbled or shredded cheese and a sprinkle of nutmeg. And to keep the side dish more savory, you can leave out the sweetener.

Make sure to drain canned corn. Also, to further reduce water accumulation, defrost frozen corn and drain it too. I found a little water on the bottom of the pudding after it cooled down. You can pour it out when baking dish is easier to handle.

By the next day the Corn Pudding will start to break apart - the kernels will separate from the pudding in clumps. It will still taste fine. Also water will continue to come from the corn kernels, just drain the liquid off before serving.

Corn Pudding

Is it a dessert or savory side dish? You be the judge for my cheap$kate video version of Corn Pudding. Maybe it's best to let your guests determine the verdict. And for these coming holidays I sentence you to make a luscious Corn Pudding!

You only need four ingredients: corn, milk, eggs and a tablespoon of honey.

The only big decision is about corn. Do you use fresh corn from the cob, a few cans of cooked corn, or fresh frozen bag of corn kernels? I went the easy route and used frozen, but you can use any type you prefer.

It couldn't be easier to make. Add 3 whisked eggs to milk and stir in a one pound bag of corn kernels (3 cups,) and finally drizzle on a tablespoon of honey (or your favorite sweetener.) Bake the mixture for 45 minutes at 350 degrees -- that's it.

Some recipes sprinkle on a little ground nutmeg for extra festive holiday flavor.

The ingredients are cheap, just the way I like it, especially one pound bags of frozen corn and canned corn.

I think you will like the texture -- it's similar to flan, with the extra crunchy addition of sweet corn kernels.

This side dish is perfect for travel and can be done at the last minute. I did it in under an hour, most of the time reserved for baking. You can make it ahead of time and serve it chilled or warm.

My latest recipe video below features sweet and savory side dish recipe that's simply delicious to make. So for this Christmas holiday meal serve my cheap$kate side dish of Corn Pudding, it has all the right ingredients.

Corn Pudding - Video

Play it here. Video runs 1 minutes, 55 seconds.

To view or embed from YouTube, click here. 

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

• 3 cups corn kernels - fresh, frozen or drained from can. I used a one pound package of frozen corn kernels, that I defrosted and drained.
• 2 cups milk - regular or low fat. I used 2 percent milk
• 3 medium eggs - add an extra egg if they are small. 1 used medium eggs.
• 1 tablespoon honey - Okay to use any favorite sweetener. You can add less, or leave out sweetener, it will still be slightly sweet from the corn.
• Salt and pepper to taste - I left it out for this version.

Directions
Prepare corn kernels, you want 3 cups total. If you use fresh corn removed from the cob, it may take about 4 to 6 ears to fill 3 cups. For canned corn use three 16 ounce cans and drain liquid.

I used a one pound bag of frozen corn. In this video I added it without defrosting, but best to let it defrost and drain any liquid, which will later settle to bottom of the pudding. (If you are eating it all in one sitting soon after baking, then no need to defrost frozen corn.)

In a bowl or baking dish, whisk 3 eggs together. Don't overdo it, just blend enough to mix well.

Pour milk into baking dish. Add the blended eggs. Stir and mix.

click on any photo to see larger

Finally add the corn and sweetener, again mix well.Okay to leave out any sweetener, corn has a bit of sweetness already.

It's best to use a deep dish so you have a thick pudding. If you only have a shallow baking pan then reduce baking time by about 10 minutes, so pudding doesn't dry out too much.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Remove and allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes before serving. This will allow pudding to set (serve too soon and the Corn Pudding may be too watery.)

Hindsight
Some recipes add a cup (or two) of crumbled or shredded cheese and a sprinkle of nutmeg. And to keep the side dish more savory, you can leave out the sweetener.

Make sure to drain canned corn. Also, to further reduce water accumulation, defrost frozen corn and drain it too. I found a little water on the bottom of the pudding after it cooled down. You can pour it out when baking dish is easier to handle.

By the next day the Corn Pudding will start to break apart - the kernels will separate from the pudding in clumps. It will still taste fine. Also water will continue to come from the corn kernels, just drain the liquid off before serving.

Dried Fig Smoothie

I am on a liquid diet since the overstuffed holidays! And, I don't mean booze -- it's back to fruit smoothies in the morning for the much heavier frugal foodie.

I am more of a grab-an-apple-and-run type in the AM. I like an omelet every once in a while, but my usual morning meal is frozen fruit blended with low-fat yogurt, a banana, and soy milk. I try to mix it up with frozen raspberries, strawberries, grapes, peaches, blackberries or pineapple.

Over the Christmas holidays, we went to Joshua Tree National Park with our Seattle friends Jenny and Kevin (meet them in my Seattle Video Diaries here.) We hit the hiking trails, enjoying the dramatic desert scenery of scrappy Joshua Trees and sun-bleached tan building blocks of skyscraper-sized boulders (to see what I'm talking about -- my previous Joshua Tree video adventure is here.) On the way back to Los Angeles we stopped for a date shake at the diner, Hadley's (website,) west of Palm Springs on the 10 Freeway. Along with Joshua Trees, the desert dryness and sun is perfect for growing fields of date palm trees. I love dates, and had forgotten how good they pulverized in a milkshake -- so cool, creamy and sweet.

 I was at The 99c only Store last week and saw dried figs for sale. I have seen small packages of dates before, but not this time, so I thought: "Why not make a Dried Fig Smoothie next time?" After all, figs are chewy dried fruit just like dates.

But, dried figs are not as sweet as dates, so I added a teaspoon of honey -- it turned out to be just the right amount of sweetness. I also used soy milk instead of ice cream (too rich for me,) a handful of ice cubes to get a slushy consistency, and some yogurt for creaminess.

So, until I see dates return to the 99c store, I'll use dried figs. If you have cheap access to dried figs or dates, give my smoothie recipe a try. It's a cool, tasty drink -- good anytime of day.

Ingredients

• 6 whole dried figs - they have small stems. I went ahead and blended with stems (it's extra roughage,) but they are easy enough to slice off, too.
• 1 small container of yogurt - about 6 ounces. I used a peach flavored yogurt, but you could just use plain.
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 cup soy milk - okay to use regular milk. For a Dried Fig Shake substitute with vanilla ice cream.
• Handful of ice cubes - optional.

Directions
Add all of the ingredients into a blender and run until smooth. With the dried figs you may have to first pulse a few times, to get it all going.

Ice cubes will make a slushy cold blend, and the dried figs will reduce to into a ground pepper like texture.

I've also started adding a couple of dried figs to my normal breakfast frozen fruit and yogurt smoothie (that recipe is here.)

Honey & Soy Glazed Tuna

A sweet & salty flavor profile is front and center for The 99 Cent Chef's budget tuna entree. If you are a frequent visitor to this blog you know how I like to cook with 99 cent ( or one dollar) 4 ounce frozen fish fillets in the frozen deli case bargain bin.

Most markets are now stocking these single serving packages. I've found enough variations to make a seafood paella (click here), or a fish chowder (future recipe), including: scallops, baby bay shrimp, flounder, cod, tilapia, shark, salmon and tuna.

 

I guess the knock against packaged frozen fish is that it is not fresh. Well, I spent one high school summer working on a shrimp boat, and here's a little secret: all fish caught wild from the ocean gets frozen -- the main difference is how long it's been that way, that's all. Any commercial fishing boat puts their fish on ice; and it is frozen by the time it arrives in your local market seafood case, then defrosted and advertised as "fresh". The only fish that is fresh is what you catch yourself!

Well that's my rant about so called "fresh fish" from the market -- now back to my cheapie Honey & Soy Glazed Tuna.

This recipe is quick and simple to make. Just pour some honey into soy sauce to make a fish marinade, and then quickly saute the tuna steak. I use low sodium soy sauce because the salt will overpower the delicate tuna taste, although honey helps out with this.

My honey and soy marinade will work with almost any firm fish, like tilapia or salmon. So try out my latest tasty budget fish entree that is ready to eat, from start to finish, in barely 10 minutes.

Ingredients
4 ounce fish steak - any firm fish will do, I used tuna.
2 tablespoons of honey
1/4 cup of soy sauce - low sodium is preferred, but any type will do.
1 tablespoon of oil for sauteing.
Pepper to taste - optional.
Soy sauce has plenty of salt.

Directions
Add oil to saute pan over medium heat. In a wide bowl, pour in soy sauce and honey and whisk together to mix well. Add fish fillets and coat well. Season fish with pepper (optional).

Add fish to heated saute pan, and cook one side of fish until it is almost done, about 3 minutes, (depending how thick the fish steak is). When fish starts to firm up and brown on one side, turn it over and add leftover marinade - be careful when adding liquid to a hot pan. Cook fish in sauce for a minute then remove it to a plate. Turn heat up to reduce marinade to a syrup thickness, should take a minute or two.

Serve Honey Soy Glazed Tuna with reduced marinade -- or serve cooked tuna on a salad. Allow the marinade to cool, and add a splash of balsamic vinegar for a soy salad dressing.

Strawberry Parfait with Almonds and Honey

After a deliciously decadent month of hot dogs, this Chef needs a light, creamy and fruity break, and a Strawberry Parfait with Almonds and Honey is just what the dietitian ordered.

Yogurt comes in many colors and flavors so I took the opportunity to mix a plain tart white Greek, and a fruity, sweet blueberry as the parfait base. To add some crunch I smashed up a handful of almonds (rinse and pat dry if they are salted). And honey really kicks up the flavor contrasts.

All these ingredients come cheap. Yogurt is always on sale. You can substitute peanuts for the almonds; and use any fruit that is in season, or from your local roadside farmers market, including: peaches, pears, apricots, and berries.

For the final hot days of summer try out The 99 Cent Chef's cool dessert that is a perfect finish to an outdoor BBQ. 

Ingredients (serves 2)
2 small containers of yogurt - pick contrasting flavors and colors.
1 handful of nuts - almonds, or any type on sale.
2 teaspoons of honey per parfait.
2 strawberries per parfait - sliced or halved. Okay to layer in as much as you like.

Directions
If nuts are salted, rinse off with water and pat dry. Put nuts in a plastic bag (or between sheets of wax paper) and crush with a hammer or the end of a wooden spoon. Slice fruit into bite sizes. Assemble by layering yogurt, honey and nuts. Repeat until cup or parfait glass is almost full. Top with sliced fruit (you can also layer in fruit) - I  had some garden mint that I used as a garnish.

Choosing Sides - Orange Honey Glazed Carrots

The 99 Cent Chef needs more roughage in his diet and a bag of carrots is one tactic. The Chef is not a late night knosher but on occasion he pulls out a bag of carrots to feed on.

Two pound bags of carrots are inexpensive at any store and 99c only Stores carry crinkle cut, baby or whole carrots.

As for a carrot side dish try out this 99 cent recipe, Orange Honey Glazed Carrots. You can use freshly juiced oranges or pasteurized orange juice from a carton to bake with the carrots, both often stocked at 99c only Stores.

Ingredients
1 lb. of carrots, roughly cut or any type of pre-chopped carrots
1 cup of orange juice
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in a 1/4 cup of orange juice
Pinch of salt & pepper

Directions
Bake covered 1/2 hour at 350 degrees with orange juice. Carefully add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch/orange juice to carrots with 2 tablespoons of honey. Cover and bake another 10 minutes until sauce is thickened.