Thursday, November 6, 2008

Is it really only day 6?

So, yeah. I have a list of things to post here during NaBloPoMo, and at the top of that list is Dean's birth story. You know, since he's ten months old and I still haven't written it? Yeah. I had planned to post it today, but my writing is taking longer than I'd expected. I'm only up to the epidural, and that's a really, really good part, so I don't want to rush. ;) It's coming, I promise.

Instead, how about a recipe!?!? OR 2 even! The holidays are coming up, so if you're anything like me you are looking for new, yummy things to put on your table. Here's one for corn casserole. My friend Daniel introduced me to this yumminess and my mom perfected the recipe by adding cheese. (Cause really, what's not better with CHEESE!?!?) Warning: This is not a low-fat recipe, but the holidays are not a low-fat time. Especially in the deep south.

CORN CASSEROLE:
2 cans white shoepeg corn (It does actually make a difference what kind you use!)
1 16-oz container sour cream (use low-fat or fat free if it helps you sleep at night)
3 strips bacon (here we go)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
black pepper
shredded cheese (It's especially good with cheddar or colby jack)

Fry bacon. Remove from pan. Add onions to bacon grease. Sautee until clear and tender. Place corn, sour cream, black pepper (to taste) and cooked onion into large bowl and mix together. Pour into casserole dish (my 9 X 9 brownie pan works quite well for this recipe, though you can also use a plastic Gladware container if you'd rather microwave it or if you plan to re-heat soon.) Top with bacon crumbles, then cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted OR microwave approximately 3 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!

And now the recipe you've all been waiting for. Among my circle of friends, it's called "The Ball of Happiness." It's a home-made cheese ball that will knock your socks off. It's SO easy to make, but tastes AMAZING!

Cheese Ball of Happiness :)
2-8oz. blocks of cream cheese (set out to let it soften, but DO NOT microwave!)
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dip/dressing mix
Seasoned pepper (Can be found in your spice aisle--I prefer Lawry's)

Wash hands. Place softened cream cheese and Ranch mix into a bowl. Mix by hand until ranch is evenly distributed throughout the cheese, then roll into a ball. Pour seasoned pepper over ball to coat. Place on a plate and DIG IN!
This will change your life.

Hope you enjoy these! Feel free to share a recipe with me in your comments! I do love the food.

5 comments:

Heather said...

Yum!! I love the food, too. Here's my FAVORITE dip recipe, shared by Mama's sister.

Buffalo Chicken Dip
* 2 8oz blocks of cream cheese (softened, but as you said, NOT microwaved)
* 2 10oz cans of chicken, drained and crumbled (if you're really ambitious you can cook your own)
* 1/2 cup ranch dressing
* 1/3 cup buffalo sauce (if you want it spicier you can use hot sauce)
* 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients (except a handful of cheese) together until well-blended in a casserole dish. Smooth with the back of a spoon and top with the left-over cheese. Bake at 400 until bubbly and hot in middle.
Enjoy the cheesy, buffalo-chickeny goodness. :)

AJU5's Mom said...

This isn't a recipe per se, but if you want to have a lower carb potato salad, you can substitute some or all of the potato for cauliflower. I made a batch with half cauliflower and half potato, and no one knew the difference until I told them!

Giyen said...

Cheese ball happiness sound so good! I am lactose intolerant but it doesn't ever stop me from eating cheese. I just suffer the consequences instead. LOL.

CarpeDM said...

I love food. Food is friend. And apparently turns me into a Homer Simpson/Frankenstein's monster mix.

I'll have to think of a good recipe. There's this dip that my roommate makes that I'll get and come back.

Hotch Potchery said...

The college kid specifically mentioned some sort of corn casserole, I will be adding that to my Thanksgiving list. Oh, and the buffalo chicken dip is AWESOME. We love love love it.