Baba Kartoflana - Polish Potato Pie

This baba kartoflana or Polish potato pie is a super rich comfort dish baked with grated potatoes, eggs and bacon. It makes a great main course or side dish.



I have to be honest, I didn’t know much about Poland or Polish cuisine but when Polish recipes was chosen as our theme for this month’s Baking Bloggers, I started my research close to home. I knew from the many festivals (pre-Corona, of course) that there is a vibrant Polish community in Houston and the broader state. 

Indeed, here in Texas, there are many towns that boast Polish ancestry but the oldest Polish settlement in the whole United States is a place called Panna Maria (Virgin Mary in Polish) which is not far from San Antonio, about a three-hour drive from my home.

The first Polish settlers arrived in December of 1854 and impressively, the original oak tree under which they celebrated the very first mass is still standing! In September of 1856 the very first permanent Polish Catholic Church in the United States - Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church - was consecrated there.

In another first, Panna Maria was also the location of the first private Catholic school in the United States. It’s a community that is still going strong. In fact, they are currently building a heritage center to safeguard their history for future generations. I’m looking forward to being able to visit there when we are able to take road trips again. 

Meanwhile, I will console myself with making baba kartoflana aka Polish potato pie, a comfort dish if there ever were one. Or perhaps I'll try one of the other recipes my Baking Blogger friends are sharing. Make sure to scroll down below my recipe to see the links.

Baba Kartoflana - Polish Potato Pie

This recipe is adapted from one on Cook in Polish. The author suggests you can reduce the calories in this dish by omitting the bacon – but don’t do it! Bacon makes everything better. 

Ingredients
2.2 lbs or 1 kg floury potatoes (baking potatoes, like Russets)
2 yellow onions (about 12 oz or 340g)
12 oz or 340g bacon
2 large eggs
1/4 cup or 61g whole milk Greek-style yogurt
1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves, plus extra for garnish, if desired
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/2 teaspoon powdered nutmeg)
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Peel and dice the onions. In a large pan, fry half of the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Once it has cooled, chop or crumble the bacon.

Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat (reserving the balance for greasing your baking pan) and then add the onions to the bacon fat and cook until lightly golden. Put the onions on a plate to cool.

In a large bowl, beat your eggs and yogurt together, along with the marjoram, salt, nutmeg and a few generous grinds of black pepper.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Use the leftover bacon fat to grease an 8x8 in or 23x23cm baking pan (or a 9 1/2 in or 24cm iron skillet.) Sprinkle in half of the bacon crumbles.

Peel then grate the potatoes on a fine grater. (I used my food processor for this step!) Squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Immediately add the potatoes to the egg mixture, stirring to completely combine. This will help ensure the potatoes don’t turn brown.

Add in the cooked onions and the other half of the bacon crumbles and stir well.

Spoon the potato mixture into your prepared baking vessel.

Cover the top with the remaining uncooked bacon slices.

Bake the baba kartoflana in your preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until the top is golden and the bacon is browned and crispy.

Sprinkle on a little extra marjoram for garnish, if desired. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes, then cut in slices to serve. The baba kartoflana is very rich, truly comfort food, but it's not stodgy at all. Lift the slices out carefully or they crumble a bit. I suggest serving them with a lightly dressed green salad.

Enjoy!

Check out all the wonderful Poland-inspired dishes my Baking Blogger friends are sharing today! Many thanks to our host and leader, Sue of Palatable Pastime!

• Baba Kartoflana - Polish Potato Pie from Food Lust People Love
• Babki Śmietankowe (Cream Tarts) from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Kapusta Casserole – Polish Cabbage, Potato, and Bacon Bake from Making Miracles
• Karpatka (Polish Carpathian Cream Cake) from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Kolaczki - Jam-Filled Polish Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Kotlety Ziemniaczane from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Mom Klik's Breaded Pork Chops from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Oven Braised Pork with Sour Cream (Karkówka w śmietanie) from Palatable Pastime
• Piernik - Polish Gingerbread Cake from Caroline's Cooking
• Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls from Cookaholic Wife
• Veg Pierogi Casserole from Sneha's Recipe

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interested in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

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Buttery Baked Bread Dressing

Beautifully toasted on top, this buttery baked bread dressing is the perfect accompaniment to your holiday meal. Bake it in a casserole dish or use it to stuff a bird.

In my growing up family, bread dressing was not a thing. At least, not that I remember. Being from Louisiana, we ate Cajun rice dressing and then later, when my stepfather became part of the family, cornbread dressing made an appearance because it’s what his mother served for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Her recipe included crunchy chunks of water chestnut, which did nothing to endear me to the dish. The family was so divided on the issue that my grandmother and mother graciously started making half the pan with water chestnuts and half without. I lived in fear of serving myself from the wrong side by accident so the gesture was mostly under-appreciated on my plate. It was the turnip vs. potato in vegetable soup problem all over again.

But even water chestnut haters grow up and have their own families. When I was in charge of the menu, that cornbread stuff was dropped and, in fact, I didn’t often make the rice dressing either. With only four of us eating a meal that already included three starches  - creamed potatoes, sweet potatoes and macaroni and cheese – AND a spicy Cajun corn dish - something had to give.

The family repertoire of holiday dishes remained fairly static until our elder daughter came back from university for Christmas with a new stuffing recipe she’d tried for Thanksgiving and wanted to add to our menu. It was made with white bread and flavored with poultry seasonings.

Buttery Baked Bread Dressing

Since that Christmas several years ago, Baked Bree’s Johnson Stuffing, adapted to use ingredients we can find where we live or usually have on hand (like brown bread instead of white) has become a staple.

Ingredients
1 loaf quality sandwich bread with soft crusts (about 1 lb 5 oz or 600g)
1/2 cup or 113g butter
2 onions, diced
3-4 slim stalks celery, de-stringed and diced finely – 3/4 cup or 90g
Small bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (7g or about 1/4 cup)
1 cup or 180ml turkey or chicken stock (or use vegetable stock for a vegetarian-friendly dish)
2 tablespoons salt-free poultry seasoning
1/2 -1 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper, to taste

To bake: 1/4 cup or 57g melted butter, plus extra to grease the baking dish

Note: Can’t find poultry seasonings where you live? It’s a challenge in Dubai as well. Make your own following this recipe from The Kitchn.

Method
Cube the bread and set aside and put it in a large mixing bowl.

Put the butter in a large pan with the chopped onion and celery.

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook until the onions and celery are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add a good pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, along with the cayenne and poultry seasoning.

Set your oven to preheat at 350°F or 180°C and butter your favorite large casserole dish.

Pour the buttery celery and onions over the bread cubes in the mixing bowl. Use two spoons like salad tongs to toss and combine.

Sprinkle on the parsley. Add the stock and toss again to combine.

Check for seasoning and stir in more salt and pepper as needed. Depending on the saltiness of your stock, you might not need much (or any) salt.

Pour the mixture into your buttered casserole dish.

Drizzle on the melted butter. Bake in the preheated oven for about half an hour or until the top is golden brown and the whole house smells of Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Enjoy!

Are you looking for a few new casserole dishes to add to your holiday menu? This is the Sunday Supper for you! Many thanks to our event manager Em for her behind the scenes work.

Breakfast Casseroles

• Apple Crumble French Toast Casserole by Pies and Plots
• Holiday Breakfast Casserole by The Freshman Cook
• Sausage Breakfast Casserole with Crescent Rolls by Sunday Supper Movement
• Christmas Chilaquiles with Eggs by Our Good Life

Classic Casseroles

• Buttery Baked Bread Dressing by Food Lust People Love
• Collard Greens Au Gratin by Soulfully Made
• French Potato Gratin by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Ham & Cheese Corn Casserole (Spoon Bread) by Palatable Pastime
• Leftover Turkey Noodle Casserole by Crickets Confections
• Lower Carb Green Bean Casserole by Positively Stacey
• Simple Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole (Dairy-Free) by Bites of Wellness
• Turkey and Noodles by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Creative Casseroles

• Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Quinoa by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Cheesy Orzo Pasta Bake by Caroline’s Cooking
• Mexican Cornbread Casserole by Restless Chipotle
• Shrimp Pineapple Rice Casserole by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Make Ahead Spaghetti Western Chili Casserole by Kudos Kitchen by Renee

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Barberry Pistachio Saffron Rice #FoodieExtravaganza

Elevate rice from plain to a bejeweled side dish with golden saffron, crimson barberries and bright green pistachios. Barberry Pistachio Saffron Rice is as pretty as it is tasty. If you have a rice cooker, it’s super simple as well.

One of the best things about moving to a new place is learning about the local food culture and discovering new ingredients. New to me five years ago were barberries, a featured staple in our neighbor-across-the-gulf, Iran.

Barberries are little sweet and sour jewels that add a lovely sharp flavor to many dishes in the Middle East. The population of Dubai is such a wonderful mix of nationalities and cultures that just about every ingredient known to man must be available here, if you just know where to look for it. I came across barberries for the first time during a foodie tour with Frying Pan Adventures. If you are ever in Dubai and want to see how the real people eat, never mind the fancy, shiny high-rise hotel restaurants, I highly recommend booking the Frying Pan Middle Eastern Food Pilgrimage.

The flavor of barberries reminds me of dried cranberries so if you can’t get them, chop up some cranberries instead. Ottolenghi suggests substituting dried currants soaked in lemon juice, but I know that currants are hard to come by in the United States. If you live in Australia or the UK (or somewhere else they are available) those would be a good option as well.

I’ve adapted this Barberry Pistachio Saffron Rice from two recipes. 1. from Ottolenghi.co.uk, which gives more explicit instructions for cooking the rice and 2.  from a community member of Nigella.com which says simply, “Cook rice in a rice steamer.” I chose to use my rice cooker so those instructions follow.

The amounts below should also work on the stovetop, in a heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid. My mom always says that the right amount of water is 1 cup for each cup of rice plus 1 cup for the pot. Or follow the instructions on your bag of rice.

Ingredients
For cooking the rice:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups or 275g long grained basmati rice, rinsed under cold water and drained well
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 1/2 cups or 600ml cold water

For the dish:
1/2 teaspoon good quality saffron threads
3/4 cup or 50g dried barberries
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1/2 cup or 75g whole unsalted, roughly chopped pistachios
1/4 teaspoon salt
Few good grinds fresh black pepper

Method
Pour 1 tablespoon of boiling water over the saffron and set it aside to steep for 30 minutes.

Put the barberries in a small bowl and pour enough boiling water to cover them along with a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Leave for 10-15 minutes, then drain.

Pour 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in your rice cooker then add the rice, stirring to make sure the grains are well coated.

Add the cold water and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Stir well. Put on the lid and set to “Cook” mode. When the rice cooker switches from cook to warm, set a timer for 10 minutes and cover the still closed pot with a couple of dry tea towels.

When the timer rings, open the lid and pour your soaked saffron with the golden water on one small portion of the rice. Cover again with the lid then tea towels while you prepare the rest of the dish.

In a large saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lightly toast the chopped pistachios along with the drained barberries over a medium heat. Add in the salt and a few good grinds of black pepper.

Use a spoon to remove the saffron colored section of the rice and fluff it up in a small bowl. Use a fork to fluff up the rest of the white rice.

Set aside a small amount of the barberries and pistachios to decorate the top, then add the rest to the rice pot, lightly folding them in till well combined. Then fold the saffron rice in lightly as well.

Spoon the rice into a serving dish then top with the reserved barberries and pistachios. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Complete your meal by making my Persian Lamb Meatballs and Egyptian Date Crescents for dessert.

Barberry Pistachio Saffron Rice is my contribution to this month's Foodie Extravaganza where we are sharing recipes with nuts. Many thanks to our host is Caroline from Caroline's Cooking.

• Barberry Pistachio Saffron Rice by Food Lust People Love
• Canadian Pecan Butter Tarts by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Healthy Granola Cakes by Sneha's Recipes
• Pecan Chicken by Family Around The Table
• Pumpkin Nut Braid by Passion Kneaded
• Pumpkin-Nut Crumble Cake by Hardly A Goddess
• Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Walnut Sauce by Caroline's Cooking

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 group Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!

If you're a reader looking for delicious recipes, check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

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Yemeni Kubaneh - Buttery Rolls #BreadBakers

A traditional bread, made from dough spread liberally with butter or margarine, Yemeni kubaneh bakes up light and fluffy. It’s perfect with your morning coffee or an afternoon cup of tea.

There appear to be as many recipes for Yemeni kubaneh as there are Yemeni mamas and grandmas.

When our international bread theme was chosen for this month’s Bread Bakers, I immediately started to research for an unfamiliar bread to test and bake. We were supposed to choose a bread from a country that is not our own but I decided to take that one step further and choose a recipe I'd never heard of before. In my search, I came across kubaneh first on Food52, and it was beautiful. Seriously, go have a look. Theirs is much prettier than mine.

The instructions, however, seemed a bit challenging to follow without step-by-step photos or a video. So down the rabbit hole of YouTube I went. So many recipes and so many methods! And different spellings: Kubane, kubaneh, kubana, kubani, kubneh. What they all seem to have in common is using lots of butter or margarine to create layers of thinly rolled or hand stretched dough before baking.

Although I didn’t follow the instructions or measurements exactly, this YouTube video (in Italian – the presenter - and Hebrew – the baker) was my best guide. You might find it helpful to watch as well. I gathered, from my faulty Italian (which is really just a mix of Portuguese and Spanish, since truth be told, I don't speak Italian) is that Yemeni kubaneh was originally part of the main family meal, which in Yemen is served in the middle of the day, rather than in the evening.

According to references, including Wikipedia, kubaneh is a Yemenite Jewish bread, found in many varieties throughout Yemen. And if the YouTube video and website ItaliaEbraica are any indication, Italy as well. I'm going to hazard a guess to say you'll probably find it being baked anywhere people of Jewish Yemeni heritage are living. Kubaneh was traditionally baked long and slow, in the embers of the evening fire, to be eaten the next day on the Sabbath. Nowadays, in all the YouTube videos I watched, it seems normal ovens are used.

Yemeni Kubaneh

This traditional Yemeni bread can be slightly sweetened by a sugar glaze, as this version is, or can be served with a tomato sauce.

Ingredients
For the bread dough:
1 1/4 cups or 300ml warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons quick yeast
4 cups or 500g flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup or 75g butter, softened, plus some for the baking pan

For the sugar syrup:
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup or 60ml warm water

For garnish (and flavor):
1 teaspoon sesame seeds and/or 1 teaspoon nigella seeds (I used both.)

Method
In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl, combine the sugar, yeast and warm water. Leave to proof for a few minutes.

When the foam and bubbles form, sift in the flour, baking soda and salt. According to the video, this eliminates the bugs and foreign objects.

Add in 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk, reserving the second egg yolk. Mix till well combined and then knead until you have a stretchy bouncy dough.

Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and form the dough into a ball, turning it to coat with the oil.

Cover with a cloth and set in a warm place to rise for 40 minutes.

Oil your clean work surface with the rest of the olive oil and turn the dough out onto it. Wet your hands and use them to divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.

Set your softened butter by your clean work surface. Use your hands to spread one of the dough pieces into a thin square. Top this with bits of butter, spreading it around. Don’t be shy with the butter. The dough may tear a little. Just pat it together again.

Repeat with a second piece of dough.

Then gently lift the second dough square and put it on top of the first one. Press them both out even larger.

Roll the dough up into a log, starting from end farthest from you. Set the log aside and continue the process with the other six pieces of dough.

You should now have four dough logs. Line a baking pan with baking parchment which you have rubbed with softened butter.

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough logs into 8 pieces each and fit these into the prepared pan, cut side up.

Drizzle a few drops of water into the reserved egg yolk and whisk to combine. Use a pastry brush to coat the dough with egg yolk. Sprinkle with the sesame and nigella seeds.

Cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place while you preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Bake in the oven for 38-42 minutes, covering the pan with foil if the bread starts to brown too quickly.

Meanwhile, make the sugar syrup by dissolving the 2 tablespoons of sugar in 1/4 cup or 60ml hot water.

Remove the Yemeni kubaneh from the oven. Use a spoon to drip the sugar syrup glaze all over the bread.

Pop the pan back in the oven for another 5-6 minutes, watching it carefully so it doesn’t burn. Turn it midway through if your oven doesn’t heat evenly.

Allow to cool a bit before serving because apparently, the best way is to let everyone help themselves and pull a piece (or three) off.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to our host today, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for this great theme, and for all of her behind-the-scenes work. I am always delighted at the opportunity to learn something new and this Yemeni kubaneh was definitely that!

Check out all the other international breads we are sharing today:

• Apfelpfannkuchen (Apple Pancake) from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Auvergne Crown from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Bauernbrot from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Onion and Poppy Seed Bialys from Spill the Spices
• Boule from Bread Therapy
• Chilli and Coriander Scones from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Dutch Tiger Bread (Tijgerbolletjes)from Baking Sense
• Epi di Pan - Wheat Wreath from Sara's Tasty Buds
• Franzbrotchen - German Cinnamon Rolls from Gayathri's Cook Spot
• German Soft Pretzels (Laugenbrezel) from Hostess At Heart
• German Soft Pretzels from Herbivore Cucina
• Kardemummabullar - Swedish Cardamom Rolls from Ambrosia
• Pita Bread from Sneha'sRecipe
• Pletzel - Onion Poppyseed Flatbread from Cook's Hideout
• Pretzel Bites from My Cooking Journey
• Savoury Kugelhopf from The Mad Scientist's Kitchen
• Slovak Bread Rolls (Rozky) from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Whole Wheat Pita Bread from Sonlicious
• Yemeni Kubaneh - Buttery Rolls from Food Lust People Love

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

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Cupboard Tomato Mozzarella Salad

A beautiful, colorful, delicious salad made with mostly cupboard ingredients plus tomatoes, mozzarella and purple onions. Great for barbecues, buffets and potlucks. It's even better the next day!

I know that is a strange name but I honestly couldn’t think of a better one.  This gorgeous salad is made mostly with ingredients from your kitchen cupboards, with the exception of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and a little onion. And perhaps a bit of chopped basil. But look at the colors!

It’s great for a buffet table or to bring to a potluck because this salad just gets better after it sits a while.  So forgiving, beautiful and delicious.

Ingredients

• 1/4 large purple onion

• 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice or vinegar
• 10.5 oz or 300g red grape tomatoes (I used NatureSweet Cherubs.)
• 10.5 oz or 300g yellow grape tomatoes (I used NatureSweet Sunbursts.)
• 1 jar (12 oz or 240g) marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 can (drained weight 6 oz or 170g) pitted black olives
• 1 can (15 oz or 425g) chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 8 oz or 226g fresh ciliegine or cherry size mozzarella balls
• 1 can (14 oz or 400g – 7.5 oz or 212g drained) hearts of palm
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• A few leaves of fresh basil (optional)

Method
Slice your onion very thinly and add to a salad bowl that will be big enough for all of your ingredients.   Pour in the juice or vinegar and set aside for a few minutes.

Open the jar of marinated artichokes and add them to the onion, with all of their marinade, along with the tomatoes and mozzarella.

Drain the cans of olives and chickpeas, rinsing the chickpeas if necessary, and add them to the salad bowl.

Drain the can of palm hearts and cut into pieces about the size of your tomatoes.

Add them into the bowl.

Toss and then sprinkle the whole bowl with sea salt.  Add black pepper to taste.

If you are adding basil, stack the leaves, roll them up and slice them thinly.  Add to the salad and toss again.  (This salad did actually have basil but, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to photograph that step.)

Bring to your sister’s house for a barbecue or wherever you have been fortunate enough to be invited.

Enjoy!

My mom took this one showing a little of the basil.  Thanks, Mom! 

If you are looking for more dishes using fresh tomatoes, you are going to love this week's Sunday Supper. Check out the link list below to see what our talented tastemakers are sharing. Many thanks to our host, Rini from Healing Tomato, and our event manager, Cricket of Cricket's Confections.

Sunday Supper Recipes Using Fresh Tomatoes

Chicken Recipes

• Caprese Chicken with Bacon by Family Around The Table
• Cheesy Caprese Pesto Chicken and Quinoa Casserole by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Easy Balsamic Chicken with Tomatoes by Life Tastes Good
• Grilled Chicken and Pasta with Grated Tomato Sauce by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Main Courses

• Bronzed Tomato Spinach Cheddar Panini by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Ground Beef Curry by Wholistic Woman
• Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry by Sunday Supper Movement
• One Pan Pork Chop Dinner with Tomatoes by Simple and Savory
• Tuna and Tomato Bento by Ninja Baker

Pizza, Pies, and Pastas

• Angel Hair Pomodoro by Healing Tomato
• Heirloom Tomato Tart by Authentically Candace
• Pressure Canned Homegrown Tomato Sauce by What Smells So Good?
• Savory Tomato Pie with Pre-Made Crust by The Foodie Affair
• Three Cheese Tomato Basil Pie by Jersey Girl Cooks
• Tomato and Caramelized Onions Galette by Brunch-n-Bites
• Tuscan Pasta with White Beans and Tomatoes by A Mind “Full” Mom

Side Dishes

• Bacon Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms by Crazed Mom
• Bloody Mary Mix by Our Good Life
• Bruschetta di Pomodoro by The Freshman Cook
• Caprese Garlic Bread with Arugula Pesto by The Crumby Cupcake
• Slow Roasted Tomatoes by Caroline’s Cooking
• Tomato Cauliflower Rice by Family Foodie
• Tomato Tulips for a Veggie Platter by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Snacks

• Cheesy Thumbprint Cookies with Green Tomato Strawberry Jalapeno Jam by Soulfully Made
• How to Make Homemade Salsa by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• IPA (India Pale Ale) Green Tomato Pickles by Gourmet Everyday
• Italian Nachos by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Marinated Cherry Tomatoes with Cottage Cheese by Cricket’s Confections
• Tomatoes Stuffed with Apple-Walnut Salad Filling by Asian In America
• Tropical Fruit Salsa by Pies and Plots

Soups and Salads

• 10 Minute Greek Inspired Couscous Salad by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Burrata Caprese Salad with Balsamic Pearls by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cherry Tomato and Preserved Lemon Salad by Shockingly Delicious
• Cupboard Tomato Mozzarella Salad by Food Lust People Love
• Fresh Tomato and Couscous Salad by Basic N Delicious
• Fried Green Tomato BLT Salad by Palatable Pastime
• Rustic Dill Tomato Soup by Hot Eats and Cool Reads
• Summer Tomato and Bread Soup by Monica’s Table
• Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Pimento Grilled Cheese by Bottom Left of the Mitten

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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