Creamy Sweetcorn Mac & Cheese

 

I admit I am a person with quite a few weaknesses when it comes to food . . .  pasta, mac & cheese, creamed corn, tinned tomatoes, cheese, chocolate ANYTHING, oatmeal cookies, salad, hot dogs,  . . .  just to name a few.  Occasionally there is a dish that will incorporate several of these weaknesses and that is what I am showing you today. It will soon be far too hot to eat anything like this, and the day that I baked this, was cold and rainy, so I do hope that you will forgive me for showing it to you now, but do bookmark and take note of it for another time.

 

It combines two of my great loves . . .  mac & cheese and creamed corn. I love creamed corn so much that I could just sit and eat it with a spoon.  Yes, I am that crazy in love with it!

 

You make a simple, yet rich creamy sauce, which uses a mix of cream, semi-skimmed milk, and some savoury seasonings . . .  dried mustard, onion powder, salt and pepper  . . .  and then you whisk in two kinds of cheese, strong cheddar and Parmesan . . .

  

Once the cheese melts you simply stir in a can of creamed corn and a can of sweet corn niblets, along with some cooked macaroni . . .  or macanoni as my youngest son used to call it!

 

Pour it into a baking dish, sprinkle with a bit more cheese and some buttered cracker crumbs and bake.  Half an hour does it.   

 

This is so delicious and makes both a fabulous main course  or a side dish for Pot Lucks, BB Q's and Covered Dish Suppers and get-togethers!

 

I guarantee everyone will be asking for the recipe!  I will most certainly guarantee you will be bringing home an empty dish! 

 

The recipe is also very easily cut in half (which is what I usually do) leaving you with 1/2 a tin of creamed corn and some corn niblets that don't get used, but that is never a problem, because I will just throw together a corn chowder  the next day, sized for just us.  Or I will pop both into a container and freeze them to make a corn chowder another time!  No problemo.

 

I really love meals like this.  Todd, not so much.  He always asks me if I am punishing him, what did he do wrong, but haha, I think he is exaggerating because he always eats it, so methinks he doesn't dislike pasta as much as he says. 

 

Or maybe I am just wearing him down  . . .  or maybe, like salad, he is only since marrying me getting to taste how really good it can be!

 

I always try to be positive about these things. ☺ 

 

A bit of chopped cooked bacon or ham would also be very good in this, in which case it would definitely be a main dish. But it goes with all sorts . . .  which is what makes it the ideal dish for taking out to get-togethers.

 

I have never frozen it myself, as like I said, I usually halve the recipe, but I can't see any reason why it wouldn't freeze well.  So you could cook the whole dish and divide it into two casseroles, packing one up all airtight and freezing it prior to baking, so that on a later date all you have to do is take it out, de-frost and bake as per the recipe requires.

 

*Creamy Sweetcorn Mac & Cheese*

Makes 8 servings

Printable Recipe 

 

 

This is a delicious side dish that is great for bring to pot lucks and BB Q's.  Everyone loves it. 

450g elbow macaroni (4 cups)

65g butter (1/4 cup)

35g plain flour (1/4 cup)

360ml semi skim milk (1 1/2 cps)

240ml heavy cream (1 cup)

1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

1/2 tsp onion powder (not salt)

1 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 (418g) tin of creamed corn (14.75oz)

1 (285g) tin of sweet corn kernels, drained (10 oz)

365g grated strong cheddar cheese (3 cups sharp cheddar)

90g grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)

About 6 dry crackers buttered lightly and then crumbled 

 

Put a large pan of lightly salted water on to boil.  Cook the macaroni in this according to the package directions.  While the macaroni is cooking, make the sauce.

Melt the butter in a largish saucepan. Whisk in the flour, until smooth. Cook for about a minute.  Whisk in the mustard powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.  Whisk in the milk and cream. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.  Whisk in all but 60g (1/2 cup) of the cheddar and half of the Parmesan cheese.  Stir to melt. Stir in the creamed corn and the drained corn kernels.  

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.  Butter a large shallow baking dish. (9 by 13 inch)  

Drain the macaroni well and stir it into the sauce. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Mix together the remaining cheddar and Parmesan and sprinkle evenly over top.  Crumble the buttered cracker crumbs over top of all.

 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. 

 

On this particular day we had this with Sole Goujons and salad, and it went down a real treat.  Plus the leftovers were awfully tasty, heated up in a skillet the day after for our supper and served with crusty bread. Oh, I do love LOVE pasta that is heated up the day after in a skillet, so that you have lots of crispy little bits to enjoy. Yes.  I am a bit of a glutton.  Love me or leave me. I don't think that is anything that is going to change now.  Bon Appetit!