8 recipes from Alabama cooks show the versatility of corn

Marsha Gardner’s grandmother used to make her corn pudding many years ago, and “we always thought it was dessert,” the Florala resident recalled. But Gardner prefers to serve it as a side dish. “It’s something unusual that you don’t see every day,” she says.

The New York native, who was a caterer for 40 years before retiring, said she’d make it for church fellowship gatherings, where it was quite popular. “They would scrape the brown parts around the side,” she says.

She speculates that her grandmother probably had to make her own creamed corn from scratch, while today’s cooks can easily use the canned or frozen version. Even though she’s never made it for Thanksgiving dinner, the corn pudding would make a tasty accompaniment to turkey, with the sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg on top, giving it a sweet but spicy flair.

Cream-Style Corn Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cans cream-style corn
• 4 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 heaping tablespoons flour
• Dash of cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg, freshly grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together except cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into buttered casserole, top with cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake for about an hour until puffed up and golden brown. Serves 6.

Marsha Gardner

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Corny Squash Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 box Stove Top cornbread dressing
• 1 can corn
• ½ stick butter
• 1½ cups boiling water
• 2 cups yellow squash or zucchini, peeled and sliced thinly
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 eggs

Instructions

Mix cornbread dressing mix, corn, butter and water. Spread in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Mix together remaining ingredients and add to the casserole. Beat 2 eggs and stir into all the ingredients. Bake for 55 minutes at 350 degrees. Slice in squares to serve. Optional: mix in a can of black beans and top with creamy Alfredo sauce.

Joan Fobbs

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Easy Creamy Corn

Ingredients

• 1 roll frozen McKenzie’s white corn
• 1 roll frozen McKenzie’s golden corn
• 3 tablespoons self-rising flour
• ½ stick butter, melted
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Thaw corn and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray. Mix all ingredients together and pour in dish. Bake uncovered until beginning to turn golden on top and thickened.

Mary Martin

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Kathleen’s Vegetable Medley Salad

Ingredients

• 1 can French-style green beans, drained
• 1 can white shoepeg corn, drained
• 1 can English peas, drained
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 small jar pimentos, diced
• ¾ cup vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup canola, vegetable or olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Place all vegetables in a large bowl. Mix vinegar, sugar and canola oil and bring to a boil while stirring. Pour dressing mixture over vegetables. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, as desired. Chill in refrigerator. Better if made a day ahead of serving. Keeps well in refrigerator.

Nancy Sites Sizemore

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Easy Tasty Corn Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 package saffron rice, prepared as directed on package
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 15-ounce can whole-kernel corn
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon jalapeño pepper, chopped

Instructions

Mix all ingredients and bake in a casserole dish at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, until hot all through.

Dolores Childree

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Mexican Cornbread Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 can cream-style yellow corn
• 1 cup cheese, grated (your preference)
• ½ cup Wesson oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, coarse grind
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons jalapeños (from a jar), minced, or 3 fresh jalapeños, chopped

Instructions

Mix well and pour into greased 7.5-by-10.5-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Myra Johnson

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Parmesan Corn on the Cob

Ingredients

• 6 ears fresh yellow corn, husked and silked
• 8 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• 8 ounces butter, melted

Instructions

Fill a large pot two-thirds full of water; bring to a boil. Add corn with tongs or carefully by hand. When water returns to boil, cook 5 minutes. It’s difficult to cook more than 6 full ears at a time. Drain in a colander. Place on a platter, individually brush corn with butter and sprinkle on additives, as desired. Barely bump the cayenne pepper to add only a little heat.

Barbara Frasier

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Zucchini Cornbread

Corn is one of those vegetables that is great as is but can also be a great ingredient in something totally different. We love to take our favorite vegetables and let them star in an unexpected recipe. This zucchini cornbread is all you would expect in a Southern cornbread but is also a tasty way to incorporate vegetables. Corn keeps this cornbread tender and delicious, so taste and see for yourself. For more recipes like this, visit thebutteredhome.com.

Ingredients

• 3 cups shredded zucchini, drained and squeezed
• ½ cup diced onion
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained
• 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grate zucchini. Drain and allow to sit a bit. Squeeze in a tea towel or cheesecloth to remove any excess water.

Mix zucchini, onion, corn and eggs in a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and garlic. Add in Jiffy cornbread mix and mix well. Fold in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 8-by-11-inch casserole pan. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake 30 to 45 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is slightly browned.

Brooke Burks, The Buttered Home

This story originally appeared in Alabama Living magazine.