Paula Deen: Corn Casserole

Everyone seems to love the corn casserole that Paula Deen has floating around the internet.  Even my sister claims to love it.  And I....have never had it.  I'm not sure how I missed out on this experience that everyone is raving about.  So I decided I would just have to make it and see what's what.

And then I saw the recipe.  A box of cornbread mix.  A tub of sour cream.  A bag of cheese.  Enough butter to choke a fat man.  I'm starting to understand why everyone loves the darn thing.  How could you not with all of that?  Butter will fix a great many sins, and that much butter will pretty much cover up everything else.  Well, I certainly couldn't rationalize making something so over-the-top, so I did some fiddling and tweaking, and I got a homemade version with less fat that still tastes AMAZING.  People weren't kidding, this thing is good.

Corn Casserole
Adapted from Paula Deen

⅔ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 (15¼-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14¾-ounce) can cream-style corn

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add the two cans of corn, sour cream, butter, and cheese.  Pour the mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let stand at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Makes 6 to 8 servings