my corn casserole

since I have talked so much about my mom's corn casserole, I thought it was only fitting to share with you my corn casserole.

my mother is famous for her corn casserole and she has a fool-proof recipe that anyone can make. anyone, but me, that is. I have tried many times to make it and it never comes out right. I am the only one that my mother knows who has not had success with her recipe, even my sister is able to make it. so, out of desperation, I tried more corn recipes than I could count, but I could never find one that came close to her casserole. once michael discovered grilling and started grilling every weekend, I knew that I had to find a recipe that worked (you can’t have bar-b-que in texas without corn casserole). this recipe is very different from my mother’s corn casserole, but I think that I like it even better (don’t tell my mother).

4 servings

½ stick unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the pan
2 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn
½ cup chopped yellow onion
2 extra large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup ricotta cheese
1 ½ tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
½ cup shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. preheat oven to 375. grease the inside of a 6 cup baking dish.
2. melt the butter in large sauté pan and sauté the corn and onion over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. set aside to cool.
3. whisk together the eggs and buttermilk in a large bowl. slowly whisk in the cornmeal. add the ricotta and stir to combine. stir in the cayenne, sugar, salt, and pepper. add the cooked corn mixture and the ½ cup shredded cheese and stir to combine.
4. pour into prepared baking dish and top with the ¼ cup shredded cheese.
5. bake the dish in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. serve warm.