cornbread Archives - Pennywise Cook

What is it about the word casserole? What exactly is a casserole? Let me consult The Google: a kind of stew or side dish that is cooked slowly in an oven. Though these days, almost anything can be considered a casserole. It doesn’t even matter the ingredients, does it?

Have some tomatoes and potatoes? Throw them in a dish, bake and you have a tomato potato casserole! I think that’s why I like casseroles so much. They are so forgiving. Well, most of them anyways. I’ve had my share of casserole failures… I just love that they are so simple and quick. Throw together what you have on-hand and bake at 350 degrees and you’ve got dinner. Casseroles were made for weeknights when momma has to grow a 3rd arm to get everything done. Who am I kidding? I grow my 3rd arm around 8am each day at breakfast…

Especially now that school has started, dinner isn’t always first thing on my mind. School doesn’t just mean the start of classes. It can also mean sports, extra-curriculars, homework, Bible study, and anything else that you can possible occupy lots of time with. My girls are still young so I’m not always a chicken with my head cut off, but I do have to say that 1st grade homework is no joke! It may not be hard, but keeping my 1st grader focused can be a chore.

Enough to build up an appetite…

For a casserole maybe?

I’ve always been a fan of those casseroles where you top it with a bread of some sort. We always used to make the chili with the cornbread on top when we were newlyweds. I’m going to be honest here and admit that it was from a box, but don’t judge. Who hasn’t made a gourmet dinner from a box while they were a newlywed? I’m also going to admit that I use boxed meals here at least once a week. You can’t have a 2 year-old and not make a little mac and cheese from a box. You just can’t. Well I can’t anyways.

Casseroles! Yes, casseroles. This one was a result of throwing together a lot of things that we really enjoy and doing everything that I could to avoid putting in those “cream of” soups”. It seems like every casserole contains that ingredient.

Not this one! I used fresh chicken, but if you have leftover rotisserie chicken or perhaps some grilled chicken, this would be an awesome way to use it up. Otherwise whatever kinda chicken you can find on sale will work. I’m all about cheap. Though I’m not sure that the canned stuff…

You can find a ton of ideas for casseroles over at Country Crock. Some interesting facts about Country Crock:

Have 0g trans fat per serving
Contain no partially hydrogenated oils (Yipee!)
Have no cholesterol
Are 70% less fat than butter per serving (WOW)
Have 30% fewer calories than butter per serving

Cheesy Chicken and Cornbread Casserole

Recipe Type: Main Dish, Chicken

Author: Pennywise Cook

Who doesn’t enjoy a simple and quick chicken casserole?

Ingredients

3/4 lb Chicken Breast/Tenders, cut into bite-size pieces (about 3 breasts)
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp dried onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 10.5 oz can cream corn
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese + 1/4. c for topping (if desired)
1 c. sour cream
1 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces for dotting the top (if desired)
cornbread mix created according to package
s & p to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to degree listed on cornbread mix. Spray a 9×13 dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add in chicken, garlic, onion, and s&p. Cook until chicken is not longer pink.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine cream corn, 1 c. cheddar cheese and sour cream until well mixed. Add in chicken. (Now would be a great time to create your cornbread batter!)
Pour mixture into 9×13 dish and spread evenly. Top with cornbread batter and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the other 1/4 c. cheddar cheese and dot with butter.
Place in oven and cook the time listed on your cornbread mix.
Remove from oven, let cool, and serve!

Notes

You are more than welcome to make your own cornbread for the top, just be sure to have the ingredients necessary when you start you casserole!

I used a slightly smaller dish than a 9×13 for mine. I can’t tell you what size because I honestly have no idea, but I think that a 9×13 will be similar. If not, then a square dish might work. I have yet to try this in a different size dish.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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There are a lot of meals that I remember my momma making when we were growing up. Some that I liked and some that I (as a kid with immature taste buds) I could have lived without. Of course, it’s the ones that I liked that I remember the most and now make for my family. This is one of those meals.

I want to start by pointing out that no, the cornbread is not cooked in the crockpot with the beans. Unfortunately, you’ll have to do some hard labor and bake your cornbread in the oven. When I made this the other night, I found a new cornbread recipe and it is absolutely divine. It’s so divine, that I plan on giving it it’s very own post. So stay tuned for that.

As I was saying, this meal takes me back to those comforting nights as a kid. Coming in from playing outside all day to have warm, hearty pinto beans served with crusty cornbread. They make the most amazing combination. This isn’t really even a “summer” dish, but I still make it in the summer anyways.

Start by soaking your bag of pinto beans in a big bowl overnight. This will soften them up and get them better prepared for cooking. This may sound like a difficult task, but really it’s not. Place your beans in a bowl covered in water and go to bed. Easy peasy!

Then the next morning, drain that water and throw the beans in your crockpot with a chopped onion or two along with some nice and salty country ham pieces. DON’T season them yet. Since they are still quite hard, they won’t absorb any of that seasoning just yet so hold off on that salt and pepper.

Oh yeah, you can see where this is going.

In the meantime, between checking your email and watching Grey’s Anatomy (all that very important stuff that you do), bake up a batch of your favorite cornbread. Like I said, I have an amazing recipe that I will be sharing, but for now I have to leave you on the edge of your seat.

So bake that up and set it aside until your ready to eat up. You are now free to season the beans too!

After a few hours you’ll have an incredible meal.

Crockpot Pinto Beans and Cornbread

Hearty and comforting, pinto beans and cornbread make a match made in heaven.

Ingredients

1 Bag Dry Pinto Beans
1 Small Package Country Ham Pieces
2 Medium Onions, Chopped
1 Batch Cornbread (Your Choice)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Method

The night before you plan to eat your meal, place your pinto beans in a large bowl and cover with water. Let sit overnight.
The next morning, drain beans and place in the crockpot along with chopped onions and country ham pieces. Fill crockpot with an inch or 2 of water above the beans. Let cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
Meanwhile prepare your cornbread of choice. Season beans with salt and pepper once they have been cooking and their lines have disappeared.
To serve, pour beans over cornbread and let the juices soak in.

Notes

You'll notice that a couple of my pictures have sour cream on them. That was something new I was trying. Some people like sour cream on their pinto beans so I thought I'd try it out. It was eh to me. I could take it or leave it really.

Sometimes I even place my cornbread down in a mug and pour the beans over it in the mug. This is honestly one of the best ways to eat it!

http://www.pennywisecook.com/crockpot-pinto-beans-and-cornbread/

Cheesy Chicken and Cornbread Casserole

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Crockpot Pinto Beans and Cornbread

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