Reader Beth S. sent me this challenge:
Stephanie! What a lovely blog you have. I triple-dog dare you to fix this recipe. This is a delicious and very easy dish for work parties, church or family gatherings. It always gets rave reviews. I make it a little healthier by using salt-free or low-salt cans of corn, but . . . Can you help?
Cornbread Casserole
Take a 9″ x 13″ pan. Melt one stick of butter. Pour in: 1 can corn, 1 can creamed corn, 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix (if you can fix just this ingredient, I would be happy.) Stir. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350°.
Okay, this was truly one of those “rubber meets the road” moments. At first I thought this recipe really wasn’t fixable due to the processed ingredients, stick o’ butter, etc. But I love a challenge!
The renovation: I had to make the original dish to see the proportions of the ingredients and the texture. (It went off with some neighbors to a party.) The original recipe (assuming 12 servings) was about 185 calories per piece. The renovation is 155 calories per piece, with half the fat and sodium and no saturated fat. It’s also gluten-free, and probably won’t raise your blood sugar too much, although I’d still eat in moderation. It looked very similar to the original, but with a somewhat drier texture. I used agave syrup, water, and the blender to create the “creamed corn,” took out half the fat and used veggie oil instead of butter, and frozen corn to eliminate added salt and preservatives. If you wanted a moister texture, you could add 1/4 C. (60 ml) of apple sauce or nonfat yogurt to this recipe.
So Beth, this one is just a little bit more work, but definitely healthier for your friends and loved ones! Thanks for submitting a recipe!
Suitable for:
vegan, gluten-free, reduced-sugar diets
Not for:
low-sodium or migraine diets
- 1-1/2 cups gluten-free cornbread mix (265 g)
- 2-1/4 cups corn frozen, divided, no salt added (300 g)
- 1/4 cup agave syrup maple syrup, honey
- 1/4 cup grapeseed oil sunflower, olive oil
- 1-1/4 cups filtered or spring water
- Spray a 9" X 13" pan (or smaller) with oil spray and set aside. You can also make these as muffins, pictured above. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4.
- Put the agave syrup, water, and 1 C. (135 g) frozen corn in the blender. Pulse until the corn looks like creamed corn.
- Pour into a large bowl, and add the cornbread mix, oil, and the rest of the frozen corn. Mix well. (While you could mix this in the pan, I would recommend using a bowl, so that you incorporate all the dry ingredients properly.)
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. In a larger pan, this will be done more quickly. If you have a smaller pan, check it after 30 minutes, knowing that it might take longer. The top should be firm to the touch, springing back slightly, and the edges golden brown. The muffins took 25 minutes. Enjoy!
Per serving:
- 149 calories
- 5 g fat
- 0 g saturated fat
- 1 g monounsaturated fat
- 3 g polyunsaturated fat
- 0 g trans fat
- 0 g cholesterol
- 332 mg sodium
- 88 mg potassium
- 25 g carbohydrate
- 1 g fiber
- 9 g sugars
- 1 g protein
- 4 Weight Watchers Points Plus
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