Recipes for corn casserole and herb-flavored potatoes

This is the classic Jiffy cornbread mix corn casserole, a perfect Thanksgiving side dish. The only difference is the added cheese. Normally there are only five ingredients.

This one has cheese on top after it’s baked. But that is optional. Not that it needs anything at all, but what else could you add?

How about some sautéed onions? Or fresh chives or sliced green onions. Rosemary, parsley or thyme might be nice. Or you could fry some bacon and crumble it into the batter. But I’ve had it many times with just the five ingredients and it’s very good. Whatever floats your boat.

Jiffy Corn Casserole

1 can corn, drained

1 can creamed corn

1 package Jiffy cornbread mix

1 cup sour cream

1 stick butter melted

4 ounces shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 by 13.

In a large bowl, mix together corn, creamed corn, muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and top with cheese. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.

—kwc—

I never use a recipe when making mashed potatoes, and I normally like to keep them pretty simple on Thanksgiving. To me they are only a vessel to get more gravy into my mouth.

Here’s a recipe that calls for garlic and herb cheese (Boursin or Alouette) and that sounds pretty good to me for Thanksgiving or any other time of year. Another change up for your regular mashed potatoes is to roast a head of garlic in the ovenand then stir them into your potatoes.

Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes or purple potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

12 cups water

1 tbsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

2 cups garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese (such as Boursin or Alouette, from three [5.2-ounces] pkg.), at room temperature

3-1/2 cups whole milk, warmed

Cracked black pepper and unsalted butter, for garnish

Place potatoes in a large pot. Add 12 cups water; bring to a boil over high. Add salt, and reduce heat to medium; simmer until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, shaking off any excess water.

Pass potatoes through a ricer back into pot. Add spreadable cheese and milk; fold until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Garnish with black pepper and butter.