Fiesta Tortilla-Shrimp Casserole for Dinner!

 

If you’re hooked on  Mexican-inspired flavors and shrimp,  I’ve got the perfect dish for your dinner!

 

You may think this casserole that's loaded with shrimp, tortillas, corn, and green salsa is a bit strange with its mix of ingredients, but it’s truly delicious.  

 

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake

What’s not to like about 

white-meat-chicken ~ 

smothered in melted cheddar ~

resting on a bed of creamy rice and vegetables?

 

I did a great job of hiding the chicken.  😉  It's cheesy delicious!

 

 

 

Hail to the “one-dish” meal!

 

Chow down on Cowboy Chicken Casserole

Yee-ha!  

Here’s a casserole with great ingredients that 

any cowboy would like to chow down on.

 And so do we when it's a chilly night here.  

It’s Cowboy Chicken Casserole!

It’s a wholesome concoction of chicken, black beans, corn, cheese, salsa, tortillas and seasonings that come together to make this a tasty hearty filling dinner.

Cowboy Chicken lives up to its name with bringing to mind the good flavors of the Southwest. 

Savory Sour Cream Cornbread, it's Divine!

Cornbread is the perfect vehicle 

for sopping up the things 

that are 

on your plate!

Those cracks are a good thing in cornbread!

Everyone has their foibles ~ for me, it’s that corner slab of cornbread ~ the slice with two crispy edges.  Grandma liked it crumbled, submerged in a glass of cold buttermilk, and eaten with a spoon ~ whatever floats your boat...

SLOW COOKER SANTA FE CHICKEN

It was a frigid -1° on the thermometer in our backyard this morning, it’s at 9° now, and there's too much snow on the ground.  

 

After Almost 9 Years, it's So Long with a Corn Salad Recipe

It has been almost 9 years, since October 2009, that I started this blog.  That's a lot of posts and I've reached the point where it has become a chore for me, so it's time to say so long.

It has been a great journey, I've learned a lot from all of you over the years and thank you all very much for your support of Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner!  I'm leaving you with a great summer recipe that I hope you'll try...

It’s looks like fiesta time when you serve this spicy corn salad for your crowd! 

Baked Cornbread-Stuffed Zucchini

I might live in the Midwest now, but I’m a Southerner at heart!

One of the reasons; besides, delicious cornbread, a warmer climate, friendly people and good food, and did I mention cornbread (?), is that Southern Living has been delivered in our mailbox ever since I was married ~ way back when Mom gave a subscription of it to me.

Which leads me to zucchini and this recipe!  

The gardens are starting to fill up with the vegetable; consequently, this slightly adapted recipe from SL is perfect for the season!

They are tasty zucchinis stuffed with a delicious blend of corn, onions, garlic, cheddar cheese, chicken and spices.  Choose squash that are uniform in shape so they will cook evenly.  The best kind are long, straight and not too skinny.

I will admit there was one problem with my finished dish:  I bought ready-made cornbread from the grocery store to speed up the process, unfortunately, I did not sample it first.  Too late, I realized the cornbread was very sweet, sort of like Jiffy mix, cake-like.  I’m not a fan of sweet cornbread, and seldom add sugar to the batter when I make it.

Southern cornbread is traditionally made with little or no sugar (I do claim to top it with butter and a swirl of honey at times) while northern cornbread is sweet and more cake-like. 

In Bill’s opinion and mine also, this zucchini mixture would have been much better with savory cornbread, the finished dish was too sweet for us.  And it was a touch on the dry side; the next time, I would add ½ cup chicken broth to the mixture, somewhere along the line.  It's definitely worth another try!

Whether you get your zucchini straight from the garden, or the farmers’ market, stock up on it and enjoy this cornbread-stuffed zucchini.

Just pay more attention than I did as to what type of cornbread you make it with!



Enjoy!

Author: Pam

Cornbread-Stuffed Zucchini

Cornbread makes everything better!

prep time: 20 MINScook time: 45 MINStotal time: 65 mins

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups coarsely crumbled cornbread (about 10 ounces)
• 4 zucchini
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 16 ounces ground chicken
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
• 6 ounces cheddar cheese (about 1½ cups)
• ½ cup fresh corn
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Spread cornbread in a even layer on one end of a baking sheet. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller or spoon, scoop out zucchini pulp to equal 3 cups pulp, leaving a ½-inch shell intact. Coarsely chop 1½ cups of pulp, reserve remaining pulp for another use.
3. Brush zucchini shells with 2 tablespoons of oil. Place shells on baking sheet with cornbread, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Place in 375° oven and bake until cornbread is lightly browned, about 10-11 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
4. Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add ground chicken to skillet, cook, stirring to crumble, until browned, about 6 minutes.
5. Add onion, garlic, paprika, pepper, reserved 1½ cups zucchini pulp and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt to skillet, cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 3 minutes.
6. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, and stir in cornbread, cheese, corn and parsley. Divide chicken mixture evenly among zucchini shells. Place shells on a baking sheet.
7. Bake stuffed zucchini at 350° until filling is lightly browned and zucchini is tender, 25 minutes.
8. Serve

Created using The Recipes Generator

Delicious Garlic Shrimp and Pasta w/Vegetables

This is a 

lick-your-plate-clean 

sort of dish!

With a pound of shrimp, a box of pasta and assorted veggies, you can have dinner on the table in less than a half hour!

Not only it this recipe easy, it’s a healthy protein-rich dish too.  The omega-3 fat acids in the seafood boost immune function and regulate inflammation.  The vegetables are filled with important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folic acid, and vitamins A and C.

Rotini is corkscrew-shaped pasta.  The names comes from a 17th-century Italian word meaning “small wheels.”  It originated in Northern Italy and the tight twists help them retain a wide variety of sauces better than some other pastas.  

Colloquially, they may be called “Scroodle Noodles”  or “Scroodle Macaroni,”  or just plain “corkscrews,” like I call them.

Be sure though, there’s no skimping on taste here ~ this dish will fill you up, without weighing you down!

It makes Monday night dinner seem more like Saturday night!

Garlic Shrimp and Pasta w/Vegetables

Ingredients:

12 ounces rotini pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed 
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper, divided
12 ounces frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained
16 ounces frozen mixed vegetables of your choice, thawed and drained
½ cup white wine
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
Chopped fresh parsley, garnish

Method:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 5 minutes less than al dente,  reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Add shrimp and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon each of red pepper, slat and seasoned pepper. 
Sauté, just until cooked through (a little pink and opaque),  and stirring to coat with seasonings, about 3-4 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Heat remaining oil over medium heat.
Add vegetables, and remaining salt and peppers.
Sauté until heated through, 4-5 minutes.
Add wine and return shrimp to skillet, cook 2 minutes.
Stir in lemon zest and juice.
Add pasta to the skillet and toss to combine, adding ¼ cup or more of reserved pasta water if needed.
Adjust to desired seasonings and consistency with pasta water.
Transfer to a large serving bowl, garnish with parsley.
Serves 6
Printable recipe



Enjoy!

Buttery Balsamic Corn with Mushrooms and Grilled Onions

Fresh and sweet summer corn 

has a short season here,

I like making the most of it!

About as sweet and fresh as you can get...

Those were the days ~ growing up on the farm, running outside to our own sweet corn field, picking a few ears for Mom to boil quickly for lunch or dinner, maybe even breakfast, if she had her way!

I definitely took the abundance of fresh vegetables, fruit and meat for granted and didn’t realize how lucky I was until years later.

By the way, as you're driving down the road here in the Midwest, and you're seeing acre after acre of corn, don't assume you can leap out of the car and grab a dozen ears of sweet corn for your next meal.  Chances are, it's field corn...


 

Gravel road by a corn field

  

Sweet corn and field corn are cousins with very different tastes, different purposes. 

Sweet corn is harvested when the silks at the top of the ear are brown, when the kernels inside are fully developed.  The leaves wrapping around the ears are nice and green, with a little brown at the edges maybe.  Perfect for any meal!

Field of sweet corn

Sweet corn ear on the stalk

Field corn, aka cow corn, not so sweet, nor does it taste as good right off the cob.  Corn has a very high moisture content and field corn needs to dry out while the ears are still on the stalk. 

Silks commence to turn dark brown, shucks around the ears turn brown, the remainder of the corn plant dies, turning brown.  Finally, instead of being supported by the main stalk, ears fall with the silks pointing toward the ground.  That's the farmers' indicator to harvest.

 

Harvest time - Illinois field corn

Field corn kernels are a darker yellow and larger than sweet corn kernels.  Some of them have "dimples," another sign that the kernels have dried out; hence the name, "dent corn."

Dent corn

Cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, geese, deer and other wild animals love the taste of field corn ~ you want to attract Cardinals to your bird feeder?  Attach an ear to it!
 
Field corn is also the corn that is processed into corn meal or corn flour, and used in foods that have corn as an ingredient, such as corn flakes, and tortilla chips.  

And then, there's popcorn, another story...

Back to this recipe that’s slightly adapted from Fine Cooking magazine:

This is an easy, savory side dish that you can whip up quickly.

Uncooked corn?  Yes!  Just cut it off the cob raw.  It cooks quickly and is delicious prepared this way with the mushrooms and onion.   

The balsamic vinegar punches up the flavor in the vegetables, and the olive oil on the onion and butter to stir-fry the corn adds a dose of richness to the dish.  

While you’re grilling the onion for this tasty side dish, throw some chicken, steak or fresh tuna on the grate also:  Voila, Dinner!



Buttery Balsamic Corn with Mushrooms and Grilled Onion
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1 small Vidalia onion or red onion, cut into 3 or 4 slices
1 teaspoon olive oil, more as needed
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces button mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
3-4 ears fresh corn, cut off the cob
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, more to taste
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Prepare a medium-high grill fire.
Rub onion slices with a little olive oil, and grill, turning occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes.
Remove from the grill and coarsely chop.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat.
Add mushrooms, season well with salt and cook until light browned and almost tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add corn, onion, remaining butter and cook, tossing occasionally, until the corn is tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper and more vinegar.
Serves 4



Enjoy!

Succulent Succotash!

I know succotash isn't gourmet fare ~ but, why does it get such a bad rap?

Where's the parsley?

Succotash is a traditional American dish of Colonial America, which became popular during the Great Depression because it was cheap to make, and the ingredients came out of the home garden.  It was a dish of survival, which varied greatly, depending upon the cook.

Mom always served succotash at the Thanksgiving table and I do also.  The heart of the dish is corn, with lima beans accompanying it, although other beans may be used also.   Then it can be stepped-up with other veggies, crumbled crisp bacon, cream, or whatever suits you.

You either love it or you hate it ~ which side are you on?

Succulent Succotash

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped pimento

1 green or red pepper, chopped

2 cups corn

1 (10-ounce) package frozen lima beans

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt and seasoned pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Ingredients:

Melt butter in large skillet.

Sauté onions, garlic until tender.

Add pimento, bell pepper, corn, and lima beans.

Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

Season with salt and seasoned pepper.

Stir in parsley.

6 servings

ENJOY!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes!

You still have time to go here to enter a great giveaway from Hickory Farms!  It’s chock full of all kinds of goodies you’ll like!

Cauliflower and Roasted Corn with Chili Powder and Lime

This recipe immediately caught my attention ~ 2 of my favorite veggies, cauliflower and corn!  

I was really surprised with the goodness of this recipe the first time I tried it, and thought it was a tasty mix of ingredients.  The recipe is adapted from the “Heart Association Cookbook.”  I’ve made it with corn on the cob roasted in the oven; corn roasted in husks on the grill, and canned corn also.  Use whichever method you prefer, it’s good any method.

The recipe calls for cooking the cauliflower in chicken broth for added flavor, but what I really like in this dish are the seasonings ~ chili powder and lime which compliment the cauliflower and corn perfectly, (I added more chili powder), plus pimentos for color. 

It’s a delicious way to enjoy fresh cauliflower and corn.  I hope you like it too!

Cauliflower and Roasted Corn with Chili Powder and Lime

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn, husks and silk removed

4 cups of cauliflower (about ½ medium head)

¼ cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

2 ounce jar diced pimentos, drained

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon light margarine

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place corn on baking sheet and roast, uncovered for 15 minutes.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing off cob, and set aside.

In a large saucepan, cook cauliflower in broth until almost tender.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients.

Stir the pimento mixture and roasted corn into the cauliflower.

Cook over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through and cauliflower is tender.

It’s tasty!

Be sure to visit my friend; Linda's blog, My Kind of Cooking, for her great cookbooks, tips and delicious recipes!