To celebrate Thanksgiving here at Food Safety News we’re hosting our fourth virtual potluck (we’ve also held virtual picnics on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day).

We’ll be having turkey, of course, and for tips on how to cook a turkey, you can’t beat the Food and Drug Administration’s Keep Food Safe Blog.  For instance, did you procrastinators know it’s safe to cook a frozen turkey?  It will just take 50 percent longer than a fully thawed turkey.   Check out the FDA’s helpful Turkey Roasting Chart and reminders that no matter what method you use — roasting, brining, deep frying or smoking — the bird isn’t safe until it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees (and that goes for the stuffing). 

In addition to the turkey, we’ve got two soups–Dan’s lentil and Marijke’s curry kale. Claire has contributed corn pudding, Gretchen made Brussels sprouts, and Helena has roasted squash and veggies. Alexa has shared Parmesan-rosemary potatoes and cranberry Waldorf salad.  For dessert there’s Michelle’s “that blueberry thing,” a variation on a crisp, and Suzanne is bringing an unusual-but-delicious concoction involving butternut squash and pretzels.

We’re sharing the recipes here, so you can join in our virtual potluck or use them at your next one.

Have a happy and food-safe Thanksgiving Day.

The Food Safety News team

Claire’s Corn Pudding

Although corn has been traditionally recognized as a symbol of Thanksgiving and a staple item during the holiday, it had for years remained absent from my family’s dinner table. Overwhelmed with bowls of fresh cranberry sauce and the canned stuff, turnips, string bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, 2 varieties of stuffing, gravy, crescent rolls, creamed onions, and of course the turkey, there was rarely room on the table or in our stomachs for another dish. 

Last year, however, I decided that corn needed to make a triumphant comeback. What usually hung in dried form as a decoration on my parents’ front door should be introduced as part of our celebratory meal to honor its importance and history, I thought. 

While scouring the internet for the ultimate corn recipe, I stumbled upon Emeril Lagasse’s recipe for corn pudding. Seeing heavy cream, cheese, bacon, and butter on the ingredients list, I had to give it a try. Needless to say, it was a definite crowd pleaser. 

I’m now proud to announce that corn has a designated spot on our Thanksgiving table. I hope it will find its way on to yours! 

Ingredients

— 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

— 3/4 cup chopped yellow onions 

— 1/4 cup chopped, seeded poblano pepper 

— 2 teaspoons minced garlic 

— 4 cups fresh white corn kernels 

— 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 

— 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 

— 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 

— 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 

— 4 large eggs 

— 2 cups heavy cream 

— 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 

— 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

— 1 cup grated Havarti cheese 

— 4 strips bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled 

— 2 tablespoons chopped green onions 

Instructions

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and poblano peppers and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Add the corn, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the cayenne, and cook, stirring, until just tender and starting to turn golden, 4 minutes.

Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Put half of the corn mixture in a food processor and blend until smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, sugar, thyme, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper until frothy. Add the pureed corn and whole corn mixtures and the cheese, crumbled bacon, and green onions and whisk to combine.

Pour into the prepared dish and bake until set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. 

Enjoy!