Ranch Scalloped Potatoes

 

I'm sure some purists are going to scoff at the use of boxed potatoes in this dish...but I'm not afraid of a little reliance on convenience products. Plus, I hate to peel potatoes. This recipe comes courtesy of Betty Crocker herself. (I halved it.)

The ranch dressing is the star in this dish. It's easily one of the best potato casseroles I have ever had. It (obviously) comes together quickly. Don't be tempted to leave off the French-fried onions...they give the dish a great crunch and complement the tang of the ranch dressing nicely. 

Printable recipe

1 box scalloped potatoes (Betty Crocker)

1 package (0.4 oz) dry ranch salad dressing mix

1-3/4 cups boiling water

1 cup half-and-half

1 can French-fried onions

In an 8x8 glass baking dish, stir together dry sauce mix from potatoes, ranch dressing mix, boiling water and half-and-half with whisk. Stir in potatoes. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Top with onions; bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes before serving (sauce will thicken as it stands).

Corn Pudding with Pickled Jalapenos

I'm pretty much a sucker for anything that uses Jiffy; I just love its sweet flavor. This recipe comes from Jamie and Bobby Deen. They call it "bread," but it's really too loose to be called that, so I've taken the liberty of renaming it. I was expecting to cut it into squares, but it's more of a "scoop."

I'm a big fan of heat, so I doubled the amount of jalapenos. I also added a couple spoonfuls of the juice to spread the flavor throughout the dish. I love the nachos from a local fast-food Mexican restaurant, and it's because they add juice to the cheese sauce along with the peppers. Delish.

The kernel corn is a nice texture in such a creamy dish...and I also loved that I had every single ingredient already on hand. This is complete comfort food...with a kick! I kept finding reasons to go back in the kitchen for another bite after we cleaned our plates.

Also, in making this again, I think I would use a 9x13 pan to spread it out a little and get more surface area to crunch up.

(My apologies for the photo..my camera battery went dead, so this is a Blackberry shot.)

Printable recipe

1 15 1/2-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1 15-ounce can cream-style corn
1 8-ounce package corn muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños


Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the whole corn, creamed corn, muffin mix, sour cream, butter, and jalapenos. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.