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Leave out the kielbasa and this creamy corn casserole is a perfect side dish.
Budget Busting Meal
I’ve been on a corn craze lately. That happens from time to time. Because of this “rip” I had a huge bag of frozen corn on hand and wanted to use up a goodly portion of it–I lack freezer space even though I have 3 freezers between 2 houses and of course the refrigerator freezer.
A while ago, I saw a side dish corn casserole for a creamy corn. It basically consisted of whole-kernel corn, white sauce and some embellishments (which I don’t recall).
Anyway, I had the corn on hand and a package of kielbasa, hence this casserole. Not only is this delicious, it definitely won’t break the bank as far as a food budget. Heck, I’ll say it; it’s cheap and cheerful.
A Casserole That’s A Workhorse
This corn and kielbasa casserole is so versatile that it can be what you want it to be when you want it.
If you want a main dish, then the kielbasa is the meat that makes it a complete meal in one dish.
On the other hand, if you want a nice side dish for the holidays, or any other time, then leaving out the kielbasa turns it into a very non-boring side dish!
The sauce can be embellished. I used a little onion to pick up the flavor. You can leave that out if you want and just make a plain white sauce. A little Parmesan cheese would be a nice addition too–whether it’s with or without the kielbasa. Let your imagination and your family’s tastes go free here.
Got Leftovers?
If you have any leftover meat in the fridge, by all means use it here. It’s a great way to extend a smaller amount of meat to feed a family. Chicken would be a great choice. Pork would be good too.
And as always, any smoked sausage or even humble hot dogs can stand in for the kielbasa.
The Recipe
Creamy Corn And Kielbasa Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb fully-cooked kielbasa diced large
- 32 oz frozen corn thawed
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tbs butter
Cream Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup hot milk
- 3 tbs butter
- 3 tbs flour
- 2 tbs finely chopped onion
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray or butter a 1.5-2 quart casserole; set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; stir in the onion. Add the flour, whisking constantly so no lumps form, until it starts to bubble.
- While whisking, slowly add the hot milk taking care that no lumps form. Whisk in the chicken stock. Stir constantly until thick and mixture begins to boil; remove from heat.
- Place the thawed corn and kielbasa in a large bowl and mix in the cream sauce. Stir in the cream.
- Melt the 1 tbs of butter and mix in the panko crumbs.
- Turn mixture into prepared pan. Top with buttered crumbs.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until crumbs are beginning to turn golden and sauce is bubbling at the edge of the pan.
