It's no secret that I have all kinds of contempt for Sandra Lee. I won't go into my usual rant about how weird it is that her Chanel-quilted headband always matches her too-tight cashmere deep V-neck sweater, matches the drapes in her "kitchen," matches her potholders (oh wait, I just went into it!), because really, that just makes me sound like a jealous little you-know-what.
I will, however, say that as much as I am not fond of her, I do appreciate the philosophy of semi-homemade. Life moves pretty fast, and there are times when you just have to resort to using the $0.69 box of Jiffy cornbread mix because you don't have time to grow corn in your backyard, harvest the corn, shuck it, cut it, dry it, and do whatever else you're supposed to do to make cornmeal.
So I didn't actually even cheat. It wasn't like I was trying to make cornbread and had to use a mix out of convenience in the last minute. I actually have a recipe for this Sweet Corn Cake/Bread/Souffle/Thing (I'm not quite sure what it is, and have no idea from where I copied the recipe a bazillion years ago) that specifically calls for the boxed mix as one of the ingredients. When I make it, I almost feel a little dirty.
But only until it cools and I eat it.
Sweet Corn Cake/Bread/Souffle/Thing
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, stir together: ½ c melted butter, 2 lightly beaten eggs, 1 8.5 oz package of Jiffy cornbread mix, 1 can of whole kernel corn, 1 can of cream-style corn, and 1 c. sour cream.
Pour into a lightly greased 9x9" baking pan.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Cheese Course: Brebis Pardou
A transcendent summer tomato salad
Sliced bread turns 80 today
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-11-2008 @ 9:50PM
Julie said...
Isn't it funny Sarah how we let the "Rachel Ray's" and "Sandra Lee's" get under our skin a bit. I too made a small reference to Sandra Lee in one of my posts last week.
http://noshtalgia.blogspot.com/2008/01/orange-blossom-banquet.html
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2-12-2008 @ 12:06AM
kristin said...
But..but...but....cornbread mix is just cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, right? It's not like you have to harvest corn to make cornbread mix! (When I explained to a friend that he had all the ingredients in his house to make pancakes and he didn't need to buy 'pancake mix' he was floored) But that's not my biggest beef with SL - half of the stuff she makes isn't SEMI anything - IT'S ACTUALLY HOMEMADE. I scream that at the TV a lot when her show comes on while I'm doing dishes and I didn't have a chance to turn the channel. I've seen her make MANY meals that were just plain ol' homemade. Ok, I'll stop now. I swear.
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2-12-2008 @ 12:13AM
dragonet2 said...
The thing that got me was when she bought a pumpkin pie at Costco (ginormous, over $15 in our market/KC, MO) and bought little phyllo cups and scooped the expensive pie into the bitty phyllo cups.
It costs about $3 to MAKE pumpkin pie filling and it can be baked without a crust, I've done it.
She just struck me as being wasteful and stupid. And I can't stand to look at her.
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2-12-2008 @ 1:26AM
dee said...
Why wait for it to cool? Save yourself the guilt. Yum.
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2-12-2008 @ 1:36AM
K said...
Well, I'm about to let you off the hook! This isn't even a SL original recipe. It's been around for ages, and we've made it in our family -- virtually identical but for adding a smidge of chili powder -- for at least 10 years. Now you can rest easy knowing that you just happened to see something by SL worth making, and the reason it was worth making, was because it wasn't hers to begin with! Taa Dahhh! And there was much rejoicing.
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2-12-2008 @ 5:15AM
Dea said...
I got this recipe years ago from a friend at a potluck! It was a hit with everyone! Its a thanksgiving favorite at her house! And truly a delicious recipe! I like to think of it as kind of corn pudding...
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2-12-2008 @ 6:24AM
Red Icculus said...
Despite being semi-homemade, we always eat cornbread with beans (grains plus legumes) for complete protein. Meat is a rare treat in our house. What's 45 minutes if you have it to put lentils in the crock pot?
I bet the sour cream makes it crazy rich. Awesome recipe!
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2-12-2008 @ 6:24AM
Sally said...
I've been making that for at least 25 years. It's the first recipe my daughters asked for when they left home.
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2-12-2008 @ 7:34AM
Annie said...
You Americans may have had semi - homemade for years but we British are only just catching up with you. On Friday our Sainted Delia Smith launches her new Book - "How to Cheat at Cooking" It has started an outcry, a lot of people are so scandalised they think she's being paid for the products she features. Which she is not.
Personally I am a cooking snob and don't ever cheat.
Except for stuffing mix....ramen noodles.......spice mixes.....etc etc.
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2-12-2008 @ 9:19AM
Molly said...
I popped this recipe up on my blog last month. I love this recipe, although wow, could it be any less high-brow? I also have made it with grated pepper jack cheese, and that's great too, although the pan needs a little more greasing that way.
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2-12-2008 @ 12:26PM
Kristine said...
here in the midwest...we call that corn casserole...and it's delicious. i was skeptical of the recipe myself, but i now make it a few times a month. yum.
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2-12-2008 @ 12:26PM
Kristine said...
here in the midwest...we call that corn casserole...and it's delicious. i was skeptical of the recipe myself, but i now make it a few times a month. yum.
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2-14-2008 @ 1:10PM
Kat K. said...
I'm just never gonna get past her Kwanzaa Cake travesty. Seriously - Corn Nuts and apple fie filling?
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_25303,00.html
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3-03-2008 @ 12:16PM
Tonia said...
In Appalachia, we call this spoonbread. A good friend from Ohio also makes it, and calls it spoonbread. Around here, potters make special baking dishes for spoonbread.
Tonia
biscuitpower.com
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4-21-2008 @ 1:36AM
serena said...
i used to be a hater too, but then i actually took the time to read about sandra lee, she's not so bad. all that todo on her show is really her. and though i would never mess w/ a $15 pie, it was cute, quick and easy. that is all she claims.and she worked very hard to get where she is.
i tried this recipe a hit w/ my 5 kids, cheap and easy.
thanks.
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