Natural Pairings

Do you have foods that just naturally seem to pair up? When grilled hamburgers are on the menu, my kids think that corn casserole and baked beans also have to make an appearance.

I'm kind of like that with meatloaf. My mom always fixed baked potatoes and baked beans when we had meatloaf. Even today, the meal just doesn't seem complete if one of the components is missing. My husband, on the other hand, would just as soon I skip the baked potatoes when I serve baked beans. He'd rather I pair them with potato chips so he can use the beans as a makeshift dip. That's what he grew up eating.

Isn't it funny how our family of origin dictates choices like what appears on the dinner table ... what detergent to use ... what toothpaste to buy?

Randy & I had similar upbringings, so we have a lot of common ground. Being farmers' kids, wheat harvest was a centerpiece of our June.

We'll see if we get started with wheat harvest around here today. Others in the area are cutting, but our fields were still too wet yesterday. On our way to Pratt last night, Randy wasn't too thrilled to drive past combines cutting swathes in fields while he was left to watch from the sidelines.

Corn Casserole probably won't be on the sidelines around here during harvest season. No matter whether you serve this corn casserole with grilled burgers for a family supper or for a harvest side dish, it's a good one to have in your recipe file. Enjoy!

Baked Corn Casserole

1 can cream style corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/2 cup grated cheese
3/4 cup milk
1 pkg. Jiffy corn bread mix
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 small green pepper, chopped (opt.)
1/2 cup chopped onions, chopped (opt.)

If you are using the green pepper and the onions, saute them in the melted margarine until softened. Add all the other ingredients, mixing well. Pour into greased 9- by 13-inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

Note: I don't use the onions and green peppers because that's not how my family prefers it.