The Sweetest, Tastiest Corn-on-the-Cob Recipe Ever!

Now, I'm not into undeserving superlatives, so if the title of my post is the "Sweetest, tastiest... ever" I better mean what I say!  This recipe comes courtesy of my husband's grandmother, Annette.  About five years ago, we were on a family vacation with grandparents, aunts & uncles, and cousins so dinners were cooked in mass quantities to feed the hungry beachgoers.  On these family vacations, I always loved to help Annette in the kitchen because she would share terrific recipes and some great West Texas (Abilene) wisdom to boot!

That day, we had purchased corn on the cob from the market and needed to cook about 10 ears to feed the hungry masses.  I do usually love my corn on the cob grilled, but Annette shared that she knewa much simpler method that would make the corn some of the best I'd ever taste.  It was a trick learned from her mother, Scottie, that she has used for years to cook her corn.  I can't tell you how old this recipe is, but I suspect it's probably at least 50 years in the making.  Corn is a summertime dinner staple throughout Texas, but the early and late season corn isn't always the sweetest and best, so this makes even the starchier corn taste better. 

The trick? A pinch (about 1 - 2 Tbsp) in the cooking water!

Boiling the corn in the sugar-infused water brings out the sweetness in the corn and is a great method to cook enormous quantities of corn too.  How did it taste?  Well, to put it mildly, it was EXCELLENT!  To this day, I cook my corn on the cob by this method and I always get rave reviews from my husband and guests.  The recipe is also versatile - I stick with traditional butter, salt, and pepper, but you can add lemon pepper, garlic salt, cayenne, or anything else that tickles your imagination.  If you need to make larger quantities, just add a little more of everything (water, sugar, butter, etc.). I bet this recipe will become a staple in your house too!  In honor of Annette and Scottie's roots, I'm calling the recipe Abilene-Style Corn-on-the-Cob.  Happy eating!

Abilene-Style Corn-on-the-Cob

(Serves 4 - 6)

4 ears of corn, shucked
Enough water to cover corn
1 - 2 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

After shucking corn, break cobs in half so you have two pieces per ear (8 total pieces for 4 ears)
Place corn in deep pot or Dutch oven.  Add enough water to cover corn (it will take several quarts). Add 1 - 2 Tbsp of white sugar (I usually add two) and bring corn to a boil over medium-high heat.  Once corn reaches a boil, set timer for 10 minutes.  Boil corn for 10 minutes, then drain water out of pot (but leave in corn).  Add in 2 Tbsp of butter, cover pot, and shake to coat the corn with butter.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over corn, cover, and shake to distribute salt and pepper to the corn.  Serve warm.

Retro Chicken and Stuffing

This weekend, we attended a barbecue.  While feasting on traditional fare such as burgers, dogs, and chips, I felt nostalgic for more comfort food.  Consulting my comfort food Bible (a.ka. my gramma's recipes), I came across a baked chicken and stuffing recipe.  While I've made back-of-the box chicken and stuffing before, this one was a bit different.  After mixing the stuffing with water and butter, it was placed in the center of the baking dish and the chicken surrounding. 

I think of this recipe as "retro" since it makes copious use of canned and convenience products.  While I generally try and make things completely from scratch, using a convenience product or two is still way better than a fried fast food meal. It's also easy to make healthier - use low-sodium, low-fat soup, whole wheat stuffing mix, and skinless chicken breasts.  So, I embraced my inner June Cleaver, donned a retro apron, and tucked into a hearty chicken meal.  Served with a vegetable on the side (or added in), it's nutritious and filling.  Happy eating!

One Dish Chicken and Stuffing Bake

1 package stuffing mix of choice (I prefer one with whole wheat bread)
1 1/4 cups water
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1 lb chicken tenders or 2 - 0.5 lb chicken breasts, sliced into 4 pieces each
Paprika
1 can reduced sodium and fat cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup milk
1 Tbsp chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat 1 1/4 cups of water to boiling and add butter.  Mix until melted.  Combine water/butter with stuffing mixture and spoon down the center of the baking dish (9x13 glass pan works well).  Place chicken tenders or breast pieces along sides of baking dish.  Sprinkle chicken with paprika.  Mix cream of mushroom soup, milk, and parsley.  Spoon over chicken breasts.  Cover dish and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.