Taco Corn Bread Casserole - Church PotLuck Main Dish

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Did you look at yesterday's post of "Thyme for a Lasagna"???  That;s a wonderful dish that will keep you in the kitchen for a couple of hours.  All scratch made sauce and even fresh pasta, but a dish that will show off and reward your cooking skills (it is actually very easy when you divide the tasks into achievable small goals... but I digress).

This recipe is just about the opposite in degree of difficulty.  Could not be much easier.  A single large skillet does all the cooking browning and simmering.  A couple of boxes of corn muffin mix for the top, just a few minutes in the oven and you are done.  I dressed mine up pretty simply with a few decorative pepper rings and a little melted cheese.  You can get even fancier and more Taco Like with some chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce on top if you prefer.

This casserole has dressed Socials, Church PotLucks and about every occasion when a covered dish is asked for since at least the Kennedy Administration and I am sure quite a bot longer than that.  But just because it is an old recipe doesn't make it any less appreciated ny the host!

Once again, like the Lasagna, this dish does break one of my rules about any Church PotLuck dish. It will require some special care to serve at the right temperature. But there are a couple of ways around this...

First and easiest is to simply deliver this to the church kitchen and those hard working Church Basement Ladies will make sure that it stays in the warming oven before serving. Tightly seal with either a lid or aluminum foil and an hour or two at 180 degrees will not affect the dish much.

BUT BUT BUT... Do check with the coordinator to make sure there is room for your dish. Many churches have a standard home oven and the spaces could already be spoken for. Make their job easy and do not assume they will be able to accommodate your needs. Be sure to politely ask the servers to remove the casserole from the warming oven about 20 minutes before first person cuts.

Alternatively (and my travel method of choice) I like to make my Casserole in the morning before I leave for church. Remove it HOT HOT HOT from the oven and immediately seal (lid or aluminum foil) and double wrap in a heavy beach towel. Then I load the towel insulated dish into a large beer cooler (No ice,No beer). This combination keeps the casserole perfectly warm for several hours.

This is simple... A little browning, a little chopping, a little simmer, a little mixing and a little baking and you have a fresh made, home made, brag worthy dish that is always well received.  One of those, "Anyone can make this" Dishes.  Plus, as I like to say...

Church PotLuck Suppers are a chance to share God's Bounty with your Church family and friends. That bounty should be made with love and caring.

OK... Here's what I did...

Taco Corn Bread Casserole

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 Pound Hamburger, Browned and drained
• 1-1/2 Cups Corn, Fresh cut from a cooked cob or frozen
• 2 Medium Tomatoes, Diced, hard core removed
• 2 Large Plus 1 Small Green Bell peppers, Diced;small Pepper cut into rings for garnish
• 1 Large Red Onion, Diced
• 4 TBS Taco Seasoning
• 1 Cup (divided) Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated, 3/4 cup in the casserole, 1/4 cup as garnish on top
• 2 Boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a LARGE Heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, brown the hamburger until all pink removed. Drain the fat.
3. Mix in the Onion and Green pepper and stir until onion softens and turns translucent.
4. Add Tomatoes and Taco Seasoning and mix well.
5. Transfer everything to a 2 Quart baking dish.
6. Top with 3/4 cup of shredded Cheddar Cheese
7. Prepare Muffin Mix according to directions on the box.
8. Spread the mix over the Hamburger mx.
9. Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven
10. Sprinkle 1/4 Cup Cheese over the browned cornbread topping, arrange Green Pepper Rings in attractive garnish and return to oven to bake for a final 5 minutes.
11. Allow casserole to rest for a few minutes before serving. Optional to add chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce on top for additional Taco Look.
12. Serve Warm and ENJOY!

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Church PotLuck Dishes"!

A list of something NEW worthy of being shown off at a neighborhood BYODish (Bring Your Own Dish) Party, a Family special occasion dinner, Any Big Holiday Gathering or of course that glorious day when you bring a dish to share with your Church family...

Ages ago, literally almost a half century ago I was listening to our pastor talking about a PotLuck Dinner. It happened to be scheduled around a church work day when we were expected to weed, polish and do general cleaning and maintenance around the church (you know, back in the day when there were no no-wax floors and church pews smelled of Old English furniture polish). I am of course paraphrasing, but as I recall the pastor said,

"A potluck, like a church requires work. At a potluck everyone is expected to contribute.. At a church no one should come empty handed and no one should leave unfed".

I will confess that in my youth I brought more store bought plastic spoons and forks than I ever brought covered dishes and crock pots of fresh made love and caring delights. But now that I have become a hobbyist cook, I occasionally am reminded of those days and people from my youth. I reminded and I do wish that I could drop a dish of some new creation on those old tables at my fondly remembered Liberty Baptist Church.  Tables covered with newspapers and loaded with God's bounty prepared with love and caring... Enjoy

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Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Pot Pie

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This dish has a beautiful presentation with the glowing, pull apart Parmesan butter biscuit topping hiding a rich Alfredo sauced pot pie filling.  All of the classic pot pie ingredients are here, chicken, corn, peas, sweet peppers and spices.

In addition to the Million Dollar presentation look, this dish has the advantage of being around a $5 meal (or less).  Primarily made with leftovers (I had grilled a couple of chickens a few days earlier and had quite a bit left)... Or of course this works FANTASTIC as a dish made from a store bought fully cooked, pre seasoned Rotisserie Chicken).  The vegetables came out of my freezer.  Always check the sale flyers and every month or two you will find frozen peas, carrots, etc on sale for a buck a bag.  I always try to have them on hand.

The biscuits are Pillsbury GRAND brand.  While it looks like a lot of biscuits, in fact this is a single can.  You just slice the biscuits in half putting the flat side down on top of the filling!

There are two stages to making this dish.  First we need to make an Al Fredo sauce.  This is very easy.  No need to buy that over processed jar of sauce you see in the store. Always better to make fresh (but of course if you are in a hurry, the jar sauce will work).

OK... Here's what I did...

Creamy Rich Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 Can Refrigerator biscuits
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 Cup Grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
• 6 TBS Butter
• 1 Medium Onion, small Dice
• 1 Pinch Salt
• 1 Pinch Pepper (but MUCH more when you use the sauce on a dish
• 1 pinch Nutmeg

Cooking Directions

1. Melt the Butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan
2. Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes until the onions soften and turn translucent
3. Add the cream and heat to simmer.
4. Add the cheese and spices and stir until melted. Reduce to desired thickness of sauce (I like mine thick so it sticks to the pasta or vegetables... about 10 minutes)
5. Serve over pasta or vegetables

OK... Once you have the sauce it is time to work on the actual casserole...

Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Bake

Ingredients

• 2 TBS Olive Oil
• 1 Medium (about 1 Cup) Onion, Large Dice
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas, rinsed under hot water to partially thaw
• 1 Cup Frozen Corn, rinsed under hot water to partially thaw
• 1 Cup Sliced Sweet peppers, stems, seeds and white membrane removed
• 2 tsp Italian Seasonings (I used fresh minced Thyme, Oregano and Basil)
• 2 Cups meat taken from a chicken, large dice
• 1-1/2 Cups Alfredo Sauce
• Several grinds from a Pepper Mill (to taste)
• 1 Can or tube Buttermilk Biscuits (I used Pillsbury Grand brand)
• 1 Stick Butter melted
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 1 TBS Butter Melted
• 1 TBS Parmesan Cheese, finely grated

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare a large baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. In a heavy frying pan, melt butter, add onions and saute for 5 minutes until the onions soften and turn translucent.
4. Peppers, Peas and Corn and saute for another 2 minutes
5. Add the Alfredo Sauce and Chicken, stir to mix and heat thoroughly (about 5 more minutes)
6. Season with Italian seasonings and Pepper
7. Pour into the large baking dish (note: it occurred to me that if I made this in a cast iron skillet or oven safe stainless steel frying pan I could make this a one pot meal).
8. Slice the biscuits in half.  Melt 1 stick of butter and mix with 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.  Dip the sides of each biscuit in the butter.  This creates the buttery pull apart affect.
9. Top the Alfredo Chicken and Vegetables with the biscuits, cut ends on top of the Alfredo vegetables, circle the pan evenly placed. lean the biscuits against each other.  I had also reserved a couple of the prettier broccoli florets to place in the center for presentation
10. Brush more melted butter on top of the biscuits, sprinkle with the finely grated Parmesan.
11. Bake covered with aluminum foil for 10 minutes
12. Remove the foil and bale for another 10-15 minutes. Double check that the biscuits are thoroughly cooked.  You may need to cover again with the aluminum foil and back several more minutes to get the bottom (the part next to the alfredo sauced vegetables) completely cooked.
13. Serve HOT and ENJOY!!!

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Uses For a Rotisserie Chicken"  (Now close to 100!)...I am so confused... $5.49 for a fully cooked, fully seasoned Oven Roasted, Rotisserie Chicken. Yet shop in the raw meat department and most raw chickens are at best $8 each and usually far closer to $10. Anyone have an answer??? Me either. So, I can either rail against the machine, or learn to embrace the beauty that is the $5 chicken! In this pin are recipes I have made, and recommend. MORE than 52 (I just can't stop)..
You get the idea.  From Scratch Pizza to Chinese Take Out recipes, Lots of Soups and Chili... Appetizers to Main Courses (Still can't find a dessert, but I am looking).  More than enough ideas for that store nought bird to shine with just a little extra work

***********************PINTEREST*********************

Come and find me on Pinterest... Any of my "52 Ways to cook" Boards are worth following.  If you like this post, please take a second and "Pin" this to your own boards... Better yet, if you are part of a foodie group board please take a second and add this post to your group pins... best way to show your Love!

And BTW, if you are not yet part of a group board, drop me an email at Contact@eRecipeCards.com and request to be added to my group board... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! (be sure to include your pinterest ID when you write)  Once you are added, any pins you add will be seen by 10s of THOUSANDS of followers of the board (and growing daily).

Rules, only 2... 

1. In order to join you need to start following the group board as well as at least one of my boards.
2. And you must ONLY pin original sources, posts from food related bloggers only.  If you are a blogger, this is a great way to have thousands of potential readers see your work,  If you are a fan of bloggers, a great way to share your favorites...
   Come and be a part of ... FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGERS! on Pinterest