This bacon, jalapeno, & corn casserole side dish is finished in the oven after being sprinkled with some freshly-grated parmesan cheese and seasoned bread crumbs. It is the perfect warm & spicy dish to serve up as a hearty side during the winter months.
Bacon, Jalapeno, & Corn Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 6 slices of thick-cut bacon
- ½ white onion, (small dice)
- 1 clove of garlic, (finely minced)
- 4 whole fresh jalapenos, (seeds & stems removed, small dice)
- 3 Tbsp salted butter
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
- 3 cups of frozen sweet corn, (thawed)
- ½ cup of freshly-grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup of seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp fresh chives, (finely sliced,as garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large saute pan.
- Add the 6 slices of thick-cut bacon and cook on medium to medium-low heat until the bacon is cooked-through, but before it is crispy.
- Remove the bacon, and reserve on paper towels.
- When the bacon has cooled, cut cooked bacon into small-sized pieces.
- Add the diced white onion to the pan you used to cook the bacon.
- Cook the diced white onion for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Add the minced garlic, and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Add the diced jalapenos, and cook for an additional 4 minutes.
- Remove the cooked onion, garlic, and jalapenos from the pan and set aside.
- Add the salted butter and all-purpose flour to the saute pan.
- Cook the roux (a.k.a. the butter and flour mixture) over medium heat, stirring the mixture carefully with a rubber spatula.
- *Caution: The roux is wicked hot and can burn you very badly.
- After the roux has cooked for roughly 8-10 minutes, slowly whisk in the heavy cream.
- Taste the mixture, and season with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
- Add in the thawed corn, and stir until combined.
- Combine the vegetables you cooked earlier with the bacon and the corn.
- Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Lightly grease a casserole dish with butter.
- Pour the vegetable and bacon mixture into the casserole dish.
- Top with the freshly-grated parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs.
- Bake at 425F for roughly 20 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly golden-brown.
- Serve with finely-sliced fresh chives as a garnish for this side dish.