Butternut Corn Pudding

My corn pudding is good, but did not rate a mention here before. This time I incorporated some butternut squash.

It doesn't look like much, but this new twist put it over the top. I left the older recipe almost the same as I invented it, but after roasting two cleaned halves of a butternut squash, and a small onion cut in half, at 350° F. on a baking pan, I put that in the blender too.

I usually start with canned creamed corn, but this time I made my own with two cups frozen corn niblets in two cups of milk, with butter, and simmered that for 45 minutes or so. Then I let it cool a bit before putting that into the blender until I achieved the consistency of normal creamed corn. Then I added 4 heaping TBS. of masa harina, one egg, salt, a tsp. of black pepper, and maybe 2 tsp. of fresh ground cumin. (As with many of my recipes, one can change up: use cream instead of milk, and often two eggs is better than one.) This time around the caramelized onion and the flesh from the roasted butternut squash went in.

Then into a buttered corningware baking dish, sprinkled ground New Mexico peppers on top and sprinkled with a little milk, and into the oven at 350° for an hour. I put the lid on the dish , gave it 15 more minutes at 300°, and it was ready.

What you see on top is the dark roasted chili pepper, not burned pudding! This is a delicious creation I recommend highly. Mmm! My only regret is the New Mexico chilies were not quite hot enough. Some dried red Thai or cayenne powder incorporated into the pudding would serve one well. Next time I make this I will have it down pat. Enjoy!