Bacon Jalapeño Popper Creamed Corn Gratin

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This recipe is part of a Friendsgiving series (woo!) brought to you by the Friendsgiving with French’s® program #RealFlavorsHaveCrunch

Don’t forget to check back for the next 2 posts so you can achieve maximum tastiness at your Friendsgiving and holiday feasts.

“What’s the first thing you think of when you think of Thanksgiving?” I asked James, hoping for inspiration for my annual Friendsgiving menu.

“Football,” he said. Uh, okay. Not turkey or stuffing or mashed potatoes like I expected, not family, or pilgrims or thankfulness… but football. Football.

And you know what? I could work with that.

You see, if there’s one thing that’s always irked me about Thanksgiving dishes, it’s the fact that it’s all about the same flavors and textures. There’s rosemary, sage, and thyme in every dish, assuming there’s any real seasoning at all, right? And then to boot, everything is soft. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry jelly, sweet potato casserole– I imagine that all being on the
menu at some sort of support group for people who’ve suddenly lost their teeth.

I mean, where’s the cheese.. the heat… the crunch? I’ll tell you where they aren’t: your holiday table. That’s the real reason why everyone gets so sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner. It’s not the tryptophan; it’s because traditional Thanksgiving food is so flavorless that it sucks the life out of you. That’s not scientifically proven or anything, but I tend to believe it.

Anyway,​ ​I’ve​ ​made​ ​it​ ​my​ ​mission​ ​to​ ​change that for the big Friendsgiving feast.​ And​ that​ mission​ ​begins​ ​with​ ​this​ ​Bacon Jalapeño ​ Popper Creamed​ Corn​ Gratin.​

Inspired​ ​by​ ​one​ ​of​ ​my​ ​all-time ​favorite appetizers (jalapeño poppers, of course), ​ ​this ​side​ ​dish​ ​combines​​ ​a ​​Thanksgiving staple– creamed​ ​corn–​ with​ ​the​ ​​type ​of ​amp-it-up​ ​ingredients​ ​you’d​ ​expect​ ​at​ ​a​ ​football ​tailgate:​ crispy ​bacon,​ ​two​ types​ ​of​ ​cheese,​ grits,​ ​fresh ​​chives, ​​panko breadcrumbs,​ ​butter,​ ​and​ French’s®​ ​Crispy​ ​Jalapeños.​ This​,​ ​my​ friends,​ ​​is​ ​one​ ​Thanksgiving-worthy​ recipe​ ​that’s​ ​not​ going​ ​to​ ​bore​ ​your​ ​tastebuds​ ​into​ ​a​ ​coma​ ​of​ ​tastelessness.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​some​ ​real​ ​flavor​ ​here,​ ​and it’s ​waiting​ ​for​​ you.​

My favorite part of this recipe is the cheesy, crispy jalapeno topping. I’m not saying that because French’s sponsored this post (I don’t talk things up unless I really love them; I’d never do you like that), I’m saying it because, in case you missed it, it’s a cheesy, crispy jalapeno topping.

What more needs to be said? I first picked up French’s Crispy Jalapenos a few months ago because I’m a huge spicy food
addict, and thought they’d be a great way to add some heat to my quick dinners. Since then, I’ve added them to my scrambled eggs, sprinkled them over salads, used them to coat chicken breasts, and literally eaten them straight out of the container. I put them in everything, to be honest, because they are perfect for turning everyday dishes into something exciting, but the crust on this recipe is by​ ​far​ the best way I’ve had them– mixed in with buttery panko and slightly-burnt cheddar cheese, all on top of a creamy, cheesy, bacon-loaded corn mixture.

Which is exactly why I’ve prepared 4 of these and stuck them in the freezer for this weekend’s Friendsgiving.

​By​ ​the​ ​way,​ ​did​ I​ mention​​ the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​you​ ​can premake​ ​this​ ​Bacon ​Jalapeno​ ​​Popper ​Creamed​ Gratin​ ​and​ ​just​ ​reheat it​ the​ ​day​ ​of? It’s​ a​ ​holiday​ ​hosting​ ​lifesaver.

James​ ​and​ ​a​ ​few​ ​of​ ​my​ ​neighbors​ ​have​ ​already​ ​tried​ ​this​ ​recipe​ ​since​ ​I​ ​had​ ​to​ ​test ​and​ ​tweak​ it​ for​ ​the​ ​blog​ ​and​ ​the​ ​video,​ ​and​ ​so​ ​far​ ​it’s​ ​been​ ​a​ ​huge​ ​hit.​ ​I​ ​can’t​ ​wait​ ​to​ ​see​ ​what​ ​everyone ​else​ says​ ​about​ ​it​ ​this​ ​Saturday!​ ​I​ ​suspect​ ​it’s​ ​going​ ​to​ ​go​ way​​ ​faster​ ​than​ ​the ​traditional​ side​ ​dishes, what​ do​ ​you​ ​think?

Bacon Jalapeño Popper Creamed Corn Gratin

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★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Morgan
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 10

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Ingredients

• 8 bacon slices, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 large (40 ounce) bag frozen corn kernels
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking grits
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1 large bunch chives, chopped
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 cup French’s Crispy Jalapeños, or more, to taste
• Parsley, to garnish

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large oven-safe skillet* over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove from the skillet using a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl for later. Cook the chopped shallots in the rendered bacon grease until golden, about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in the frozen corn and cook until beginning to lightly brown in spots, about 5 minutes. Pour in the half-and-half and bring to a gentle boil.
4. Add the grits, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper into the skillet and stir until thickened, about 3 minutes. Mix in 1 cup of each the cheddar cheese and Monterey jack cheeses, as well as half of the chives and all of the reserved bacon. Stir until the cheese melts and the ingredients are well-combined.
5. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the panko, melted butter, half of the remaining chives, and the crispy jalapeños. Spread evenly over the creamed corn. Bake until the top is golden, about 35 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chives and garnish with parsley. Serve warm.

Notes

* Alternatively, you can use a regular skillet and transfer the corn mixture to a greased baking dish before topping and baking.

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