This recipe makes a lot!  It is usually something we take to family holiday dinners.  You can cut the quantities down to make 1/4 of the recipe for a family meal, and you will still have left-overs.

Although the recipe now includes cheese, it tastes is very similar to an old Southern dish called Fried Corn, and it is a heck of a lot easier to make.  When my grandmother made fried corn, she started by frying about a half a pound of  bacon, removing the meat and leaving the grease, cutting the kernels from about 2 lbs of fresh corn cobs, and then “frying” the corn kernels in the bacon grease until she had a thickened mush that stuck to her huge cooking spoon when she turned the spoon upside down.  Yum yum, but oh my arteries!

Corn Pie – updated version of Fried Corn

• 4 lbs. frozen whole kernel corn, thawed to refrigerator temperature
• 12 oz. Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 4-oz. Cans chopped green chilies (mild)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 5-6 heaping Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 stick butter or oleo, softened

In the food processor, blend small batches of corn kernels until coarsely pureed.  Spoon into large bowl.  Add rest of ingredients.  Mix well.  Pour into greased 13″ x 9″ x 2″ casserole dish.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

To make the smaller, family-size version, cut the ingredients down to these quantities:

• 1 lbs. frozen whole kernel corn, thawed to refrigerator temperature
• 3 oz. Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 oz. (1/2 of a 4 oz. can) chopped green chilies (mild)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 heaping Tablespoon plus 1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons stick butter or oleo, softened

Recipe from Charlene Insley Chatfield (mother-in-law of Carlyn Foshee Chatfield)