Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means it is time to start collecting your recipes for the big feast. We all have favorites that we make time and time again, but sometimes change is good. This recipe is a good change, a really good change.
I am working on a wonderful campaign from Smart & Final and The California Milk Advisory Board called “Help Our Teachers, Help Our Kids.” Students and families collect Real California Milk seals from select Smart & Final First Street products, then their teachers submit the seals. Each seal counts as one sweepstakes entry. Teachers who submit 100 seals get 25 Scholastic books or a $25 school supply gift card. Each teacher who enters gets one Scholastic book. The First Street products in this campaign are all items you probably buy each week, such as butter, milk, cottage cheese and ice cream.
My oldest sister is a teacher, and I know how much of her OWN money she puts into helping her kids get the best education they can, so when a program like this comes along I want to support it! And if you live in Southern California YOU can support it too!
The California Milk Advisory Board is going to announce winners in February, BUT Smart & Final is so awesome that they’re doing a separate sweepstakes! Entrants who go to FirstStreetSupportsSoCalSchools.com and tell why their Southern California school should win will be entered to win $500, $300 or $200 to be donated to the school of their choice EVERY MONTH! There will be a total of NINE winners, 3 per month for three months, from those that enter their school! Pretty cool, huh?
My task was to develop a dish for the Thanksgiving table using some of the First Street products that are part of the California Milk Advisory Board campaign. At first I was stumped, since they are all milk products. Of course I thought of my sinfully rich and fabulous Macaroni and Cheese, but that would be like cheating. I needed a new recipe. And then I thought about bacon.
I recently cured and smoked another batch of my Maple-Pepper Bacon. As I vowed in the post that I would never by store bacon again, I have stayed true to my word. Mind you, when I have run out of my own bacon, I have literally stood in front of the bacon section in the store for minutes. I have stood there staring at it, knowing my family had asked for bacon, but still I could not do it! I could not buy that store bacon.
Bacon, milk, butter. . . chowder? No, although I do love a good chowder. Corn, bacon, milk, butter. . . Creamed Corn! Now that is a side dish worthy of the Thanksgiving feast! And by using milk instead of heavy cream, I have lightened up the dish a bit. Not a lot since there is a stick of butter in the recipe, but a bit! Let’s not quibble.
If you are a Southern California parent, please visit the First Street Supports So Cal Schools and Real Seal Appeal Sweepstakes page to help our Southern California teachers win for their classrooms!
- 1 cup thick cut bacon, chopped
- 1 stick salted butter
- 40 ounce bag frozen corn, thawed
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 12 servings
This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #collectivebias #CBias I received a gift card from Smart & Final to buy all groceries.
Maple and bacon makes evertything better. Love that all the ingredients are things commonly found in your pantry.
This is an awesome alternative to our regular Thanksgiving corn casserole!