Skinny Cornbread Casserole

I am so making this next week.  It is a soft food and would be great with a side of chili.....now, in reality I will probably on be able to get 1/2 a serving of this and a few tablespoons of chili, or maybe I'll add some ground beef and cheese to this recipe and make it a one pot meal?.....regardless....soft foods here I come!

Skinny Cornbread Casserole

By Nancy Fox

By Nancy Fox 

We tasted many cornbread casseroles in our day and this one wins hands down… It’s rich, moist, creamy and loaded with flavor. It’s amazing how some of the best recipes are often the simplest to make. The original full fat recipe has such ingredients as sour cream, butter and 2 entire cups of cheese. Our makeover’s using similar ingredients but reduced or fat-free versions. We found that using only ½ cup of reduced-fat cheddar cheese provides plenty of flavor. The skinny on this divine casserole is 205 calories and 5 grams of fat. A slice of a regular casserole has 306 calories and 15 grams of fat. This is bound to become your go to side dish casserole...

Prep Time: 12 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 large onions, chopped (about 3½ cups)

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons reduced-fat butter, Benecol Light, or Smart Balance light

4 egg whites

1 egg

2 tablespoons fat-free or reduced-fat milk

1 (1-LB) package Marie Callender’s Original Corn Bread Mix

2 (14.5 oz) cans cream-style corn

1 cup fat-free sour cream (½ pint)

½ cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a 13”x9” baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. In a microwave safe bowl, add the onions and butter. Cook in the microwave on high for about 4 minutes until soft. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl mix together the egg whites, egg and milk. Stir in the cornbread mix and cream-style corn. Mix well. Spread cornbread batter into the prepared dish.

4. Spoon the cooked onions and liquid left in the bowl evenly over the top.

5. Using a rubber spatula carefully spread the sour cream over the onions. It’s not necessary to completely cover the onions. The sour cream will create little pillows.

6. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the sour cream.

7. Bake for about 40-45 minutes until golden brown.

9. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares. This casserole may be made ahead of time, refrigerated and reheated. It also freezes great.

Makes 16 servings

Food Fact: The origin of cornbread is as old as corn itself. In America, we’ve known about and eaten cornbread since arrival of the Europeans. The native Americans leaned early on how to dry and grind corn into meal, which is the main ingredient in cornbread.

Serving Tip: This casserole makes a wonderful side dish to serve with barbecue chicken, steaks, or chili.

Skinny Facts: for one slice; 205 calories, 5g fat, 7g protein, 32g carbs, 3g fiber, 447mg sodium, 13g sugar

Fat Facts: for one slice of a full fat recipe; 306 calories, 15g fat, 9g protein, 35g carbs, 3g fiber, 545mg sodium, 15g sugar