Christmas Dinner Chez Hawthorne.

After my Christmas Baking Marathon, I don't want to see a stick of butter or a cup of sugar for a long time. I just want to get back to real food. I decided on a leg of lamb for our Christmas viande. For side dishes, I'm making a sweet potato casserole and either a corn bread slash pudding or a corn pudding slash bread. I can't decide which it was. Somewhere in between the two. I made it up and it was very good. Here are the ingredients:

Corn Bread Pudding 1 can creamed corn 1 can corn (oops - not pictured), drained 1 small can green chilies 1/2 onion, chopped 2 eggs 1 cup corn meal 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 stick butter 1/4 cup cottage cheese 1 1/2 - 2 cup grated cheddar cheese Melt 1/2 stick of butter. Beat in eggs. Add in cottage cheese, drained can of corn, creamed corn, chilies, and chopped onion. Stir in most of grated cheese, leaving enough to top the casserole. Mix 1 cup cornmeal with baking powder and salt and stir into mixture. Pour into buttered 8 inch square casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 75 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Eggs going into melted butter.

I would've used sour cream if I'd had it, but since I made burritos the other day for the boys, I had none, since they like burritos with their sour cream. Sorta like I like tea with my lemon. I had the cottage cheese and subbed that for the sour cream.

Drained corn going in.

Creamed corn going in.

Chilies.

Chopped onion.

Most of the grated cheddar went in. I'm saving some for the topping.

Cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

Pour into casserole dish.

Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for 75 minutes. While the corn casserole was baking, I started on my sweet potato casserole.

Sweet Potato Casserole 3 sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced and cooked in boiling salted water until just tender 1 egg, beaten 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 stick butter 1/2 cup heavy cream marshmallows pecans additional brown sugar for sprinkling over top a few pats of butter for the top

Mash potatoes. Stir in sugar and butter, mashing until butter is melted. Add in cream and egg. Top with pecans and marshmallows. Sprinkle brown sugar over top. Add pats of butter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-45 minutes, until marshmallows are slightly golden.

Brown sugar and butter getting mixed into the cooked sweet potatoes.

Cream in.

Egg in.

Top with pecans and marshmallows. Sprinkle some brown sugar over top. Add a few pats of butter. Bake at 350 about 30-45 minutes until the marshmallows are the way you want them.

Ta daaaaa.

The lamb was about 6 pounds. To prepare it, I trimmed most of the fat off, then poured boiling water all over it because that's the way Mama did her lamb. I baked it for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature was 160 degrees. It was delicious.

Mr. Hawthorne's contribution - butter beans.

My plate - lamb, butter beans, sweet potato casserole, corn casserole, and a slice of Schwan's Baguette.

Only one thing missing.

Mint jelly.

I love that sliver of green.

This is truly comforting food. And I'm looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.