This Trini-Style cheesy bacon corn pie is inspired by the traditional Trinidad corn pie. The classic version is amazing but this one is worth the try.
Recipe video:
Trinidad is a beautiful island known for its music and culture, but also for its delicious cuisine. Unfortunately, up to now I haven’t gotten to the opportunity to visit the island. Until that day comes, I will just allow my taste buds to travel to Trinidad with this Trini-Style Cheesy Bacon Corn Pie.
The traditional corn pie recipe is amazing by itself. I know a lot of people will say why change something that is already delicious. However, I’m not here to fix or change anything but just spice things up. Sometimes traditional recipes are good but sometimes you want to have a little fun with them. And the goal here was to have fun. In order to have fun with this recipe, I decided to use bacon in my recipe.
This recipe is usually served during the Christmas holidays, because that is the time when everyone is throwing the big parties in the Caribbean. However, I’m sharing this recipe during the summer because I like to break the rules a little.
In my opinion, this pie is fairly easy to make but for those who have never heard about its existence may be overwhelmed by it. So in order to guide you through making this recipe, I would like to share some tips & tricks.
TIPS & TRICKS
- Corn: There are many versions of this traditional Trinidad recipe. Some recipes use whole kernel corn and cream corn, others use regular corn and cornmeal and some use whole kernel corn, cream corn and cornmeal. Since this isn’t a traditional recipe, I went for an easier version of the recipe by using cornmeal and regular corn in the can.
- Cornmeal: In order to ensure the rich yellow color, I used yellow fine cornmeal. Before mixing the cornmeal into the pot, I like to add water and an egg to the cornmeal. This will give you in a silky mix before adding it to the pot. This ensures that the cornmeal will cook properly not be rough and dry from lack of liquids.
- Milk: I only used evaporated milk for its richness, flavor and texture. But you can use whole milk, but I really suggest using evaporated milk.
- Veggies: I used a 1/2 of a green and a red bell pepper. But 1 whole bell pepper will work just fine. For the other veggies, I used onions and garlic. And if you want a little heat, use 1 or 1/2 of a scotch bonnet pepper or habanero pepper.
- Seasonings: It’s very simple, all you need is parsley, thyme and of course, salt and black pepper.
- Cheese: I kept it very simple with Cheddar Cheese. But you can also experiment with Monterey Jack or Mozzarella, but Cheddar Cheese is the best in my opinion.
- Bacon: I used regular bacon but you can also use turkey bacon or diced ham.
I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Now, let’s get into it.
Trini-Style Cheesy Bacon Corn Pie
Ingredients
- 15 oz Can corn
- 10-12 Bacon slices
- 1 & 1/2 cups Evaporated milk
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup Fine yellow cornmeal
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Fresh or dried thyme
- 1 tsp Fresh or dried parsley
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 Bell pepper diced
- 1 Medium onion diced
- 1 Scotch bonnet diced
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
- Grease a 9×9 inch pan with butter and set side.
Cornmeal mixture:
- Mix together the cornmeal, water and egg until the mixture is smooth and free of any lumps. Set it aside.
Cooking time:
- Cook the bacon to your preference then set aside. Be sure to chop them finely.
- In a medium skillet or frying pan over medium heat, warm the vegetable oil then cook the onion, garlic, scotch bonnet and bell pepper for 2-5 minutes.
- Drain the corn then add it in, followed by the cornmeal mixture.
- Stir in the milk and butter. Lower the heat and allow it to cook.
- Once the milk has been reduced to more than half, stir in the seasonings, cheese and bacon.
- Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into the greased baking dish.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes and enjoy!
Other corn recipes you my enjoy:
