Church dinner brings two great sides

Two side dishes that were a big hit at a recent church dinner were Robert Gibbs Baked Beans and Heather McNeal’s Corn Casserole. Add a barbecue sandwich for a great meal.

When I was invited to attend the 3rd Annual Alcoa First United Methodist Church’s Talent Show and Dinner sponsored by the church youth, I knew that I would be entertained and well fed. My nephew, Davy Hill, is the youth director at the church. The youth had come straight from school to get to work setting up the tables and making preparations for the dinner, which was organized by church member Robert Gibbs.

I wanted to share a couple of recipes with our “In The Kitchen” readers. One is for baked beans, given to me by Robert Gibbs, and the other is for a corn casserole by church member Heather McNeal. I also want to thank everyone involved with the talent show and dinner that evening, especially the youth who did an outstanding job making it a success! The proceeds from the talent show and dinner went toward youth projects and their yearly mission trip to Haiti.

Robert Gibbs Baked Beans

4 cans, 15 oz size each, pork and beans (your favorite brand), drained

1 cup favorite BBQ sauce (Robert likes to use “Open Pit” brand)

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1/3 lb. hot sausage

1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke

Dash of Worcheshire Sauce

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

In medium skillet, brown and crumble sausage and caramelize the onions. In large bowl, combine all ingredients, adding pork and beans last. Mix gently, and pour into a 3-quart casserole dish. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour at 325 degrees.

Heather McNeal’s Corn Casserole

1 can, 15 oz. size whole kernel corn, drained

1 can, 15 oz. cream style corn

1 cup sour cream

1 stick melted butter

1 box, 8 oz. size, of Jiffy Cornbread mix

1/4 cup finely, chopped onion

2 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and pour into an ungreased 2-quart casserole dish. Bake in 350 degree in a preheated oven for 1 hour or until golden brown on top.