The Texas Corn Cake Handbook: Seven Meals You Can Make with a Mix

If I had a dollar for each person I've raved to about these Texas Corn Cakes I'd be rich! So good! I make them cookie size because my kids grab them off the plate (sometimes right off the griddle) and eat them like cookies. Fabulous with a berry syrup. Waiting for the 5 pound bag to come out ;)--Stout Nut

If you have a pack of Texas Corn Cakes in your pantry, you're only minutes away from a meal.

Eat them like pancakes--they're the pancakes in your pantry. Your whole family will love them.

But that's just the beginning.  There's more, much more.

Here are seven meals you can make with that bag in the pantry.

These are corn fritters with apricot syrup.

1. How To Make Corn Fritters

These also make the best corn fritters we have ever tried. You can also make hush puppies, or batter for frying fish or veggies.

We've made corn fritters for years. Using Texas Corn Cake batter makes them very quick and easy. We like them with the diced green chilies, but you can leave them out. Try serving them with syrup or flavored honey.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of Texas Corn Cakes Pancake Mix
• 3/4 cup cold water, more or less, for desired consistency
• 1 can of corn, well-drained
• 2 tablespoons diced chilies, well-drained (optional)

Directions

1. Mix the batter, water, drained corn, and optional chilies in a large bowl.
2. In a deep fryer or heavy pan, heat enough oil for deep frying. The oil should be hot, 365 degrees.
3. Drop three or four large spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Let them cook for three or four minutes, turning once or twice until they just start to brown. Remove them to dry on paper towels. Serve immediately, drizzled with syrup or honey.

2. How to Make Corn Dogs Better than the Fair

Ingredients

• One package of eight good-quality brats cut in half
• 1 1/2 cups Texas Corn Cake mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• Cooking oil, canola or other
• 16 wooden skewers about 4 inches long (cut longer skewers into shorter sticks)

Directions

1. Wipe the dogs with paper towels to remove any moisture and set them aside. The batter will stick to dogs much better if they are wiped dry.
2. Insert the skewers into the ends of the hot dogs.
3. In a large bowl, stir the batter mix, the egg, and the milk together. The batter will be thicker than pancake batter.
4. Pour three to four inches of oil into a six-inch deep pan. Heat the oil to 350 degrees.
5. While the oil is heating, pour some of the batter into a tall glass, taller than the dogs are long.
6. Dip a dog into the batter vertically and lift it from the batter, keeping it straight up so that the excess batter drops off the end and turning the coated dog by slowly spinning the stick between your fingers. (It's harder to explain than to do). If the dog is not kept vertical, the batter will not be uniformly distributed around the dog.
7. Carefully stick the dog in the hot oil at an angle and hold it for three to five seconds before releasing it to float in the oil. By holding the dog in the hot oil for a few seconds, the batter starts to cook and expand, and the dog becomes more buoyant and less likely to stick to the bottom of the pan.
8. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more or until golden brown, turning to brown evenly. Remove with tongs and drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
9. Serve with your favorite dip, ketchup, or mustard.

3. How to Make Erin's Chili Corncakes

Erin worked for us in the store. She loves her corn cakes. This is one of her favorite quick meals.

She adds chilies (optional) to the batter. She stacks corn cakes on each plate and then loads on some chili. Sprinkle grated cheese over the chili. If the chili is not hot enough, she'll reheat it in the microwave.

4. How to Make Silver Dollar Pancakes

If you have a two-tablespoon measure, you can dip and pour the batter onto the griddle.

You can make these little pancakes faster than you might suppose. And the kids will snatch them right off the grill.

 

5. How to Make Corn and Black Bean Cakes

(I love these!)

Make the mix according to the package instructions. Add 3/4 of a cup of canned black beans, well-drained, and 1/2 of a cup of kernel corn. Take 6 or 8 slices of crisply fried bacon, crumble it, and add it to the batter. Stir until it's evenly mixed. Instead of bacon, you can substitute leftover ham or leave the meat out altogether.

Cook on the griddle as with the pancakes. The batter will be thick enough that you may need to spread it a little with the back of a spoon before the batter begins to bake.

Serve as pancakes with a syrup or cheese sauce. My favorite is buttermilk syrup.

This is one of my favorite quick meals.

 

6. How to Make Maple Bacon Corncakes

Maple and bacon is a classic combination.

Take 6 or 8 slices of crisply fried bacon, crumble it, and add it to the batter. Stir until it's evenly mixed.

Cook them as you do pancakes.

 

7. How to Make Huevos Rancheros on a Corncake

That's a corn waffle nestling that egg. Corn cakes make great waffles. As shown, we usually stack goodies on pancakes made with Texas corn cakes, but waffles are just as good and make a fine foundation for a meal.

This egg is sitting on a bed of fresh, homemade salsa made with diced tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. For flavor, add juice from a lime and a little South of the Border seasoning. Sprinkle some shredded cheese over the salsa before adding the fried egg. If you are using larger waffles, add two eggs.