Corn and Potato Casserole with Gruyere {GIVEAWAY}

Scroll to the bottom of this post to enter the GIVEAWAY from Libby's Fruits & Vegetables, including a KitchenAid slow cooker! 

Thanksgiving is just days away now!  While I could be feeling stressed about all the work ahead of me, I'm mostly just feeling excited.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I have a feeling this year it's going to be great.  I've been smiling all week just thinking about friends, and family, and all the good food and conversation we'll be enjoying next week.

This week I've been testing a few new dishes for the Thanksgiving menu.  I wanted to create a few side dishes that would be impressively delicious, but also very quick and very easy.  This Corn and Potato Casserole with Gruyere made the top of the list!  It is creamy and crunchy, full of flavor, and took only 15 minutes prep time - perfect addition to the holiday lineup.

Admittedly, I've never used canned potatoes before.  You could start with raw potatoes in this recipe, slice them and cook them first, but when you've got a holiday feast to prepare, it's nice to be able to take a short cut without sacrificing flavor or texture.  I used Libby's Sliced Potatoes and was perfectly satisfied with how the dish turned out - easy and delicious!

Someday my kids may laugh at me for my food blogger quirks because we've eaten this casserole more than once for dinner this week as I tweaked and perfected the recipe for next week's feast.  Luckily, I haven't heard a complaint from them yet.  And, I can tell you with confidence, that this casserole is destined to be a crowd pleaser.

Corn and Potato Casserole with Gruyere

Ingredients

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon dried chives
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ medium onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons butter, divided
¼ cup flour
1 can (15 oz) cream-style corn
1 can (15 oz) Libby's whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) Libby's sliced potatoes
½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup crushed butter crackers

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, milk, chives, and onion powder.  Mix until smooth and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet and saute onions until tender and golden.  Sprinkle with flour and stir for one minute.  Add cream corn and stir for an additional minute.

Remove skillet from heat.  Stir in cream cheese mixture and all remaining ingredients except butter crackers and remaining butter.  Spoon mixture into casserole dish or oven safe skillet.

Top casserole with crushed cracker crumbs.  Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over cracker crumbs.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and golden brown.  Serves 8.

{GIVEAWAY}

Prize (One Winner)

• 6 Qt. KitchenAid Slow Cooker
• Assorted Libby's Fruit & Vegetable products

Requirements

• Leave a comment on this blog post and tell me: What is your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal? 
• Contest ends Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 11:59 P.M. mst.
• Contest open to US states only.
• Winners will be chosen via random.org and have 3 days to respond.

Optional Extra Entries