Bruschetta Cornbread Casserole

Because I am trying so very hard to use everything in our house and not waste a morsel of food, I put together this random casserole, based off of one in the cookbook Cooking With All Things Trader Joe's.  I must tell you, it turned out great, and I actually think that it's much more flavorful than the original recipe.  And this, my friends is a lesson in cooking.  Not that I can offer too many.  But I do know this: you wont know if something works until you try it.  You can substitute anything you want, and it just might be fabulous.  It might be sick, and you will know.  But you will never know if it's delicious-my-mom-wrote-down-this-recipe good until you try.

So add a little flavor.  I used spicy cornbread mix that my dad had purchased at the store, couscous cooked with cinnamon and maple syrup to take away some of the spicy, and grilled vegetable bruschetta.  It was good.  Perfect for an afternoon lunch, but also would go so well as a side to a perfectly grilled steak, or even BBQ chicken.  Give it a whirl.  Substitute something else and let me know how it works.  You might surprise yourself.  Enjoy!



Bruschetta Cornbread Casserole


1 box couscous
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 jar grilled vegetable bruschetta mix (this you can substitute anything for, just make sure that you season your couscous properly to go with whatever you pick.  Like a basil lime with artichoke hearts sounds good here too.)
1 box spicy cornbread mix via Marie Calendars
1 cup plain goat milk yogurt (You can use other yogurt if you want, but goat milk is nice and creamy)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  While heating, cook couscous according to instructions, adding in maple syrup and cinnamon about half way through cooking process.  When finished cooking, place couscous into 9 inch round casserole dish and add in the cup of plain yogurt, folding yogurt into the couscous.  Once mixed well, add the full jar or bruschetta (don't strain the juices) and fold bruschetta into the couscous-yogurt mixture.  Once mixed, make sure new mixture is nicely covering the bottom of the pan, and is even on top.  Add 1/2 cup of water to the cornbread mix.  (This may vary depending on the mix, so make sure to check the package.)  Stir until batter is smooth, and no powder remains.  Pour 1/3 of batter on top of the couscous/yogurt/bruschetta mix, allowing it to lay on top of mixture.  Use rest of batter for a small loaf of cornbread in appropriate sized pan.  Place the casserole dish and extra cornbread into oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Enjoy!