Corn/5 recipes

Three-layer white chocolate cake with chopped pecans, coconut, and a fluffy boiled-sugar coconut icing. Special occasion Southern-style layer cake with cooked seven-minute frosting.

Banana cream pie with a buttery pecan-shortbread crust, a thin chocolate layer, vanilla custard folded with whipped cream and fresh bananas. Makes two pies for the county fair winner's circle.

Chunky minestrone loaded with red potatoes, white beans, barley, corn, and peas in a crushed tomato broth with leeks and basil. Makes a full gallon for big batch meal prep.

Indian chicken pies with flaky lard-and-margarine pastry wrapped around garam masala-spiced chicken, mushrooms, and corn. Handheld curry-pot pies worth the weekend effort.

A Mexican-inspired chilled gazpacho loaded with fresh Roma tomatoes, zucchini, roasted garlic and spicy vegetable juice, topped with crispy tortilla strips and crumbled Cotija cheese.

Granny Smith chocolate oatmeal apple pie layers tart green apples, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and chewy oats in a custardy cinnamon filling. A pecan-pie-meets-apple-pie hybrid for dessert lovers.

Moist chocolate banana cake made without eggs, loaded with cocoa, chocolate chips, and crunchy pecans. Buttermilk and ripe bananas keep it fudgy while brown sugar adds deep caramel sweetness.

Peruvian-style shrimp chowder with flounder, potatoes, corn, and cream cheese in a spicy tomato broth, garnished with fresh mint. A rich seafood soup ready in 45 minutes.

Whole wheat cookies shaped like cat poop, rolled in Grape-Nuts, and served in a litter box. Two dough options: chocolate or gingerbread. The ultimate gross-out Halloween party hit!

A Mexican inspired dish made with tomatillas, melted cheese and pre-cooked chicken, just delicious.

The grilled chicken adds the "pop" to this traditional tex-mex recipe. I made this on game day for my boyfriend and me, and it was a hit!

Sirloin steak salad with rice, corn, black olives, cherry tomatoes, and a spicy picante-lime dressing. A Tex-Mex main dish salad with serious substance.

Mexican-style bow ties: hearty pasta salad with seasoned ground beef, kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, cheddar, and a zippy yogurt-salsa dressing, topped with crushed tortilla chips. Warm or cold crowd-pleaser.

Hungarian chocolate cream bars stack a cocoa sponge cake, rum-spiked mocha cream filling, and glossy chocolate glaze into decadent cafe-style squares. Dobos cake inspired and freezer-friendly.

Two-layer banana cake studded with chopped Butterfinger bars, spiked with dark rum, and coated in a glossy semisweet chocolate ganache. A showstopper that can be made 2 days ahead.

Tex-Mex chicken tortilla soup simmered in a rich beef and chicken broth with corn, tomatoes, and cumin. Topped with crushed chips, avocado, cheese, and lime.