Pizza Cornbread Casserole

This is yet another meal born out of  "x, y, z" ingredients need to be used, how can I put them together? Sometimes I think I need a "waste not, want not" category for ideas on repurposing ingredients, mixing and matching odds and ends, etc. I feel like I'm the queen of reinventing ingredients into new dishes to make sure nothing goes to waste! I also feel like at least a few times a week I am looking at odds and ends trying to get creative or searching recipes with a couple specific ingredients to get inspired.

I have some cornmeal in my pantry that's been in there for awhile and I just don't use it very often, so I had already been thinking about doing some sort of cornbread casserole - something with a cornbread topping maybe. Then I realized I had some pepperoni, salami, and bacon all getting tired in the fridge which made me think of something pizza flavored. So I put the two together and voila! Here we are having a conversation about a corn casserole a pizza having a baby. 

If you like cornbread based dishes, definitely give this one a try soon! It's tender, cozy and comforting, and easy peasy!

Pizza Cornbread Casserole

Ingredients

6 slices bacon

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 cup butter, melted

4 eggs

16 ounces Greek yogurt

1 (14.75 ounce) can cream-style corn

1 cup + 2 TBS all-purpose flour 

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup white sugar 
2 TBS baking powder 
1 tsp salt 
1/2 cup chopped ham

1/4 cup chopped salami

1/4 cup chopped pepperoni

1 4-oz can mushrooms, drained

1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced 

1 cup diced (or shredded) cheddar jack / American cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray then set aside.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium high heat and cook the bacon until crispy, reserving the grease in the pan. Remove the bacon and set aside on paper towels to absorb the excess grease.
3. Add the diced onion and bacon to the bacon grease, adjust heat as needed. Sauté the vegetables for about 8 minutes, until they get some color on them and are softening.
4. In a large bowl, melt the butter in the microwave (about 40-60 seconds). Add in the following ingredients: eggs, Greek yogurt, canned corn, flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk or stir until mixture is evenly combined and eggs are well blended in.
5. Stir in all remaining ingredients, except for the bacon: sautéed peppers and onions, ham, salami, pepperoni, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese. Stir again to evenly blend the ingredients into the cornbread base.
6. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Roughly chop the bacon and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
7. Bake 40-50 minutes, until well set in the middle and golden brown around the edges. You can check with a toothpick in the center to be sure it is cooked through (a few clinging crumbs are ok, but the toothpick shouldn't be wet).
8. Cool for about 10-15 minutes then slice and serve!