breakfast cornbread casserole with ham and kale

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Breakfast Cornbread Casserole with Ham and Kale

The combination of ham and kale is traditional for a reason: it's so unbelievably good. But this satisfying casserole is easy to adapt to other greens and meat pairings, depending on what you have on hand: Try cooked sausage with frozen spinach or Andouille with frozen mustard greens.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the baking dish
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • two 16-ounce bags frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 pound thick-sliced deli ham, diced
  • 5 ounces frozen kale (about 1 3/4 cups)
  • 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup shredded sharp yellow cheddar
  • hot sauce, for serving