Cheesy Chili Corn Muffins

Wedding Cake Murder

Yield: Approximately 18 regular-size muffins or 12 jumbo muffins.

## Ingredients

* Enough packages of corn muffin mix to make 18 muffins ***(Michelle used 3 packages of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, the kind that makes 6 to 8 muffins per package--each package weighed 8.5 ounces)***
* 2 large eggs, beaten ***(just whip them up in a glass with a fork)***
* 14.15 ounces net weight can of creamed corn ***(Michelle used Libby's Cream Style Sweet Corn)***
* 10 and 3/4-ounce net weight can of condensed cheddar cheese soup ***(Michelle used Campbell's)***
* one 4-ounce net weight can of diced green chilies ***(Michelle used Ortega Diced Green Chilies)***
* 8 ounces shredded cheese to sprinkle on top of your muffins before baking ***(Michelle used Kraft Mexican Style Four Cheese Mixture of shredded cheeses--if you can't find that, a mixture of Monterey Jack and Cheddar will do just fine)***

## Directions

* Preheat oven to 375°F, rack in the middle position.
* Prepare your muffin pans by spraying the inside of the cups with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, or lining them with double cupcake papers. You will need 2 regular-size muffin ***(cupcake)*** pans with 12 cups in each, or 2 jumbo muffin pans with 6 cups in each.
* Pour the dry muffin mix into a large mixing bowl.
* Add the beaten eggs, but let them sit on top of the muffin mix.
* Add the creamed corn on top of the eggs, but again, don't mix it in.
* Add the condensed cheddar cheese soup on top of the creamed corn. Don't mix quite yet.
* Drain the corn of diced green chilies and put them on top of the cheese soup.
* Mix all the ingredients together. Continue to stir until everything is thoroughly incorporated.

**Hannah's 1st note: There will be some lumps in the muffin batter from the chilies and the corn. That's perfectly fine. Just make sure there are no dry spots of muffin mix that haven't been stirred into the batter.**

* Using a large spoon, fill the muffin cups three-quarters full.

**Hannah's 2nd note: If you're using the jumbo muffin cups, divide the batter equally to fill the 12 large cups. They may be a little more than three-quarters full, but that's all right. If you're using the regular-size muffin cups, you may not have enough batter to fill all the cups in both pans three-quarters full. That's okay. Just take out the cupcake papers in the empty cups so that you can save them for future use.**

* Once your batter is in the muffin cups, sprinkle the tops of the cups with shredded cheese. This will melt and turn golden as you bake your Cheesy Chili Corn Muffins.
* Bake the muffins at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes if your'e using the regular-size muffin pans, and 30 to 35 minutes if you're using the jumbo muffin pans.
* When the time is up for the size of the muffins you made, test your muffins with a cake tester, long toothpick, or thin wooden skewer by plunging it into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean with no muffin batter clinging to it, your muffins are done. If it still has sticky batter on the tester, toothpick, or skewer, return your pans to the oven for additional 5-minute increments until they test done.
* Remove your muffins from the oven and let them cool in the muffin pans on wire racks or on cold stove burners for at least 10 minutes. Then turn the muffins out of the pans and cool them right side up on wire racks until they feel warm, not hot. Then line a basket with a napkin and place them inside to serve them.
* Serve your muffins with plenty of soft butter. They're delicious!

**Michelle's Note: Despite the fact that Mike was there the night I first made these, there were two muffins left over. Hannah and I stored them in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator and heated them in the microwave to have for a snack. If there had been more leftover muffins, we would have sealed them in a freezer bag and frozen them to accompany another meal.**