The Best Baked Corn
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Looking for a delicious and easy to make corn side dish? The Best Baked Corn is a delicious corn casserole that is lightly sweetened and has plenty of flavor.
We eat a lot of corn in our house in the summer. Our favorite way to enjoy corn is grilled with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper on it. However, we also like to have it with as a fresh side dish.
One of my favorites is a Corn Salsa with Avocado Cream which is great with burgers. I also make a delightful Gnocchi with Corn, Mushrooms, and Bacon which is great for a summer time dinner. We also like Mexican Corn Salad with tacos or nachos.
What I don’t have a lot of are holiday side dishes that use corn. It’s not something we generally eat in the winter because I like to have fresh corn on the cob.
I decided it was time to try and find a corn dish that I could serve for the holidays. This means that I needed to use canned corn, frozen corn, or corn that I preserved from the summer.
Years ago I came across a recipe for The Best Baked Corn. It was from author Dean Koontz’s wife. For years Dean Koontz talked about his wifes famous baked corn dish. It sounded like a great holiday side dish so I wanted to make it.
I’ve actually made this dish several times. The first time I made it I added the sugar as directed but I thought it was a little too sweet. The reviews from my family were mixed. Some people really liked it and others thought it was just ok. It’s different and would be good for families that like sweeter vegetable dishes.
This time around I skipped the sugar and instead added some spices. My husband and I liked it much better but my family didn’t like it as much.
What spices can you add?
I added smoked paprika, garlic powder, a touch of cayenne pepper, and a bit of sage. You can really use whatever spices you’d like to spice up this dish. I wouldn’t add too many spices if you are keeping the sugar in the dish as the sweet will compete with the spices.
The corn get mixed with a sauce that looks like an Alfredo but it is sweeter. It is baked into a sweet corn souffle type side dish.
Ingredients:
- whole milk (plant based milk can also be used)
- salted butter (or unsalted if you prefer)
- sugar
- all purpose flour
- canned or frozen corn
- eggs
- salt
- black pepper
To make the casserole preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8 inch round or square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a small saucepan bring the milk, butter, and sugar to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk the flour into the remaining milk until dissolved.
Whisk the flour mixture into the boiling milk until it is smooth and combined into a sauce.
Pour the corn into the prepared dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the milk mixture on top and mix well. Stir in the beaten eggs and mix to combine.
Can I use fresh corn?
You can certainly use corn straight from the cob. Cut the kernals off the cob and measure out two cups worth. If using canned corn make sure to drain the corn before adding to the dish.
Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Serve hot.
This is really a tasty baked corn dish. It’s easy to make and would be great for the holidays when you don’t want anything with a ton of spice. You can add more sugar if your family likes sweet corn dishes or more spices if your family likes spice.
I thought the flavor was fairly mild and I even added a touch of salt to the finished dish which seemed to bring out the flavors. It’s got a bit of souffle or quiche flavor along with the corn and would be great in the summer with fresh corn or the winter with canned or frozen corn.
How do you store Baked COrn?
I store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or the oven before serving. I like to add a bit of butter before reheating.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 c. whole milk divided
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 16 oz. frozen corn
- 2 eggs well beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- Bring 3/4 cup milk, butter, and sugar to a boil over medium high heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour into the remaining 1/4 c. milk until dissolved. Whisk the flour mixture into the boiling milk until smooth. This will make a white sauce.
- Pour the corn into the prepared dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the milk mixture over top of it and mix well.
- Stir the beaten eggs into the corn mixture and mix well.
- Bake for 1 hour. Serve hot.
Notes
I need to try this! I have it about once a year during the holidays and I always tell myself it’s so good and I need to make it someday. Thanks!