Fresh summer corn is one of the most delicious foods, but the magical thing about corn is that it's nearly as good frozen. Not many vegetables can do that. This creamy, custardy corn casserole is the ideal way to highlight corn’s simple sweetness. It’s fantastic made with fresh corn but incredibly easy if you use the frozen variety -- and you'll barely be able to tell the difference.
Serve this comforting dish alongside a glazed ham or roast turkey as part of a holiday spread or any time you want a filling and satisfying side dish. It can also serve as a vegetarian entrée option. For a change of pace, add a couple of diced jalapeño peppers to give it a spicy kick.
Creamy Corn Casserole
8
10 minutes
60 minutes
1 hour and 10 minutes
½ cup butter, divided
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups heavy cream
2 16-ounce packages frozen corn kernels or the equivalent fresh corn
1 sleeve saltine crackers, about 40, finely crushed and divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
In a large saucepan, melt 1/4 cup of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in the flour, sage and salt, then mix in the cream. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Add the corn.
Stir half of the cracker crumbs into the corn mixture. Add the eggs and sugar; stir to incorporate.
Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
While the casserole is baking, melt the remaining ¼ cup of butter and toss it with the remaining cracker crumbs.
Remove the foil from the casserole and sprinkle the cracker mixture in an even layer over the top. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes more.
Serve hot.