The creamiest Creamed Corn recipe made on the stovetop in just 20 minutes! This buttery Creamed Corn is our favorite easy corn side dish with cheese served for Thanksgiving. A classic savory corn recipe that’s quick to make and one that everyone will love for the holidays.
Creamed corn is a popular side dish recipe in the Midwest and Southern United States. Further, it can be prepared on the stovetop, slow cooker, or baked casserole-style in the oven until bubbly and warm and served as a hot dish.
What is Creamed Corn?
First, whole corn is a starchy vegetable that’s widely grown and eaten or prepared for preserving during the summer months. As a result, fresh corn is shucked, blanched, packaged, and frozen while corn in a can follows the same steps but it’s packaged in a container and sealed. When making creamed corn with frozen kernels, it can be made during any time of the year.
Originally, creamed corn uses fresh corn kernels cut from the cob and natural corn “milk”. Families across the United States have been doing this for hundreds of years using this land crop plant to make a seriously delicious corn dish. Milk or the creamy white liquid from the corn cob is scrapped out of the cob once the kernels have been removed. Rich in corn flavor, this liquid is smooth and helps to thicken the base of this recipe in place of a roux made of butter, and flour or cornstarch.
How to Serve Creamed Corn
Thanksgiving is a time of year to make all the classics with ingredients that everyone loves. Growing up, it wasn’t at every family holiday party, but my Grandma or aunt always brought a covered casserole dish to our house for a family dinner and it always smelled so amazing!
Even better, creamed corn is the perfect side to pair with pressure cooker Mashed Potatoes, Juicy Crock Pot Brown Sugar Pineapple Ham, Bacon Wrapped Green Beans and this Instant Pot Whole Rotisserie Chicken recipe.
Planning your own Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter day menu takes planning and preparing in advance. Typically, I like to have my menu planned a few weeks before guests arrive. With this in mind, write down the recipes and ingredients. Finally, plan to shop for the ingredients and figure out what can be made ahead of time. I like to make a lot of my sides a day or two before the party. This way, I’m left finishing up a few things on the day of the party.
Fresh Corn VS. Frozen Corn
Today, fresh corn is not of necessity. Instead, frozen or canned corn works in combination with a variety of dairy products like cream cheese, heavy cream, milk, or butter to achieve the same great taste and flavor.
Creamed Corn Cooking Tips & Questions
Can I use canned corn in place of frozen corn? Yes. If using canned corn, be aware that the serving size on the can includes the liquid, which is not used in the recipe. You’ll likely need to use several cans of corn for this recipe.
Can I use fresh corn in place of frozen corn? Yes. Use 5 ears of fresh corn in this recipe. Shuck corn on cutting board with knife, removing 2-3 rows of corn kernels until all the kernels are off the cobs. As an added bonus, scrape the now empty cob of corn with the back of a knife to release the creamy liquid. Add the corn and any liquid to the cream-based sauce.
Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without a hotdish of Cream Corn with bacon. To maximize precious kitchen during the holidays, make it in advance. Then, simply reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave with a little extra milk and the shredded cheeses.
For a complete Thanksgiving dinner menu, try this Classic Thanksgiving Turkey recipe for a large crowd or this savory Slow Cooker Turkey Breast recipe for a smaller crowd. Finally, you’ll want this Sweet Cornbread as a side as well as this homemade Cranberry Sauce recipe, fresh creamy Cranberry Fluff, Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole, and this Roasted Broccoli with ranch.
Easy Creamed Corn with Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- 6 oz full-fat cream cheese
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (or 1.5 tsp garlic paste)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp Italian or Greek seasoning
- ½ tsp dried rosemary leaves
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cups frozen corn
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook bacon according to package directions.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, add butter and warm cubed cream cheese, stirring occasionally; about 5 minutes. NOTE* In order for cream cheese to melt, it needs to slowly be warmed and smoothed with liquid.
- Stir in minced garlic. Cook 1 minute.
- Whisk in heavy cream and stir until cream cheese is smoothed into a sauce.
- Stir in onion powder, salt, Italian seasoning, rosemary leaves, red pepper flakes.
- Turn heat to medium-low. Stir in frozen corn and cook; about 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in shredded parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese.
- Serve with crumbled bacon.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate and it’s accuracy is not guaranteed to be exact.
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