What Makes This Cream Corn Recipe Tradition-Worthy?
Creamed corn and other Thanksgiving dishes at a table
Creamed Corn Like No Other at my family's Thanksgiving table in 2020.
Ethan Pan
To my family, that sweet-salty balance of Creamed Corn Like No Other, submitted by Allrecipes community member DIANA YOCKEY, is very craveable and aligns with the Chinese culinary philosophy to balance savory dishes with sugar, as seen in red-braised pork, yuxiang eggplant, and other dishes I enjoyed growing up. In contrast, the heavy use of dairy and the rich creaminess feels decadent in a way that’s distinctly American and something we save for the holidays. The side also reheats incredibly, to boot, but you probably won’t have much left over anyway.
Frozen corn kernels make the recipe super easy and economical. Heat the corn, heavy cream, butter, sugar, salt, and black pepper in any big pan (I’ve even used a wok) until the butter is melted. Meanwhile whisk together milk and flour in a separate bowl, then stir that into the pan until the mixture is thickened. Then remove the pan from the heat and stir in a healthy heap of Parmesan cheese.
Grating your own cheese is the one bit of extra effort that I think makes the recipe shine. I prefer using Parmigiano Reggiano for a bit of funkiness and bite. I’ve also added bacon; fry off and crumble a couple strips, then use the rendered bacon grease in place of some of the butter, to lend an extra punch of salt and smoke and also add textural variety. It’s also important to season the creamed corn with sugar to taste, depending on how sweet your frozen corn is.
