Creamed Corn
This Creamed Corn recipe is an absolute favorite! It’s loaded with sweet corn, crispy bacon, and tossed in the most delicious Parmesan cream sauce. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and savory.
Servings: 6 servings, as a side
Cost: $6.12
Equipment
- Large pan 10 or 12-inch
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 slices bacon diced, 3 ounces
- 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 20 ounces frozen corn 4-1/4 cups
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or to taste
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for topping
- Fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, or basil—depending on the season, for topping, optional
Instructions
- Dice the bacon and onion before starting.
- Add olive oil to a large (10 or 12-inch) pan and set to medium heat. Add diced bacon and onion. Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently at the end, until bacon is browned and onions are tender. (Bacon won’t brown much more past this point, so fully cook it here).
- Add in frozen corn, butter, and seasoning to taste (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; see note 2). Reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, until corn is heated through and butter is melted, 3–5 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour on top of corn and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add milk and sugar (see note 3). Stir, scraping bottom of the pan, until cream thickens, about 1 minute (see note 4). As soon as it thickens, remove from heat. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and gently stir through to melt. Taste for seasonings, adding more if needed. If desired, sprinkle in fresh herbs.
- If desired, add another sprinkle of Parmesan. Enjoy warm!
Video
Notes
Note 1: Packaged grated Parmesan (in the can) is very salty and won’t melt as nicely in this recipe. I highly recommend grating a block of Parmesan cheese on a fine grater for ultra-fine cheese shreds.
Note 2: Depending on how salty the bacon and Parmesan are, you may want less (or more) salt. Add gradually, tasting, until flavors come to life!
Note 3: Add sugar slowly and to taste. The amount you add can vary, depending on how sweet the corn you are using is.
Note 4: If the sauce thickens too much (on the heat too long), you may need to add another splash of milk to loosen the sauce. (Add slowly—we don’t want corn drowning in cream, but rather nicely creamed in an even ratio of corn to sauce).
Storage: Transfer the cooled creamed corn to an airtight container and refrigerate. They will last for 3 to 5 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 224IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1mg