This Fresh Corn Casserole Is Impossibly Easy to Whip Up (2024)

This isn’t technically corn pudding, as it doesn’t use any eggs, but that’s what folks ’round these parts sometimes call it. It’s getting to be that time of year when corn is in abundance, and neighbors bring by ears of corn like it’s going out of style. And I absolutely love this method of preparing the stuff; you basically slice off the kernels with a sharp knife, then—and this is key—scrape out all the creamy, milky goodness that resides inside the cob. Add a little cream, butter, salt, and pepper, bake in the oven, and you have a crunchy, fresh summer side dish that’s always, always a crowd pleaser. It’s nothing short of heavenly. Let’s make it and you’ll see what I mean!

The Cast of Characters: Roastin’ ears of corn (corn that’s still in the husk), heavy cream, butter, salt, and pepper. Like, totally simple. Totally.

Start by removing the corn from the husks. Just peel off the outer layers…

Then run your hands around the cobs to remove most of the silks (strands). There are special brushes just for this, but I don’t have one and even if I did, my kids would have buried it in the garden by now. And I’m not that meticulous about getting them all off anyway, but some folks are.

I used about eight ears of corn for this recipe, but you can do as few or as many as you want.

Now, in a large, deep bowl (I’ll show you why later), begin slicing off the kernels of corn.

Just keep going…

Until most of the kernels are off. Now, notice that there’s still some stuff deep inside the cob? We’re going to get that out. It’s the good stuff.

With the dull side of the knife (or you can grab just a regular dinner knife), press and scrap the cob all the way down to remove all the bits of kernel and creamy milk inside.

It takes a little bit of force to get it out, but you’ll get the hang of it after awhile.

See all that creamy, milky goodness on top? That’s what makes this dish so good.

And this is what the cob should look like when you’re finished.

Now, just repeat this process with all the ears of corn, cutting off the kernels and scraping out the milk…

…Until you have a nice, creamy, crunch pile of fresh corn.

Oh, and that deep bowl thing? Here’s why. If you’d done the cutting and scraping on the countertop, this would be all over the place and probably across the room on the TV screen.

Now take whipping (heavy) cream…

And pour it right into the bowl. I used about 2/3 cup, but precise measurements aren’t important. You want it to coat the kernels but not be overly soupy.

Now it’s time to salt it. I use Kosher salt most of the time, but regular salt is just fine. And never mind the smudges all over my box. I cook a lot, man.

Add the salt to taste. I start with about 1/2 teaspoon and work my way up from there. Don’t be afraid to taste it at this point, but it’s so dang delicious, you’ll have to have a loved one pull you away from it.

Now I like to generously add fresh-ground pepper. Regular ground pepper is fine, but I don’t think it packs the same punch for this dish.

I love freshly ground black pepper.

Now take some regular (salted) butter…

And add some to the bowl.

I added about three tablespoons, which was plenty. You don’t want to go overboard on the butter or the dish will wind up too greasy.

Now pour the mixture into a baking dish. (See that little corn silk sticking out? Don’t be afraid of it.)

Now bake at 350 degrees for about 30-45 minutes, or until it’s thoroughly warmed through. Don’t cook too long, though, or the cream will dry out and the corn won’t be as crunchy. You want it to be crunchy, for Pete’s sake. (Who’s Pete, by the way? I’ve always wanted to know.)

When you pull it out of the oven, it will look like this.

And when you put it on your plate next to the beef tenderloin or brisket or steak or Marlboro Man sandwich, it will look like this. It’s simple. It’s comforting. It’s crunchy and sweet and real. And I order you to try it at least once this summer. It will instantly become a staple, I promise.

Now go forth and cut kernels, scrape out milk, and make this fresh corn casserole!