Healthier-Than-A-Can Creamed Corn

Labor Day weekend signals the close of summer and the last weekend for beach trips and barbecues. Granted, some people grill all through the winter, such as nutty football tailgaters. However, Labor Day weekend is the last great barbecue weekend for the rest of us normal hot-blooded sports fans.

Creamed corn - the good stuff comes in a can!

Unfortunately, Labor Day weekend also heralds the start of the ragweed allergy season. Runny noses, sore throats, dizziness and sinus headaches are signs of the end of summer for me. As a result, I am holed up at home on a diet of mushy liquid-based dishes. One craving in particular was worth sharing. And so, enjoy my healthier-than-a-can version of the midwest staple.

Creamed Corn

created on the fly by Sarah Johnson

Ingredients

• 2 ears of corn
• ½ c milk
• ½ T butter
• 1 T flour
• ¼ t salt
• ½ t white pepper
• ¼ c parmesan cheese
1. Remove the silk from the corn, leaving the husks intact and wrapped around the corn.
2. Soak the corn for at least 10 minutes, then drain before cooking.
3. Grill or broil the corn for 15-20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.
4. Once the corn is cool, cut the kernels from the cob.
5. Over medium heat, combine the milk and corn.
6. Bring the milk to a full boil, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from sticking.
7. Once boiling, drop the heat to low and add the butter and flour.
8. Blend all of the ingredients in the pot and add the salt, pepper, and cheese.
9. Sir until combined. Mixture should be thick but still liquid.

Variations
These instructions call for grilling or broiling the corn which gives a great flavor but also removes the liquid. The reason creamed corn becomes so deliciously thick is due to the water in the milk evaporating. If you use fresh corn, you might need to boil the milk and corn mixture for some time to get the extra moisture out so the dish will thicken properly.

A delicious finishing touch to creamed corn is to add more carbs! A crispy bread crumb topping is a traditional way to serve the dish. The French call it au gratin. Midwesterners would probably dump the dish if you used that term. Regardless, once the corn is done cooking in the pot, transfer it to a casserole dish so that it is about 1″ thick. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top to cover the corn and broil until the crumbs turn golden brown and crispy. This simple finishing touch also goes great on mac and cheese! Another classic which can be fancied up “au gratin”.