Description
Midwestern crack corn casserole delivers comfort with creamy, cheesy goodness straight from heartland kitchens. Hearty side dishes rarely taste this satisfying, promising pure culinary pleasure for hungry guests.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 225 oz (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 500 g (4 cups) frozen corn (or 2 cans (400 g) whole kernel corn, drained)
- 1 can (400 g) creamed corn
- 200 grams (1 cup) sour cream
- 100 g (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 100 g (1 cup) crushed Ritz crackers or butter crackers
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions or parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat: Fire up the oven to 180C (350F) and lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick coating.
- Sauté: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, sautéing onions until soft and translucent, creating a flavor foundation.
- Combine: In a large mixing bowl, blend corn kernels, cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar, bacon pieces, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper into a creamy, textured mixture.
- Integrate: Fold caramelized onions into the mixture, ensuring even distribution of ingredients and balanced flavor profile.
- Prepare: Transfer the consolidated mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading smoothly and creating an enticing surface.
- Bake: Slide the casserole into the preheated oven, allowing ingredients to meld and transform into a bubbling, golden comfort dish.
- Finish: Cook until the top turns golden-brown with crispy edges, signaling perfect texture and complete flavor development, approximately 35-40 minutes.
Notes
- Manage Moisture Carefully: Control corn’s water content to prevent a watery casserole, potentially draining canned corn or using dried corn kernels for optimal texture.
- Customize Cheese Blend: Experiment with different cheese combinations like gruyere or monterey jack for unique flavor profiles while maintaining creamy consistency.
- Enhance Bacon Crispiness: Pre-cook bacon until extra crispy before crumbling to add more robust crunch and prevent soggy texture in the final dish.
- Dietary Adaptation Options: Substitute dairy components with plant-based alternatives like vegan cream cheese and non-dairy sour cream for lactose-intolerant or vegan dietary needs.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg