Give me a spoon and a bucket of this stuff and I’m a happy girl. Okay, maybe that’s a little over doing it. I really do love this recipe, though. Corn pudding (if you’ve never had it before) is a savory baked corn dish that is creamier than cornbread but more dense than a custard. Basically, it’s a delicious corn casserole that pairs well with grilled and roasted meats, and would be a great addition to a holiday feast (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Fourth of July). Many versions use canned cream of corn but we’re using fresh ingredients in this recipe.
I saved myself a little prep work and used Trader Joe’s White Frozen Corn (almost as good as fresh corn) and it worked perfectly. The fresh basil gives the dish wonderful just-out-of-the-garden flavor, and since I had fresh chives, I added some of them to the custard, too.
For the water bath, I set my 2-quart casserole of corn pudding in a larger pyrex baking dish, set it in the oven then poured hot water into the pyrex dish until it was close to halfway up the side of the corn pudding dish. Be very careful when removing the corn pudding from the water bath after it’s finished baking because you don’t want to splash scalding water all over you (it’s best not to be wearing shorts and flipflops for this part of the recipe).
Let the casserole cool for 15-20 minutes after taking it out of the oven to allow it to firm up a bit. Enjoy!
Sagaponack Corn Pudding
-recipe from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten
The basil and extra-sharp cheddar give good flavor without overpowering the delicate corn. If you can’t get fresh corn, use frozen. Makes 8 servings.
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 45 min
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
5 cups fresh yellow corn kernels cut off the cob (6 to 8 ears)
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
4 extra-large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (6 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the inside of an 8 to 10-cup baking dish.
Melt the butter in a very large saute pan and saute the corn and onion over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Cool slightly.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, and half-and-half in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and then the ricotta. Add the basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked corn mixture and grated cheddar, and then pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with more grated cheddar.
Place the dish in a larger pan and fill the pan 1/2 way up the sides of the dish with hot tap water. Bake the pudding for 40 to 45 minutes until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.
Tags: baked corn, Christmas, corn casserole, corn pudding, Easter, Fourth of July, holiday side dish, holidays, Ina Garten, Side Dish, Thanksgiving
Sounds delicious! I love recipes that call for fresh basil.
[…] would be slices of fresh mozzarella. Serve the grilled chicken with summery side dishes like Sagaponak Corn Pudding and Green Beans Vinaigrette. […]
hi there, just wondering what half and half is? im from New zealand and have never come across this please help i would love to try this. cheers 🙂
Hi Sheryl! Half and Half is a dairy product that is a mixture of cream and milk, and it comes in a carton like heavy cream does. Many Americans use it in coffee but it’s got a bazillion other uses (soups, mashed potatoes, sauces, etc.). Just substitute 1/2 part heavy cream and 1/2 part milk in any recipe and you’re good to go. (For the corn pudding, use 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup milk to total 1 cup of half and half). Hopefully that helps! 🙂 Good luck! Andrea
Hello! I’m planning on making this dish for a dinner party later on this week, and I’m wondering how it would fare if I made it the night before and then gently reheated it the day of. Any advice on whether or not that would work, or should I just try to make it right before serving? Thank you! 🙂
Hi Erin! I usually prefer baked dishes that are freshly made because I think the texture is best the day of. You could always prep everything and saute the corn and onion the day before then bake the corn pudding the day you plan to serve it. It will take about the same amount of time to bake it as it would to reheat it so you might as well bake it fresh (if time allows). While I’ve never reheated the entire casserole for entertaining purposes, I have reheated individual servings of leftovers (which are still very tasty). Does any of this help?
That’s fabulous advice, thank you! I’ll do as much prep as I can the night before, and then just mix it all together once I get home from work and pop it in the oven. Thank you!