Thanksgiving Sides – Corn Pudding

My husband and I went to my best friend’s family party recently. On the buffet table, there was the most beautiful casserole-looking dish. It was golden yellow and fluffy, unlike anything I had ever seen before. 

The dish was dubbed Corn Pudding, and it was not something I had ever heard of before. Upon further research, I learned that Corn Pudding is also known as Spoonbread, a staple in the South on Thanksgiving tables. Not only is the dish beautiful, but it is one of the most delicious concoctions I have ever tasted. 

The day I tested this recipe, I invited my mother-in-law over for dinner. She is always so positive and enjoys everything I make for her, but she REALLY liked the Corn Pudding. So much so, in fact, that she advised that it be on our Thanksgiving table this year. So, here we are with a brand new traditional Thanksgiving side in the Nawara-Shifflet household!

My take on the recipe is inspired by Epicurious, using freshly frozen corn as opposed to corn muffin mix and canned creamed corn. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I just did not have any on hand when I tested this recipe. I also do not budget for multiple grocery shopping trips per week, so I had to make do with what I had.

You’ll need:

  • 2 pounds frozen corn kernels, thawed, reserve about 1.5 cups for later
  • Whole milk as needed (about 1 cup)
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 13 by 9 baking dish and set aside.

Begin by pulling out the ol’ blender. I have a Ninja that really liquefies, but you can also use a food processor with a steel blade. Blitz your corn, reserving 1.5 cups for later. After a few pulses on high speed, begin streaming in your milk, about 2 tablespoons at a time. You do not want this mixture wet, you just want enough milk for the corn to completely homogenize. I usually only end up using about ½ cup of milk, but you will want to measure out the extra, just in case.

Once pureed, blitz for about a minute until the corn looks smooth. Add one egg yolk at a time, blitzing the mixture for 30 seconds in between each yolk addition. Once all yolks have been added, blend until everything is incorporated, about 1 minute.

Add your sugar and blend until the mix is lighter and fluffier, about 2-3 minutes. Finish with adding your softened butter and blend until combined and homogeneous. Dump the entire mixture in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients and mix with a whisk.

Beat your 6 egg whites until stiff peaks form. You can do this by hand but I highly recommend a stand mixer for ease.

Fold dry ingredients into your wet corn mixture until just combined, do not over mix. Also add your reserved 1.5 cups of corn that you did not blitz.

Once combined, fold in your egg whites carefully. I begin with about 1 cup of egg whites and mix vigorously to get the mixture started. Once that is incorporated, you can fold the rest of the egg whites in 2-3 installments. Be extra careful that you do not deflate the egg whites, this is what is going to give you that lift in the oven!

Transfer entire mixture into the buttered baking dish and bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until the top is browned and the middle only has a slight jiggle to it.

Serve hot or at room temp. The pudding does deflate slightly as it cools.

This recipe can be altered to any taste buds! You can add cheese, jalapenos, or anything else that might tickle your fancy.

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