Potatoes with Creamy Corn Topping
Adapted from a recipe from the Crockpot cookbook 175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics, this sounds scrumptious and perfect for summer produce. I am billing this as a main dish (which would be great with a green salad), but it could easily be a side for grilled meat or roast chicken.
Adapted from a recipe from the Crockpot cookbook 175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics, this sounds scrumptious and perfect for summer produce. I am billing this as a main dish (which would be great with a green salad), but it could easily be a side for grilled meat or roast chicken.
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 4 cups corn kernels
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg freshly grated is possible
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup parsley leaves only (paula, this means you), chopped
- 4 medium baking potatoes thinly sliced
- Carbohydrate 64.3862653705497 g
- Cholesterol 46.6095666710308 mg
- Fat 14.436098659144 g
- Fiber 7.18201028796751 g
- Protein 20.8050103349874 g
- Saturated Fat 8.44434076640196 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (515g)
- Sodium 500.640884537145 mg
- Sugar 57.2042550825821 g
- Trans Fat 1.03095025292034 g
- Calories 444 calories
Step-by-step
- In a skillet, melt the butter and briefly saute the corn kernels. Add the evaporated milk and reduce until thickened slightly, then remove from heat. Season with nutmeg and black pepper, then stir in the mozzarella cheese. Set aside.
- Spread the potatoes over the bottom of the slow cooker stoneware. Top with the red onion slices and parsley. Pour the crushed tomatoes over the top, adding a little extra salt if desired (for us, canned tomatoes tend to be salty enough).
- Spread the corn-cheese mixture overtop of the whole shebang. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until hot a bubbly. Enjoy!
The ingredient list leaves out how crucial slicing mechanics are for dense root vegetables. Slicing baking potatoes uniformly to one-eighth of an inch on a mandoline ensures even softening during long thermal exposure, preventing hard centers while the edges turn translucent. Starch acts as a thickener, but excessive surface moisture from unrinsed spuds will dilute the crushed tomatoes into a watery broth rather than a rich base.
Managing Moisture in the Slow Cooker
Slow cookers trap condensation relentlessly. Evaporating the milk in the skillet until it coats the back of a spoon removes excess water before it ever hits the ceramic crock. Layering the thinly sliced red onions directly beneath the tomatoes promotes steady breakdown without scorching. Freshly grated nutmeg requires restraint because its volatile compounds overpower dairy fats quickly if the proportion exceeds one-half teaspoon for this volume.
- Watch for bubbling edges and tender potato centers pierced easily with a paring knife to judge doneness without a thermometer.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.
- Substitute whole milk at a one-to-one ratio if evaporated milk is unavailable, though reduction time in the skillet will increase by five minutes.
