Ruth's Mother's Corn Casserole
I ran across this recipe years ago and have made it for my Holiday dinners ever since. Love it!
I ran across this recipe years ago and have made it for my Holiday dinners ever since. Love it!
- Carbohydrate 23.4308200017285 g
- Cholesterol 176.522715406309 mg
- Fat 19.3448406503873 g
- Fiber 2.07074380861413 g
- Protein 10.3094752181014 g
- Saturated Fat 10.6684425355266 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (159g)
- Sodium 372.887534524559 mg
- Sugar 21.3600761931144 g
- Trans Fat 1.81756609992973 g
- Calories 298 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350
- Butter 8 (6oz) ramekins or custard cups or a 6-cup baking dish. In bowl lightly beat eggs. Stir in corn, sour cream, cheese, cornmeal, green or red pepper, butter, parsley, and salt.
- Divide mixture evenly among ramekins or transfer to baking dish. Bake 35-40 minutes for ramekins, 1hr for baking dish or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
Baking casseroles in individual six-ounce ramekins rather than a single large baking dish drastically reduces overall oven time from sixty minutes down to thirty-five or forty minutes because smaller thermal masses absorb heat much faster from all sides. Standard ceramic custard cups conduct thermal energy efficiently, though glass dishes require a slightly lower oven temperature or extended baking time to prevent exterior scorching before the center sets. Controlling these thermal dynamics ensures the dairy and egg proteins coagulate gently without separating into a watery curd. When adapting dairy ratios to reduce grocery expenses, whole milk mixed with a tablespoon of melted butter can replace sour cream at a one-to-one ratio, though the resulting crumb will feature less structural tang and a slightly softer set. Similarly, standard table salt substitutes easily for seasoned salt if paired with a pinch of smoked paprika and garlic powder to mimic those proprietary spice blends.
Cornmeal functions as the primary structural binder alongside beaten eggs, absorbing excess moisture from the cream-style corn during the initial mixing phase. Fine-grind yellow cornmeal yields a smooth, homogenous texture throughout the baked custard, whereas coarse stone-ground varieties demand an extra ten minutes of resting time in the bowl before baking to hydrate the larger starch granules properly. Fat content directly influences this hydration process, meaning lower-fat dairy alternatives require careful handling to prevent the starches from clumping into dense pockets. Whisking the eggs thoroughly before introducing the dry components breaks down their chalazae strings, creating a uniform protein matrix that traps expanding steam bubbles evenly.
Assessing doneness without an electronic thermometer relies entirely on visual and tactile cues observable during the final five minutes of baking. A thin metal paring knife inserted precisely one inch away from the exact center of the dish must emerge completely clean without any wet batter clinging to the steel. Slight residual heat inside the ramekins continues the cooking process after extraction from the oven, so removing the vessels the moment the knife tests clean prevents dry edges. Allowing the portions to rest for ten minutes before serving lets the melted cheddar cheese and corn starches firm up sufficiently for clean portioning.
Leftovers maintain acceptable quality for up to three days when sealed securely inside airtight glass containers stored below four degrees Celsius in the refrigerator. Reheating individual portions requires a moderate microwave setting or a low-temperature toaster oven to avoid boiling the trapped moisture, which causes the egg proteins to toughen unpleasantly. Freezing is generally discouraged because the high water content in cream-style corn expands upon crystallization, shattering the delicate custard emulsion upon thawing.
