Corn Casserole
Aw shucks…
In my mind, farm harvests are divided into three important timeframes: early spring greens, heirloom tomato season and sweet corn season. Although baby greens and heirloom tomatoes are still in abundance, I am eating as much sweet corn as is humanly possible. I’m lucky to be married to the Fastest Shucker in Connecticut. My husband grew up on a farm in New Jersey and boasts the ability to quickly shuck corn with very little silk left behind. I have to admit, this method works perfectly every time.
My favorite way to eat corn is straight off the cob and I can easily consume a half dozen ears at a meal. I enjoy it with the wild abandon of toddler gobbling up his favorite treat. Chomp – chomp – chomp – chomp – slurp – swallow (Repeat). I always tackle my corn on at the end of the meal because it’s just too messy. My family doesn’t enjoy my enthusiasm and would always look with horror whenever we were invited to a friend’s house where they served it on the cob. But it just isn’t as much fun to eat unless I can enjoy it like someone typing at an electric typewriter at lightening fast speed. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a calculated approach to my method – I always tackle the cob by eating three rows of kernels at each pass. My husband might be the quickest shucker in the county but I am definitely the fastest corn eater.
Aside from classic corn on the cob, the vegetable is very versatile for enjoying in salads, corn bread and even in chowders. I recently came across a recipe a friend gave me about 40 years ago for what they called a corn casserole. It’s a very simple recipe that uses Ritz Crackers as a binder and is a great way to use up leftover cooked corn on the cob – perfect for an early autumn potluck dinner.
Hint: This recipe calls for 6 ears of corn, which will amount to about 3 cups of kernels. The amount doesn’t have to be precise, as anywhere from 2 cups to 4 cups of kernels would work. To easily cut the kernels off the cob, invert a small bowl inside a large bowl and place in a sink – this approach will keep kernels from flying around your kitchen! Place each cob stem side down, on the base of the small bowl. Use a sharp paring knife to slice down the rows of corn. The kernels will fall into the larger bowl, making clean up very easy.
CORN CASSEROLE
6 ears of fresh corn on the cob, cooked
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or butter, if preferred)
½ cup onion, finely chopped
½ cup bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
12 Ritz Crackers, crumbled (½ cup of crumbs)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the kernels off the cobs and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Sauté the onion and bell pepper until the vegetables are soft but not browned. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour. This will help to thicken the casserole.
Stir in the milk and reheat until the milk is simmering. Let the mixture simmer for 1 minute then remove from the heat.
Pour the milk into the bowl with the corn then add the eggs and crackers. Stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into an ungreased 1-quart casserole dish and bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
If you want a bit more flavor, add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard before stirring in the eggs and crackers. You could also add ½ cup shredded cheese for a more unctuous dish.