Corn Pudding

I acknowledge "corn pudding" sounds a bit odd. Is it a dessert? A vegetable? It's damn delicious, and you should just eat it! You'll thank me later.

But in all seriousness, Corn Pudding is a delectably savory fluffy custard enveloping corn, bacon, and poblano peppers. It's been a long standing tradition on my family's Thanksgiving table. I've been known to bust it out around Christmas and Easter as well. I've shared this recipe with the in-laws and new friends - pretty much everyone is hooked!

This recipe, while easy, creates a fair bit of mess between the sautee pan, bowls, and food processor. But Fun Fact: if you're looking to save yourself some time (and mess) around the holidays, you can prepare the corn custard in advance, pour into a Ziploc bag, and freeze! The night before, simply allow the custard to thaw in the fridge overnight. Pour the custard into a greased dish and bake off. Voila! Instant holiday!

Corn Pudding

Ingredients

· 4 slices bacon

· 2 tbsp butter

· 1 large onion, diced fine

· 1 poblano pepper, diced

· 4 cloves garlic, minced

· 4 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen

· 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

· 1 ½ tsp salt

· ½ tsp pepper

· ½ tsp chili flakes

· ¼ cup flour

· 4 eggs

· 2 cups heavy cream

· 1 tbsp sugar

· 8oz havarti cheese, grated

· 2 tbsp green onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 13x9in baking dish.

Cook bacon sliced over medium low-heat in a large, deep skillet until crisp. Set aside to cool and then crumble into very small pieces.

In the same skillet, add the butter to bacon grease and melt over medium-low heat. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic. Sautee until the onions are translucent. Add the corn, thyme, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, and sugar.

Add half of the corn mixture to the bowl of a food processor with ½ cup of the cream mixture. Puree until smooth. Add the puree to the large bowl of the remaining cream. Add the harvarti cheese, green onions, and reserved bacon. Stir until combined. Pour into baking dish.

Bake for 50 minutes until the center is set with a slight wobble.

Serves 10

Notes

This is the ultimate holiday side, and is easily prepared in advance. Prepare the corn custard and freeze in a Ziploc bag; defrost completely, pour into a greased pan, and bake!

Gluten Free Friendly!

Since you’re only using flour to thicken the custard, any rice flour you have on hand will work perfectly.