Homemade Cream Corn with fresh Parmesan cheese is a perfect corn side dish that adds a colorful and rich flavor to any of your main dish meals. Indulgent and delicious, you cannot go wrong with this mouthwatering and tasty corn dish as your next favorite way to enjoy this buttery veggie smothered in cheese.
Creamy Style Corn Recipe
Corn is one of the very few vegetables that I can get my kids to actually eat. Maybe its corns sweet nature or beautiful yellow color, but corn is just so friendly as a side dish on a plate!
Perfectly balanced for main dishes like Alice Springs Chicken (copycat) or Honey Garlic Chicken, you can serve corn a variety of amazing ways.
Mexican corn salad, corn pudding or traditionally like this corn casserole recipe, there is rarely a corn recipe that we won’t all gobble down- holiday or not.
This particular homemade cream corn recipe coats beautiful pieces of crunchy corn (I love frozen for this reason) with a light flavorful Parmesan cheese sauce. This combination makes it a great homemade and fresh substitute for a creamed corn without the can.
Now this cream corn recipe is not the same as “creamy” corn, which I consider a blended down corn kernel vs these whole corn pieces. You could easily alter this recipe to be that by mashing down some of your corn with the bottom of a cup after cooking or throwing half the corn into a blender prior to putting in the skillet.
I use this trick often in other recipes (like with homemade red beans and rice) when I want a more “mashed” end and creamy result.
Don’t forget to pair your Parmesan cream corn with a main dish recipe like Honey Garlic Chicken or chicken casserole!
Homemade Cream Corn
Embrace this dish for what it is- rich!
If you are looking for a lighter flavor there are some substitution ideas below but I personally love how every bite is delectable. I hope you will love my favorite way to make a whole kernel cream corn side dish from scratch.
This recipe is also great for holiday servings and outside the norm of lets say a traditional carrot or potato side dish. Its perfectly ready for a place on your Thanksgiving table!
As a side note, if you adore corn, this crack corn dip is SO good too and incorporates whole corn! Now lets get started on this awesome side dish.
Scroll to the bottom for a printable version of this post, including all measurements and instructions, so you can follow along in your kitchen without being on your phone.
Here is what you need to gather to get started:
- frozen corn
- half and half
- salt
- sugar
- butter
- pepper
- milk
- flour
- shredded Parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley (optional) for serving
Chefs Note:
- Cast iron is my favorite. If you do not have one, get one! This cast iron skillet
is my fav and my go to for all my dishes.
is my fav and my go to for all my dishes.How to make Creamed Corn
No crock pot or canned corn needed to make this perfectly delicious homemade cream corn. Personally I hate the overly soupy corn that falls out of a can on Thanksgiving (or really any) night of the week.
Learn how to make your own creamy corn recipe to serve up a delicious side dish tonight!
Add frozen but thawed corn, half and half, salt, sugar, butter and pepper to a large skillet.
Mix together milk and flour in a small bowl and add frothy mixture to homemade cream corn mixture.
On medium heat, cook until bubbling, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to medium low and continue to heat/boil and stir frequently until cream style corn mixture is thickened. This doesn’t take long, typically under 5 minutes.
Feel free to lower heat if it starts to bubble.
Once liquid has been reduced and corn becomes more of a cream, you can remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese and stir.
Parmesan will melt into the mixture so stir well to make sure all corn is covered.
Serve this corn side with fresh parsley or one of the other topping suggestions below.
Also a little sprinkles of paprika for color or a little cayenne for some heat is delicious.
Can you use Heavy Cream instead of Half and Half?
You can!
Half and Half is equal parts milk and heavy cream while heavy cream itself is just that. If you prefer a richer flavor, you can use only heavy cream instead or look below on how to add creamed cheese to this recipe.
Can you use Canned Corn instead of Frozen Corn?
Personally I prefer frozen corn, but you can use canned corn (just drain it) in this recipe.
You can also use fresh corn on the cob corn as well, just make sure your corn is tender and cooked all the way through so you do not break a tooth on your bite!
Remember different kinds of corns will change how long you cook and this creamed corn recipe is based on a cooked corn and not a raw corn.
What kind of Toppings for Creamed Corn?
Want to dial up your corn side dish?
Serve this creamy corn with bites of bacon, bread crumb topping like Panko, chives, fresh additional Parmesan cheese, shredded cheese, diced jalapenos, or a little bit of crackle pepper.
Another idea is the crunchy onions often used in green bean casserole!
If you need a little color, you can top with parsley like I did or even a dash of Paprika, which puts a pretty read sprinkling like a deviled egg.
Cream Corn Recipe Notes
I personally believe recipes should be made your own and to your own tastes.
Here are a few suggestions to get your mind flowing on altering this creamy corn recipe into a family hand me down recipe:
Sugar Substitute: Try honey over sugar to sweeten it up
Want your casserole a little thicker? Put a bit of corn starch into a glass and mix with water, then pour small amounts of liquid into your skillet at 1 tablespoon at a time to thicken
Want your casserole a little lighter? This is a very rich recipe due to the cream and Parmesan, you can make it taste a bit lighter by using 1% milk in place of half and half- this may make it more soupier and may need to add a thickener for the sauce (see above)
Want your cream corn even Richer? Want your corn even richer? Substitute your 1/2 cup of milk and flour for half a bar of cream cheese.
Instead of shredded Parmesan, try other types of cheeses that you love like Asiago or Romano.
Corn Recipes
Need a few more corn recipe ideas?
- Fiesta Corn Dip
- Crack Corn Dip (hot)
- Fried Corn Fritters (with delicious honey)
- Thanksgiving Sweet Corn Casserole
- Mexican Cornbread Casserole Main Dish
- Thanksgiving Corn Pudding
- Mexican Corn on the Cob (elote)
Cream Corn Printable Recipe
Look below to print this cream corn recipe and bring with you to the kitchen. Seems old fashioned to print a recipe but I find it easier than having an open phone on mobile on when I am cooking. I always print recipes.
Homemade Cream Corn with Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 package - 16 oz, frozen corn
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- dash of cracked pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley - optional for serving
Instructions
- Add corn, half and half, salt, sugar, butter and pepper to a large skillet.
- Mix together milk and flour in a small bowl and add to corn mixture.
- On medium heat, cook until bubbling, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to medium low and continue to heat/boil and stir frequently until mixture is thickened- about 5 minutes. If corn hasn't thickened yet, turn down heat and monitor another few minutes.
- Remove from heat and add Parmesan cheese and mix until melted.
- Serve topped with fresh parsley or one of the other suggestions below.
Video
Nutrition
King says
Really awesome recipe! I followed the directions as stated and it turned out great.