Baked Corn Au Gratin ~ Consider it for Thanksgiving

With good seasonal sweet corn still available in our area, I'm making what you may call a corn casserole or just your favorite side dish.  Whatever you call it, today I wanted to share my sister's recipe which everyone in your family will enjoy.  For info on my other favorite gratin, see this posting on scalloped potatoes.

With sweet corn still season in North America, you can and should use fresh if you have access. If not, then frozen corn is preferred over canned. The recipe takes only 10 minutes or so to prepare and another 50 minutes to bake, so it couldn't be easier and gives you plenty of time to make your main dish while it's in the oven.

Choose your Style: The amount of baking time will determine the style of the result. A shorter time will yield a creamy, delicious pudding-type dish. A longer baking time, where the knife comes out clean upon testing, will yield a firm result that can be cut nicely from the dish. People have their own preferences on this and I suggest you try both to see what your family likes best.

Ingredients

16 ounces corn, whole kernels cut off the cob (4-5 large ears)

1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn

1 (8 ounce) package corn muffin mix

1 cup sour cream
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

6 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup panko style bread crumbs

Note: The amounts noted above are approximate. Cans and bags of corn vary slightly in size, as do the amount of corn you remove from fresh whole ears. If using whole fresh corn, plan on about 4-5 ears to yield the necessary amount.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 2 quart casserole (usually a 9 x 9 inch glass baking dish or an medium oval au gratin as shown) with food release or coat with butter. 

Mix together the corn, muffin mix, sour cream, black pepper and 4 tablespoons butter in a bowl. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Pour into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of the corn mixture (this is what makes it au gratin).

Bake for 45-60 minutes (see Choose Your Style above) and the top is browned. If the topping browns too quickly, cover with foil during the remainder of baking. Uncover for the last 5 minutes of cooking to ensure a crisp topping.