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Scalloped corn is an old fashioned dish of corn baked in a savoury cream sauce with a crispy breadcrumb topping. Don’t overlook it at your next holiday dinner. Easy to make and pure comfort to eat!
Our Fresh Green Bean Casserole is another recipe you might like as it is equally creamy and tasty, and made using only with fresh wholesome ingredients.
If you have a bag of frozen corn in your freezer, let me show you one delicious use for it! I love fresh corn in the summer. Whether it’s grilled or simply boiled and eaten with butter and salt, I am all there for it.
Frozen corn is another story entirely. I can’t get my kids to eat it for love nor money. This recipe however, got them super excited. Even my son, who is not a fan of corn in general, said it was “pretty good”. High praise when coming from a teenage boy!
What is scalloped corn?
In principal, scalloped corn is not too different from scalloped potatoes. Corn gets baked in a creamy sauce flavoured with sautéed onions, diced red bell peppers, a touch of paprika and most importantly Parmesan cheese. Essentially, it’s a corn gratin.
If this doesn’t entice you yet, let me tell you about the crispy topping. Traditional scalloped corn, as with every other gratin, gets covered with buttery breadcrumbs.
I take it up a notch by using This is an affiliate link.Panko breadcrumbs mixed with This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese for an uber crispy and savoury topping. Along with upping the flavour, the texture of this crumb topping matches perfectly with cream corn.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Despite the fact that there are many step-by-step photos, this recipe is not difficult. I just wanted to give you the visual aid of the whole process. I also wanted to show the consistency of the cream sauce.
- The first step is to make the white sauce aka béchamel sauce. I added sautéed onions and bell peppers to the base of the sauce for more flavour.
- I also added freshly grated This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese to the sauce, which isn’t traditional but it enhances the casserole and brings it into the 21st century.
- The cream sauce should be thick enough, so the spoon would leave a temporary trail behind during stirring as shown in the picture above. Once it’s the right consistency and slightly cooled, whisk in a beaten egg, which will give the sauce a custardy consistency once baked.
- As I mentioned in the beginning, I used frozen sweet corn, which I defrosted and drained. You can also use canned corn for this recipe.
- I highly recommend using This is an affiliate link.Panko breadcrumbs as they create the lightest and the crispiest topping for this gratin. I mixed them with melted butter and grated Parmesan cheese for a stronger savoury taste.
- If you are after more flavour, dust a touch of This is an affiliate link.smoked paprika on the topping but that is optional. The paprika also improves the visual appeal of this baked dish.
Serving Suggestions
This corn recipe is a fantastic side dish for holidays and special occasions. It could be served alongside a Roast Turkey, Prime Rib Roast, or a vegetarian Mushroom Wellington.
But I think it’s at its best when served with a ham, like my Honey Glazed Ham, made even better by using a slow cooker. A creamy corn just works so well with ham, especially with Roast Potatoes on the side!
For more ideas of what to serve as side dishes take a look at our Thanksgiving Sides, Christmas Sides, or Easter Sides.
Storage and leftovers
Leftover scalloped corn will keep in the fridge, in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container, for up to 5 days. It might even get better as the flavours have more opportunity to meld together.
Reheat in an oven preheated to 350F/180C for 10 minutes covered with aluminium foil. Then remove the foil and cook it uncovered for another 5 minutes. Or use a microwave, although you will miss out on the crispy topping.
Our Favourite Side Dishes to Try
- Lemon Garlic Green Beans with Parmesan Cheese
- Irish Mashed Potatoes (Champ)
- Butternut Squash Casserole (Gratin)
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Honey and Bacon
Scalloped Corn
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, small, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 170ml/3/4 cup whole milk
- 50g/1/2 cup This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp paprika , or smoked paprika
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 500g/3 cups frozen or canned corn, defrosted and drained
- 45g/1/2 cup This is an affiliate link.Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. In a large saucepan melt 2 tablespoons of butter and cook the chopped onion and red bell pepper over low heat for 10 minutes till softened but not browned. Add the flour and continue cooking while stirring for 1 minute, then pour in milk and continue stirring until the mixture is thick and bubbly.
- Take off the heat and stir in Parmesan, allow the grated cheese to melt and blend into the sauce, then leave the sauce to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the breadcrumb topping by melting the butter and sprinkling it all over the Panko breadcrumbs. Then mix the two together and combine with the 2 tablespoons of Parmesan.
- Now beat 1 egg in a large bowl and stir it in the cheese sauce until well combined. Add the corn and mix well. Pour the corn mixture into an ungreased 1 quart/1 litre shallow baking dish, top with the breadcrumbs and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and the top is golden.
Notes
- I highly recommend using Panko breadcrumbs as they create the lightest and the crispiest topping for this gratin. I mixed them with melted butter and grated Parmesan cheese for a stronger savoury taste.
- If you are after more flavour, dust a touch of smoked paprika on the topping but that is optional. The paprika also improves the visual appeal of this baked dish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Will be making this for Thanksgiving dinner. Planning on preparing it the night before and baking next day. Other than adding panko last minute any other suggestions. Looking forward to trying this.
No additional suggestions, Ann. It’s a perfect recipe to make ahead of time. Let me know what you think of it! 🙂
Hello again. Just finished prepping the dish. Do you recommend defrosting prior to baking or just put in oven with panko topping frozen? Thanks again!
Hi Anne, I have never frozen this dish prior to baking, so I would defrost it first.
Hello again. It’s in the freezer now. Do you suggest defrosting prior to baking or just topping off with panko and baking from frozen? Thanks!
Like I mentioned I’ve never baked it from frozen, so can’t advise on temperature or timing. I would defrost first.