Easy Homemade Creamed Corn

 

One of my favorite side dishes has always been creamed corn. I normally buy it in a can and I will be honest with you here, I have been known to eat it with a spoon right from the can! 😋 Yes, I do like it that much!

I discovered this Easy Creamed Corn recipe on a page called Sweet Little Bluebird the other day and I was instantly drawn in.  It promised a delicious side dish of creamed corn made from scratch in virtually minutes!

 

I thought it might make a lovely Holiday side dish for our upcoming Easter dinner. Ham and corn go beautifully together.  I am always looking for something new and delicious to cook for the holidays.

Could this be it?  I just had to try it out and see! 

The end result was all that and more. It was fabulously delicious and yes, really quick and easy to make.  Especially if you have all the ingredients ready to go before you start.  That also makes it a great side dish to throw together at the last minute!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY HOMEMADE CREAMED CORN

You will be surprised at the simplicity of the ingredients required.  That, put together, they taste so amazing, is a bonus! 

• 10 ounce bag (285g) of frozen corn niblets, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 TBS granulated sugar
• pinch garlic powder
• 1 TBS butter
• 1/2 cup ( 120ml) whole milk
• 1 TBS all purpose plain flour
• 3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste 

 

If you don't have any frozen corn, you can use canned corn niblets. In either case do make sure you drain the corn really well before starting the recipe. If you don't, you risk diluting that rich and creamy sauce.

I actually used canned corn today and it was lovely.  If you use frozen corn do thaw it out first.

I did not have quite enough cream today so I replaced some of it with undiluted evaporated milk. This always works very well in the place of cream, and you really can't taste any difference.

 

Do use full fat whole milk.  This is one of the things that makes for a really rich and delicious end result. 

I like to grate my own cheese, but you can use a good quality pre-grated Parmesan cheese if you like.  Fine or shredded. Just so long as it melts thoroughly in the finished sauce.

If you don't have seasoning salt, then use regular fine sea salt.  I do think the seasoning salt adds a nice touch however. I used Lawry's.

 

HOW TO MAKE EASY HOMEMADE CREAMED CORN

This is so quick and easy  and tasty that you will never want to go back to the old canned stuff again! 

Whisk the whole milk and the flour together until smooth in a small bowl. Set aside.

Measure the cream into a medium skillet, along with the seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar and butter. Heat over medium heat, whisking until the butter melts.

 

Add the drained corn and the milk/flour mixture. Continue stirring over medium heat until the sauce thickens and the corn has cooked through. This will only take a few minutes. Let cook for about 2 minutes longer to cook out the flour taste.

Stir in the grated cheese and keep stirring until it has melted and amalgamated into the sauce.

Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Pour into a heated serving bowl, garnish with some freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.

 

This recipe is also very easy to double if you are having a whole crowd over for dinner.  Just double up on everything and cook as above.

Its also very adaptable. You can add chopped jalapeno peppers, sweet bell peppers.  Just sauté them until softened in a bit of butter before you add the cream to the pan.

If you like even more heat, you can add a dash of cayenne pepper, or a splash of tabasco or sriracha sauce.

 

If you end up with leftovers why not layer it in a baking dish with some sliced boiled potato for a delicious potato scallop. I would add grated cheddar to the layers and maybe even bits of ham.

This would make a great casserole for after Easter when we are all sure to have bits of ham and maybe even some leftover potatoes to use up.

You could also stir it into cooked macaroni along with some cheddar cheese and ham for a macaroni and cheese casserole.  Buttered cracker crumbs on the top would be great!

 

This was really, REALLY delicious. I was so pleased with the results and I know I will be making it again as a part of our Easter Holiday Dinner, just as written.

I think it would also be delicious garnished with crumbled cooked bacon. Just saying . . .  

Some other fabulous holiday side dishes on here that you might enjoy with your Easter dinner this year are:

TWO POTATO BACON & THYME GRATIN - Sliced white and sweet potatoes combine in a delicious and simple casserole dish, layered with some seasoned cream, cheese, herbs and crisp crumbled bacon. Delicious to the n'th degree! 

HONEY DILL GLAZED TURNIPS & CARROTS - Being lightly glazed with some butter and honey, then flavoured with dill . . .  these arrive at the table glistening like jewels. Carrots tend to be a bit sweet anyways, and although turnips can be somewhat bitter, this treatment turns them into something really special.

Yield: 4 - 6

Author: Marie Rayner

Homemade Creamed Corn

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min

This is the easiest side dish. Its so simple to make and really is delicious. We enjoy it with ham, pork, chicken, fish. We just plain enjoy it full stop! You won't believe how quickly it goes together which makes it a great last minute side dish for any occasion.

Ingredients

• 10 ounce bag (285g) of frozen corn niblets, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 TBS granulated sugar
• pinch garlic powder
• 1 TBS butter
• 1/2 cup ( 120ml) whole milk
• 1 TBS all purpose plain flour
• 3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
• fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk the whole milk and the flour together until smooth in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Measure the cream into a medium skillet, along with the seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar and butter. Heat over medium heat, whisking until the butter melts.
3. Add the drained corn and the milk/flour mixture. Continue stirring over medium heat until the sauce thickens and the corn has cooked through. This will only take a few minutes. Let cook for about 2 minutes longer to cook out the flour taste.
4. Stir in the grated cheese and keep stirring until it has melted and amalgamated into the sauce.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Pour into a heated serving bowl, garnish with some freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.

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Braised Cabbage with Horseradish Cream

 

 

I quite simply adore cabbage.  I love it in any way shape or form. I love it raw. I love it cooked. I love cabbage.

My family has long been cabbage lovers. I think the only one of us that is not fond of this humble vegetable is my father. When we were growing up and my mother made cabbage rolls, he would swap me his cabbage for my meat.  (I was never fond of the meat part.)

 

 

This is a recipe I discovered on a blog called Girl on the Range.  It looked so delicious. Wedges of cabbage, braised until meltingly tender in a lush cream sauce flavored with horseradish.

It was a recipe she had discovered on Saveur. 

From the moment I saw it, I knew it was something that I wanted to try and, as luck would have it, I just happened to have a small cabbage in my refrigerator!!  I was all in!!

 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BRAISED CABBAGE WITH HORSERADISH CREAM

Basically they are very simple ingredients, with the exception perhaps of the horseradish. I love horseradish so I always have it in my refrigerator.

• 1 small head of green cabbage (about 1 1/4 pound) (see photograph)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
• 2 heaped TBS freshly grated, or prepared horseradish
• 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken or vegetable stock
• salt
• black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

This photograph shows you the size of the cabbage I used.  It was a bit of a pain to peel off some outer leaves, but I did it, and it doesn't really matter if you tear them a bit.

I have fairly small hands, so this cabbage was about the size of a small grapefruit, or a ten pin bowling ball.   It was fairly compact as well.  For those who live in the UK it is what you call a white cabbage.

 

The original recipe called for vermouth.  I just used chicken stock, or you could use vegetable stock, making this totally vegetarian.  I don't really keep any alcohol in my house these days, not even for cooking.

Unless you have a dedicated bar, vermouth is probably not something you would have in your larder, unless you were a martini drinker.  I find that you can usually find a good substitute for most kinds of alcohol in most recipes.

The horseradish used is the grated horseradish, not the horseradish cream. Grated horseradish is quite a bit stronger, but no worries because there is only a small amount in this and it in no way makes it unbearably hot. It just gives the cream a lovely flavor. 

If you are not fond of horseradish, you could substitute it with some Dijon mustard, or even leave the extra flavor out altogether.

 

HOW TO MAKE BRAISED CABBAGE WITH HORSERADISH CREAM

It is really not all that difficult to make. The wedges do have a tendency to fall over I found, but this in no ways affects the flavor of the dish, only the looks and they are easy enough to set back upright again.

Preheat your oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7.

Remove a few of the larger outside leaves from the cabbage. (Its okay if they tear) Rinse under cold running water and place them around the perimeter of a stovetop-save baking dish or small Dutch oven, placing them so that they come partway up the sides of the pan. (I used a 6-inch iron skillet.)

 

Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges. Arrange the wedges over the leaves with their points facing upwards in the baking dish. Season with some salt and black pepper.

Whisk the cream, horseradish, and chicken stock together in a measuring cup. Pour the mixture over the cabbage. Dot with the butter and cover with a tight-fitting lid.

 

Set the dish on a burner over medium high heat and cover tightly. Bring to the boil then reduce to a quick simmer. Simmer until the cabbage steams to a brighter green and looks slightly wilted at the edges. This will take four to six minutes. Remove the cover, and using a spoon, spoon the tops of the wedges with the cream mixture.

Transfer to the preheated oven and roast uncovered for about 20 minutes. Baste with some of the pan juices and then roast for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the cabbage is tender and slightly caramelized.

Serve hot with some of the pan juices spooned over top.

 

I used my six inch wide cast iron pan. You want to use a baking dish/pan that will go from stove top to oven without breaking or cracking.  My cast iron pan is about 3 inches deep.

 

Do beware if your pan is really shallow, the cream will bubble up over, so make sure your pan is deep enough to counteract that and prevent it from happening!

I used a lid from my set of saucepans that happened to fit fairly snuggly on top of the skillet.

The cabbage leaves which are placed around the edges of the pan and on the bottom actually help to keep the cabbage fairly upright.  These points do get lovely and crisp and golden.

 

This was really REALLY lovely.  The cabbage gets nice and tender, almost buttery.  I love cabbage when it gets all meltingly tender like that.

The cream was lovely.  Not too rich.  I can only imagine what it might have tasted like with vermouth, but to be honest the chicken stock did the job perfectly.

The leftovers were even tastier the day after, gently warmed in a skillet until heated through.  I chopped them up and then tossed them together with some warm buttery egg noodles.  A bit of cheese sprinkled on top and it was gorgeous!

Some other tasty cabbage recipes on The English Kitchen are:

CABBAGE, CHEESE & MUSTARD GRATIN FOR TWO - Cabbage is parboiled and then layered in a baking dish with a lovely lush cheese and mustard sauce. Topped with buttery crumbs and baked to delicious perfection. This is a fabulous side dish.

FRIED CABBAGE WITH BACON AND ONIONS - This is one of the most popular recipes on this page and for good reason. Its quite simply delicious. Quick, easy and fabulously tasty!

Yield: 2 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Braised Cabbage with Horseradish Cream

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 46 MinTotal time: 56 Min

If you like cabbage, prepare to fall in love with this simple easy and delicious method of preparing it.

Ingredients

• 1 small head of green cabbage (about 1 1/4 pound) (see photograph)
• 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
• 2 heaped TBS freshly grated, or prepared horseradish
• 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken or vegetable stock
• salt
• black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7.
2. Remove a few of the larger outside leaves from the cabbage. (Its okay if they tear) Rinse under cold running water and place them around the perimeter of a stovetop-save baking dish or small Dutch oven, placing them so that they come partway up the sides of the pan. (I used a 6-inch iron skillet.)
3. Cut the cabbage into 8 wedges. Arrange the wedges over the leaves with their points facing upwards in the baking dish. Season with some salt and black pepper.
4. Whisk the cream, horseradish, and chicken stock together in a measuring cup. Pour the mixture over the cabbage. Dot with the butter and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
5. Set the dish on a burner over medium high heat and cover tightly. Bring to the boil then reduce to a quick simmer. Simmer until the cabbage steams to a brighter green and looks slightly wilted at the edges. This will take four to six minutes. Remove the cover, and using a spoon, spoon the tops of the wedges with the cream mixture.
6. Transfer to the preheated oven and roast uncovered for about 20 minutes. Baste with some of the pan juices and then roast for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the cabbage is tender and slightly caramelized.
7. Serve hot with some of the pan juices spooned over top.

Did you make this recipe?

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This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com 

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Pierogi Stuffed Shells

 

I love Pierogi.  They are one of my favorite foods of all time. They were not something I grew up with, but something which I discovered when I moved out to Winnipeg to get married in 1977.  

I remember being in a restaurant at Polo Park and my husband told me I should try Pierogi.  They were actually deep fried and came to the table all crisp and hot with a small bowl of sour cream and garnished with fried onions.  I fell in love.

 

We left Winnipeg a year later and moved to Calgary. I made friends with a lovely woman named Esther. Esther had had polio when she was a child and walked with the aid of crutches.  She was of Ukrainian descent.

She was such a dear friend to me. That first Christmas in Calgary she came over on Christmas Eve and showed me how to make Pierogi from scratch.  Apparently it was a Christmas tradition in her family.  

 

We enjoyed them boiled and then dropped into melted butter and lightly sauteed along with onions until they were golden brown and the onions lightly caramelized.  We enjoyed them with sour cream of course.

I will always be indebted to Esther for showing me how to make a really delicious food from scratch.  Esther passed away a few years ago now.  I still miss her, but I never make pierogi without thinking about her and our friendship.

 

I discovered this recipe I am sharing with you today on a blog called Real Life Dinner.  It sounded quick, delicious and easy. 

I did put my own twist on it and I cut the amount in half to serve only 3 people instead of 6.  It was very simple to make. You can make mashed potatoes from scratch or use leftover mashed potatoes, so its a great way to cut down on waste.

Its also very cheap and economical to make, especially if you buy your cheese when its on offer like I do!!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PIEROGI STUFFED SHELLS

It may look like a lot of ingredients, but its really not much. You really need only four main ingredients.  Mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and pasta shells. The rest is the icing on a very tasty cake.

For the potato filling:

• 1 1/2 cups leftover or fresh mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup (120g) grated strong cheddar cheese
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 of your caramelized onions (see instructions)

For the caramelized onions:

• 1 medium to large onion, peeled and finely chopped (amount depends on how much you like onions)
• 1 TBS butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar

You will also need:

• 12 large pasta shells, cooked in lightly salted water
• 1/2 cup (60g) grated strong cheddar cheese
• the other half of the caramelized onions
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• sour cream and additional fried onions to serve

 

I use strong cheddar cheese because you get loads more flavor for your money.  I always think anything less flavorful gets lost in a dish like this where it is combined with so many other things.

Adding a bit of sugar to the onions really helps them to caramelize nicely and enhances their natural sweetness.

I add a bit of stock to the bottom of the baking dish to help prevent the pasta shells from drying out. Where there is no sauce in this recipe, it is very easy for them to dry out.

 

Whisking a bit of sour cream into the mashed potatoes along with the cheese adds a nice rich flavor and loosens them up a tiny bit making the mixture easier to stuff into the shells.  I also like to add some of the caramelized onions to the potatoes.

I probably make twice as many onions as this recipe calls for because I love to serve the finished shells with additional fried onions as well.  But you can make as much or as little an amount of fried onions as you want.

 

HOW TO MAKE PIEROGI STUFFED SHELLS

These are really a lot less complicated to make than regular pierogi.  There is no rolling out of the dough, crimping or boiling!  Easy peasy!!

Preheat the oven to 350*F/ 180*C/ gas mark 4. Have ready a shallow casserole dish large enough to hold all your shells. Butter the casserole dish with softened butter.

To caramelize the onions melt the butter in a medium sized non-stick pan. Add the onions, some seasoning and the sugar. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently until the onion has softened and begun to caramelize.

 

Warm up the mashed potatoes for a minute or so in the microwave. Whisk the potatoes, cheese, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste for the filling, using an electric whisk. If the mixture seems too thick you can beat in a small amount of milk. Stir in half of the caramelized onions.

Stuff the potato filling into the cooked pasta shells, about 2 to 3 TBS each. Place the stuffed shells into the buttered casserole dish.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly over top of the stuffed shells. Sprinkle with the remaining caramelized onions. Pour the chicken stock, carefully into the bottom of the pan.

Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until the cheese is bubbling and the shells are heated through, 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve hot with sour cream to spoon over top and additional fried onions if you wish.

 

These were really surprisingly good. The shells were not quite as tender as the original pierogi dough is. If I made them again I would cook them for a bit longer, but they were quite delicious.

I found myself wondering what they would be like baked on a bed of a sour cream sauce, with a bit more drizzled on top.  I may try that sometime just to see.

In the meantime, although not quite as satisfying as the real deal, these were very good and this carboholic really enjoyed them with some additional sour cream, more onions and a tasty salad on the side.

 

Here are a few other ways to enjoy stuffed shells.  You will want to use up the box won't you!

TACO STUFFED SHELLS -  This was something that my boys always enjoyed and that I used to make for the Missionaries sometimes when I had them over for supper.  Pasta shells stuffed with a tasty beef taco filling, topped with crumbled tortilla chips and cheese, then baked to perfection. Served hot with your favorite taco toppings they always go down a real treat!

CHEESY SHELL STUFFED SHELLS -  This is a personal favorite of mine. Shells are stuffed with a lush mac and cheese made using miniature shells.  Napped with a marinara and more cheese and baked until all gooey and rich. Can you ever have too much cheese? I think not!  This one spells W-I-N-N-E-R!!!

Yield: 3

Author: Marie Rayner

Pierogi Stuffed Shells

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Quick and easier than regular pierogi, but with the same delicious flavors. You can use fresh mashed potatoes if you wish.

Ingredients

For the potato filling

• 1 1/2 cups leftover or fresh mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup (120g) grated strong cheddar cheese
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 of your caramelized onions (see instructions)

For the caramelized onions:

• 1 medium to large onion, peeled and finely chopped (amount depends on how much you like onions)
• 1 TBS butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar

You will also need:

• 12 large pasta shells, cooked in lightly salted water
• 1/2 cup (60g) grated strong cheddar cheese
• the other half of the caramelized onions
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• sour cream and additional fried onions to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/ 180*C/ gas mark 4. Have ready a shallow casserole dish large enough to hold all your shells. Butter the casserole dish with softened butter.
2. To caramelize the onions melt the butter in a medium sized non-stick pan. Add the onions, some seasoning and the sugar. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently until the onion has softened and begun to caramelize.
3. Warm up the mashed potatoes for a minute or so in the microwave. Whisk the potatoes, cheese, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste for the filling, using an electric whisk. If the mixture seems too thick you can beat in a small amount of milk. Stir in half of the caramelized onions.
4. Stuff the potato filling into the cooked pasta shells, about 2 to 3 TBS each. Place the stuffed shells into the buttered casserole dish.
5. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over top of the stuffed shells. Sprinkle with the remaining caramelized onions. Pour the chicken stock, carefully into the bottom of the pan.
6. Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until the cheese is bubbling and the shells are heated through, 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Serve hot with sour cream to spoon over top and additional fried onions if you wish.

Did you make this recipe?

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This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com 

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