Scalloped Corn
Scalloped Corn is a simple, classic side dish loaded with corn, a custard-like filling, and a topping of buttery crackers, perfect for holiday celebrations or everyday dinners!
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Today's recipe is a tasty side dish that's decadent enough for a holiday meal yet simple enough for a weeknight dinner. Even though I've already got several popular corn side dishes on the site -- from Cream Cheese Corn Casserole to Ultimate Cornbread Casserole -- this retro classic was notably missing. So say hello to Scalloped Corn!
Ingredients
If you're not already familiar with Scalloped Corn, this vintage recipe usually features some combo of corn, custard, and cracker crumbs (ahhh, beloved alliteration). And while there are a few additional ingredients, the list is deliciously simple:
- Corn. Specifically, frozen corn (thawed & drained) plus creamed corn. You can use about 3 cups of fresh, roasted corn in place of the frozen corn, if you wish. I don’t recommend using canned (whole kernel) corn due to its added sodium. However, if you do decide to use it, the equivalent amount for this recipe would be two (15-ounce) cans. Be sure to drain canned corn, if using, and also consider reducing the added salt in this recipe.
- Eggs + half-and-half. The eggs give this Scalloped Corn recipe its custard-like texture.
- Sugar, salt, + pepper. For flavor...you may tweak these to your liking.
- Melted butter. Used in both the corn base and the cracker topping. I prefer using unsalted butter since the crackers are already salty.
- Cracker crumbs. You can opt to use crushed saltine crackers (which are probably more traditional) or crushed butter crackers (which I used in the pictured recipe). Ritz and Club are some popular brands of buttery crackers. But really, just about any type of crumbly cracker will work great!
While some variations of Scalloped Corn include cheese, mine does not. I prefer to let the flavors of the corn and the buttery cracker topping shine. However, scroll down to "Variations" to see how you can incorporate cheese if you'd like!
How to Make Scalloped Corn
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
Have I mentioned how easy it is to whip up this Scalloped Corn recipe? It's not much more complicated than simply stirring everything together.
- Preheat the oven and grease your baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and the half-and-half. Then stir in the corn, creamed corn, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Mix in half of the melted butter and cracker crumbs. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the corn mixture in the baking dish.
- Bake until the corn is bubbly and the topping is golden brown!
How's that for a quick and easy side dish?
Make-Ahead Directions
To make this Scalloped Corn a day ahead of time, prepare as directed through Step 3 (you will only need to melt half of the butter initially, and you will want to reserve half of the total cracker crumbs for finishing the recipe). Cover the dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day.
When you’re ready to bake it off, remove the dish from the fridge while the oven is preheating, melt the remaining butter, and proceed with Step 4.
Variations
- For a cheesy version of this Scalloped Corn recipe, you may stir up to 1 cup of grated cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, whatever you like!) into the corn mixture.
- Alternatively, you could stir ½ cup grated Parmesan into the corn mixture and stir another ¼ cup Parm into the cracker topping mixture.
- Instead of cracker crumbs, you may opt to substitute panko bread crumbs.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, you can use either gluten-free cracker crumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- If you enjoy a bit of spice, feel free to add ¼ teaspoon chipotle chile pepper powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne, OR a few tablespoons of minced pickled jalapeños to the corn mixture.
And that's it, friends! Scalloped Corn is a quick and easy, tasty and decadent side dish!
It would be a scrumptious addition to your next holiday menu, complementing everything from Thanksgiving turkey to Christmas Cornish hens to Easter ham. Or it would be a yummy accompaniment to a regular weeknight dinner or a special Sunday supper.
Whenever you decide to try it, I hope you enjoy this retro classic! 🙂
More Fantastic Side Dishes
- Green Beans with Bacon
- Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Gruyère Scalloped Potatoes
- Balsamic Roasted Brussels
- Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Green Bean Bundles with Bacon + Brown Sugar Glaze
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Cinnamon + Maple
- Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
- Classic Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
Scalloped Corn
Video
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup half-and-half, OR milk
- 1 (16-ounce) bag of frozen corn, thawed & drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can creamed corn
- 1 tablespoon sugar, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted & cooled, DIVIDED
- 1 ½ cups crushed saltine OR butter cracker crumbs, DIVIDED
Instructions
- With rack in center position, preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2.5-quart baking dish (mine measured 10.5- by 7.5-inches) or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the half-and-half, and then add the thawed corn, creamed corn, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix together until well combined.
- Stir in half of the melted butter (3 tablespoons) and half of the cracker crumbs (¾ cup). Transfer the corn mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter and ¾ cup cracker crumbs. Evenly sprinkle over the top of the corn mixture in the dish.
- Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the corn is bubbly and the top is golden brown; serve hot. Store any leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- 3 cups of fresh, roasted corn may be used in place of the frozen corn. And while I don’t prefer using canned whole kernel corn in this recipe due to its added sodium, if you decide to use it, the equivalent amount for this recipe would be two (15-ounce) cans (drained).
- If you wish, you may use panko breadcrumbs in place of the crushed crackers.
- Gluten-free crackers or breadcrumbs may be substituted to make this recipe GF.
- Depending on the type of butter and crackers that you use, you may taste your corn mixture and determine that it needs more salt. If so, stir in an additional ¼ teaspoon and taste again.
Very nice!
I ended up using frozen corn and a can of Mexi corn as my creamed corn was not in my pantry!
Came together well and is very delicious!
If I wanted to add cheese to this recipe, at which point would I want to add it? And would that change cooking times?
Hi Kayla! There are directions for adding cheese under the "Variations" heading in the post...stir up to 1 cup of grated cheese into the corn mixture and bake as usual. 🙂
This was a big hit with my family!! Can't wait to make it again!
Made this for Thanksgiving...it was the first side dish to disappear and I had several requests for the recipe.
My mom used to make this every Thanksgiving growing up. At some point she stopped. I've been missing this! Thanks for the recipe! It's delish!