Sweet & Savory Creamy Corn au Gratin

My Corn au Gratin with creamed corn is a sweet and savory side that pairs well with both red and white meat. I make this recipe every year in a larger batch for Thanksgiving as well as on an occasional week night when we decide to have steak for dinner or if my husband makes a roast chicken on the weekend! It is super easy to make and so versatile.

The first time I’ve ever had creamed corn au gratin was when we visited a restaurant called The Cat and The Custard Cup (it has been closed since the pandemic unfortunately). But Summit House Restaurant’s recipe is very close to it just without the gratin. I love it so much that I created a mashed up of the two recipes, and have now made it every single Thanksgiving we have hosted to serve along side my husband’s famous Thanksgiving roast turkey and stuffing.

Key ingredients

As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes on the key ingredients:

🌽 The key to the perfect sweet and savory creamed corn au gratin is Sweet Corn. I prefer sweet corn for this recipe over regular corn because I like it on the sweeter side with a touch of saltiness from the pinch of salt and the Parmesan cheese topping. I usually get frozen sweet white corn but any color corn is fine. And you can substitute canned corn if that’s all you’ve got. 

The other key ingredient is Parmesan Cheese. It adds a salty and almost nutty flavor and a golden-brown crust to the dish when broiled right at the end of the cooking time. My toddler loves that parmesan crust!

How to Make Creamed Corn au Gratin

The following instructions, step-by-step photos, and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Combine the ingredients & simmer

Add the frozen corn, cream, milk, sugar, salt, and pepper to your preferred pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer while stirring the mixture occasionally. Remove from heat while you make your roux.

Make the roux

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, let it brown slightly, then sprinkle in the flour. Stir until a thick paste forms. Slowly add some of the hot liquid from the corn into the pan and continue to stir.

Note: Transfer as much liquid from the pot as you can, but try your best not to add too much corn to the roux. If a bit does end up in the saucepan, it’s not a huge deal.

Thicken & broil

Pour the thickened roux mixture into the pot of creamed corn, increase the heat, and stir for another minute or so until the whole pot of creamed corn is thickened.

Remove from the heat, top with Parmesan cheese, and brown under your broiler for 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!

Tip: Check on the creamed corn au gratin after about 5 minutes under the broiler. All ovens are different, and you don’t want the Parmesan topping to burn.

More baker’s tips

• Easily double or triple – as written, this corn au gratin recipe will feed 4-6 people, but it’s super easy to scale up to serve a big crowd. Cook it in a large pot but transfer to a large baking dish (or dishes) before sprinkling with Parmesan and broiling. You want to have a healthy ratio of cheese crust to creamed corn for a balanced sweet and savory flavor.
• Make ahead – you can prepare corn au gratin in advance to free up precious oven space, especially around the holidays. Make it up to 24 hours in advance and store in the fridge. All you’ll have to do is reheat it (covered in foil at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes) before serving.

Storage

Let leftovers cool completely before placing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat gently over low on the stovetop, or in 30-second bursts in the microwave.

You could freeze corn gratin, but I often find that the act of freezing, thawing, and reheating it again can sometimes give it a weird texture. It’s so easy, so I recommend making it from scratch whenever you’re in the mood.

5 from 9 votes

Corn au Gratin with Creamed Corn

By Trang Doan

This easy Corn au Gratin with creamed corn is a rich, cheesy side dish that's perfect for Thanksgiving, weeknight dinners, steak, or roast chicken.

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb of frozen sweet corn
• ▢ 6 oz of heavy cream
• ▢ 6 oz of whole milk
• ▢ 2 tbsp of sugar
• ▢ a pinch of salt
• ▢ a pinch of pepper
• ▢ 1 tbsp of unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 tbsp of AP flour
• ▢ ¼ to ⅓ cup shredded parmesan cheese

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Instructions 

• Combine frozen corn, cream, milk, sugar, salt and pepper in an oven ready pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce heat as necessary and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Take the corn off the heat or put on the lowest heat setting to prevent the cream from boiling over while you make a roux.
• In a small sauce pan, melt the butter, let it brown slightly, and sprinkle the flour in the pan while stirring constantly until a thick paste form.
• Slowly pour some of the hot liquid from the corn into the roux while continue stirring to bloom the roux. Use as much liquid as you can get without getting too much corn in the roux, but it’s okay if some corn get transferred over.
• Transfer the roux back into the pot of creamed corn, increase heat and stir for another minute for the liquid to thicken.
• Take off heat, sprinkle enough cheese to cover the entire top surface.
• Brown under the broiler between 5-10 minutes to the desired crustiness.

Notes

• Broiling time may vary depending on the type of broiler you have, and how far or close you can position your pot in the broiler. Check occasionally to make sure you don’t burn the cheese crust.

Nutrition

Serving: 147g, Calories: 247kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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