Amish Baked Corn Casserole
Amish baked corn, also known as "Amish baked corn casserole", is an easy side dish that's made with corn in a custard-like mixture of eggs, milk, and flour. It is baked until set and slightly golden on top.
As with many traditional recipes, variations of Amish Baked Corn can be found within different Amish communities and families. Some might add additional ingredients like diced bell peppers, onions, or herbs to enhance the flavor profile. Others might top the casserole with cracker crumbs or cheese.
Baked corn, sometimes also known as corn pudding or scalloped corn, is a simple casserole-style dish that's often served as a side dish at potlucks, family gatherings, and holiday meals.
Overall, Amish Baked Corn is a delicious example of the type of comfort food that reflects the Amish way of life and their connection to the land and farm life.
Amish Corn
Corn, which is perhaps one of the few truly authentic American dishes, is a staple in many Amish homes. It's easy to grow, and a vegetable that is loved by all.
Growing up Amish, we ate lots and lots of sweet corn. Every summer we harvested hundreds of ears of corn. We spent many hours husking, brushing, blanching, and cutting corn off the cob. Then we probably froze at least one to two hundred bags or containers of sweet corn to enjoy over the winter months. (I grew up New Order Amish. We had electricity, so we froze all of our sweet corn.)
But let me tell you, there is no comparison between Amish sweet corn and the sweet corn that you buy in the grocery store. I don't know exactly how to describe Amish corn, but I guess you could say that it is kind of like a mixture of whole-kernel and creamed corn, with young tender kernels instead of tough ones.
On the rare occasions that we ate at a restaurant buffet, we never got sweet corn because we thought it was disgusting. Whether frozen or canned, store-bought whole-kernel corn is hard and tough compared to Amish corn.
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Preserving Sweet Corn
First off, we picked our corn when it was still young before the kernels were thick and tough. And then we didn't cut it all the way to the cob. We used sharp knives and sliced off the top 3/4 part of the kernels, then we ran the knife back over the ear to squeeze out the remaining part. (As kids, we used a corn cutter.)
This is what produced the mixture of creamed and whole-kernel corn, although it wasn't thick like store-bought creamed corn. We had young tender kernels in a bit of juice from the corn and didn't need to add water when cooking it since it already had its own liquid.
Yum! It's so good. And even though we don't eat a lot of corn at our house nowadays, I still like to put up some sweet corn every summer because it's so much better than store-bought.
PA Dutch Baked Corn
"PA Dutch" is a term used to refer to the Pennsylvania Dutch, a group of people with a distinctive cultural and linguistic background. The Pennsylvania Dutch are often associated with Anabaptist religious groups such as the Amish, Mennonites, and Brethren.
And I used to think that all PA Dutch people were Amish or conservative Mennonite. But I've discovered that there are people who consider themselves PA Dutch that aren't necessarily Amish or Mennonite, although I'm guessing that many have an Anabaptist background.
But anyway, all that to say, the terms Amish recipes and PA Dutch recipes can often be used interchangeably. Amish and Mennonite recipes are typically very closely related since they share similar cultural characteristics.
So whether you call it PA Dutch baked corn or Amish baked corn, it's pretty much the same thing. Although, there are variations in recipes from one home to another.
Succotash (Corn and Limas)
Succotash was a dish often served in our Amish community. When I google succotash, it looks there there are different variations. But ours was simply corn and lima beans mixed together. Kind of like peas and carrots, it's two vegetables that go well together.
I never cared for lima beans, so I tried to avoid them and just get the corn. I discovered later though, that I actually enjoy small baby limas. But I haven't had succotash in years.
How to Make Creamy Amish Baked Corn
This recipe for baked corn is literally one of the easiest side dishes to make. Simply beat the eggs, melt the butter, and toss everything together.
You can use milk, half and half, or cream depending on how creamy you want your dish.
Pour it into a buttered casserole dish and bake it. It's very quick and easy, and quite tasty!
Can I Use Whole-Kernel Frozen Corn?
Yes, you can use thawed frozen whole-kernel corn instead of canned. This corn casserole recipe can be made using only whole-kernel corn, without any creamed corn. However, your dish will probably turn out less creamy and more crunchy. But some of you might prefer a drier dish rather than a soft custard-like corn casserole.
Ultimately, whether to use both types of corn or only whole-kernel corn depends on your personal preference. The mixture of textures and flavors from using both can be appealing to some, while others may prefer a simpler, crunchier dish. You can experiment with both options to see which one you prefer.
Can I Use Amish Corn?
Obviously, most of the Amish would use home-canned or frozen corn, which I told you is quite different from store-bought corn. But I have tested this recipe with store-bought canned corn since I know that's what the majority of you will probably use.
However, if you freeze your own sweet corn, feel free to use it instead of the one can of whole-kernel and one can of creamed corn.
Since Amish corn is sort of like a mixture of creamed and whole-kernel, that is what we are using in this recipe. So using Amish corn should work well, although you may want to drain it a bit.
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I hope you enjoy this Amish baked corn recipe. If you try it, I would love it if you left a comment and star rating below.
Amish Baked Corn Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 can (approx. 15 oz.) whole-kernel corn (drained)
- 1 can (approx. 15 oz.) creamed corn
- 3 tablespoon butter (melted)
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 3/4 cup half and half (or whole milk)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Mix the flour and sugar. Add the remaining ingredients, along with the corn, and mix well.2 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 can (approx. 15 oz.) whole-kernel corn (drained), 1 can (approx. 15 oz.) creamed corn, 3 tablespoon butter (melted), 2 large eggs (beaten), 3/4 cup half and half (or whole milk), 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- Pour into an 8 or 9" square buttered baking dish.
- Bake, uncovered, for approximately 45 minutes or until set. Let the casserole rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
- Refrigerate and reheat any leftovers.
Lori G.
Hi Anna. I don't usually comment on any blogs but wanted to this time. It's funny that you thought other corn was disgusting. I was born and raised in Southern Alberta Canada, married here and raised our children here. We were spoiled with Taber corn which is sweet, tender and delicious. We wait for it every year to eat fresh and freeze. Our son and daughter-in-law lived in Mississippi for 2 years and they thought American corn was disgusting too. While they enjoyed many of the foods that area was known for, corn wasn't one of them.
Anna
Definitely too tough. lol