Sweet Corn Spoonbread

Side dishes are things I sometimes struggle with. I tend to focus on the main entree and then build around that. But recently, I’ve been doing the opposite by gathering side dishes that group well together and deciding on a main dish to complete the meal. One side dish that caught my eye was this Sweet Corn Spoonbread. It’s light like a cake yet dense enough to be scooped when served. If you’ve ever heard of Chi-Chi’s Mexican restaurant, this reminds me of the sweet corn cake they served as a side to your meal… only better. Sweet corn is mixed throughout a sweetened cornmeal batter and gently baked to perfection…

This is a great side dish that has a bit of both sweet and savory. I especially like the texture where it’s not too dense and not too loose. The spoonbread can easily be adapted to something more savory and include additional add ins such as black beans, crumbled bacon, scallions, diced bell peppers, or even jalapenos. Whatever you decide, it’s worth trying out and makes for a nice side dish to a Southwestern, Tex-Mex or Mexican inspired meal.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 8.5oz can creamed corn
1 1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degree oven F (175 degrees C.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until it is creamy. Add the flour and creamed corn and beat until well mixed. Stir in the thawed corn.

In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. Add to corn mixture and stir to combine. Pour batter into an ungreased 8×8 inch baking pan. Smooth batter and cover with aluminum foil.

Place pan into a 9×13 inch baking dish and place in the oven. Carefully fill the larger dish a third of the way of the way with water to create a water bath or bain marie. (This helps the spoonbread cook slowly and evenly, resulting in a moist texture.)

Bake in a preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Use an ice cream scoop for easy removal from pan.