Angel Corn Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between corn casserole and cornbread? ›

Corn casserole is a dish that mixes cornbread with whole kernel corn, sour cream, butter, and cheese, along with some creamed corn to form a new dish that has cornbread as its base.

To cook it properly and make sure you retain more of its vitamins, it's always best to microwave it straight from the freezer. Place the amount of sweetcorn you need in a microwaveable bowl with a tablespoon of water. Set your microwave on a higher setting, and leave it between 3-4 ½ minutes (depending on the setting).

If the corn pudding is mushy, it's likely because there was too much liquid! Make sure you drain the whole kernel corn before adding it to the mixture. If you're using frozen corn, allow it to thaw before using it to reduce the moisture.

Pour the corn mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes, or until golden brown and the casserole has a slight jiggle when shaken.

It doesn't need to be thawed, just rinse until the ice crystals are gone and be sure to shake out any excess water. Add corn and 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle with the sugar. Cook for 6-7 minutes stirring often.

Blanching is a must

The natural enzymes in corn need to be inactivated before freezing to prevent both loss of color and nutrients, and flavor and texture changes. These enzymes are inactivated by a hot blanch treatment. The chilling process prevents the corn from becoming mushy due to overcooking the starch.

The process of boiling and blanching the corn first is the absolute best way to prepare your corn for the freezer. That's because this method will preserve the bright color and sweet flavor. It only takes a couple of minutes, but the extra steps will prevent the corn from becoming chewy or mushy when you defrost it.

Corn pudding has a similar gelatinous texture to dessert pudding, hence its name, so it's creamy and loose. In comparison, corn casserole has a thicker consistency and holds its shape better than the pudding because it uses thickening agents like instant cornbread mix.

Cornbread is a classic semi-sweet Southern quick bread made with yellow cornmeal. Cornbread pudding is made with whole corn, creamed corn, and cornbread mix to create a softer, more souffle-like cake with more moisture content than cornbread.

The main difference between the two is texture. Corn pudding has a gelatinous consistency similar to dessert pudding; the casserole is thicker and can hold its shape. Despite the textural difference between corn casserole and pudding, the ingredients are similar.

What is the difference between cornbread and Southern cornbread? ›

She notes that Northern cornbread is sweeter, lighter, and more cake-like than Southern cornbread. Not surprisingly, it includes sugar (or molasses, in the earlier centuries), unlike traditional Southern cornbread.