My neighbor brought this over one spring and I immediately begged for the secret. It takes hardly any effort but tastes incredibly rich. The sweet and creamy texture makes it the ultimate comfort food

This 5-Ingredient Creamed Corn is a magnificent, ultra-velvety, and deeply comforting holiday-style side dish masterpiece that transforms humble frozen corn into an elite, steakhouse-quality cream casserole. By baking crisp corn kernels directly in a luxurious, fat-dense bath of heavy cream, unsalted butter, and cream cheese, you construct a flawless structural and textural vegetable plate. Requiring absolutely zero pre-cooking or stove stirring and building a silky, clinging sauce right inside the oven, it delivers premium, old-fashioned results with absolute minimal active kitchen tracking.

5-Ingredient Creamed Corn

Ingredients:

Step-by-Step Directions:

Step 1: Lay the Frozen Kernel Foundation: Lightly coat the interior floor and walls of a 2-quart glass casserole dish (such as an 8×8-inch pan) with nonstick spray or butter. Empty your 4 cups of frozen corn kernels straight into the pan, spreading them out with a spoon into a uniform, level layer.

The Unthawed Corn Advantage: There is absolutely no need to waste time thawing your corn ahead of time! Leaving the kernels frozen keeps them from turning mushy or wrinkly, allowing them to retain a crisp, snappy texture as they slow-cook inside the dairy bath.

Step 2: Dot with Dairy Fats: Scatter your 4 tablespoons of butter pieces and 4 ounces of cubed cream cheese evenly across the top of the corn layer so they can melt uniformly into the matrix as the oven heats up.

Step 3: Season and Flood: Pour your 1 cup of heavy cream evenly over the surface of the corn, then shower your 1 teaspoon of kosher salt across the entire pan. Give the ingredients a very light, gentle stir just to tuck the butter and cream cheese cubes down into the corn kernels while keeping the main layer level.

Step 4: Execute the Cold-Start Steam Bake: Cover the casserole dish tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil, crimping the edges securely around the rim to seal in the moisture. Place the pan straight into a cold, unheated oven, then turn the dial to 350°F (175°C). Bake undisturbed for 30 / minutes.

• Why the cold start matters: Placing the cold glass dish into a cold oven allows the pan, the frozen corn, and the solid dairy blocks to heat up gradually together. This gentle ramping of temperature prevents the glass from shattering due to thermal shock while allowing the starches in the corn to slowly swell and thicken the cream.

Step 5: Emulsify and Uncover: Carefully peel back the hot foil. Use a sturdy spoon to give the corn a vigorous, thorough stir, making sure to scrape the corners and floor of the dish so the completely melted cream cheese and butter fully emulsify with the hot heavy cream. Return the dish to the oven completely uncovered and bake for another 15 / to 20 / minutes, giving it one quick stir halfway through the clock.

Step 6: Thickening Final Rest: Pull the bubbling, golden casserole from the oven when the sauce has reduced into a thick, silky, and clinging glaze around the bright yellow kernels. Taste and adjust the salt if desired, then let the dish stand completely undisturbed on a trivet for 5 / to 10 / minutes before serving.

The Dairy Reduction Tip: Do not scoop into this creamed corn the exact second it exits the oven! This brief cooling window allows the bubbling cream lipids and corn starches to settle, transforming the hot liquid into an incredibly luxurious, velvet-thick compote that clings perfectly to your spoon.