Creamed Corn for Thanksgiving

I am blessed to have a sister-in-law who loves to host Thanksgiving, and so we split the menu with me usually bringing the veggie side dishes.  This year the gathering includes so many families that I'll just be bringing the standard Campbell's Green Bean Casserole and homemade Creamed Corn.  I have to thank Sheli Jones for sharing this recipe with me over a decade ago.  It is still a family favorite and almost better the second day.

Sheli's Creamed Corn

2-16 oz. packages frozen corn (I like white corn best in this recipe)
3 C heavy whipping cream
3 T butter
3 T flour
4 T sugar
2 tsp. salt

Par-boil or steam the corn first while you are warming the cream in a large pot on the stove.   Add the corn to the cream and continue cooking until it boils, about 5 minutes.  Drain the cream, but save.  Set aside both. 

I melt the butter in a smaller saucepan while the corn is cooking in the cream.  Then add the flour, stirring quickly to prevent lumps.  Add the cream slowly whisking to keep it smooth.  Add sugar and salt.  Cook until thick.  Add corn and bring to a boil.

Now, if you've been reading my blog you just may have caught that I love to tweak things.  And so, here are my tweaks.

• First of all was the steaming of the corn before cooking it in the warmed cream.  It used to be that I'd get a frozen mass of corn when adding it directly to cold cream and then it took forever to cook.
• Secondly, I made the "white sauce" in a separate pan while the corn was cooking by melting the butter and adding the flour, sugar and salt.  Then I took about 3/4 C of cream from the pot and added it to the butter mixture.  I let it sit until the corn was done.
• Once the corn was done, I drained most of the cream in to the smaller saucepan and mixed it well.  It immediately thickened and I was able to return it to the pot of corn mixing it into the remaining cream.

This is the best it's ever been!  And, yes it takes several pots and utensils but it is well worth the effort and the mess.  Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Using steamed, whole green beans was a nice change to this standard Thanksgiving fare.