Turn Canned Corn Into A Creamy, Comforting Side Dish By Adding One Dairy Staple

Your pantry can get overrun with unused canned veggies taking up space and few ways to utilize them. Canned corn, in particular, is great to use in lots of different recipes, but you might be caught up with where to start. With a few simple additions, however, you can take a can of corn from bland to bodacious, making a side dish that's easy and comforting in just a handful of minutes. Cream cheese, specifically, is a dairy staple that will work well with the sweet flavor of the corn, providing a tangy contrast and a creamy consistency that's quite delicious. 

Using whole kernel canned corn is best for this dish — you want the sweet, subtle pop of the corn to be the star of the show. Any brand works, but if you don't already have one in your pantry, we've ranked canned corn brands, and Wegmans is the best one. Make sure to prep the corn before adding the cream cheese though. Give your canned corn the best flavor by draining and rinsing the kernels under cold water. This will make sure the finished dish doesn't have a metallic aftertaste you often get with canned goods as well as remove any unwanted starches. Pat your kernels dry — the add-ins will stick better this way.

From there, just melt some butter on the stove. Measuring with your heart instead of your head works well for this recipe. Then, add in the cream cheese and keep stirring until it melts. The mixture might look like it's separating at first, but keep stirring and eventually the cheese will reintegrate when it fully melts, making a creamy, delicious base for your creamed corn. Add your prepped, canned corn, mix, and serve.

The dish is great on it's own, but to zhuzh it up, you can always garnish it with a crunchy toppings, pop it in a casserole dish, and broil in the oven for a few minutes. If going with the theme of pantry staples, crushed up saltine crackers work great as a topping. The salty, crunchy crackers will brown nicely in the oven, creating a golden top layer that pairs wonderfully with the creamy corn. You can also add cotija cheese on top for a bit of extra cheesiness. Cotija and corn are an excellent pair after all, utilized in recipes like elote.

Herbs and spices can also be a nice addition to this. The earthy, aromatic flavors of herbs like rosemary and thyme will cut through the richness of the dish while uplifting the sweet natural flavor of the corn. You can also add in red pepper flakes for a bit of spice. Mix the seasoning into your concoction before serving, or top the cook corn with some as garnish. Either way, you'll have a delicious dish packed with flavor. 

Roasted garlic is another ideal addition to this dish — its sweet, caramelized flavor will only make this more decadent. You can skip the oven and roast your garlic in the pan if you don't feel like heating up the house. Smush the garlic with a spoon before adding it; you want everything to emulsify together rather than get big bites of roasted garlic alone. These add-ins will take this quick side from great to even better, but if you want to stick to low effort and pantry staples, the original recipe is fine too. Up to the chef — it's your kitchen, after all.