Thanksgiving Recipe: Paul Kaser’s Scalloped Corn

Paul Kaser Carving Turkey, Thanksgiving 1957

Paul Kaser Carving Turkey, Thanksgiving 1957

Our father’s favorite dish at Thanksgiving–besides the turkey– was this scalloped corn.  For years, he took the responsibility of making the scalloped corn.

Brent Badertscher

Brent Badertscher’s Birthday, 2003

When Dad died, my son Brent took up the challenge, and it has become traditional for Brent to come over to my house early enough to whip up the family recipe for scalloped corn and put it in the oven.

 

Of course, at the original Thanksgiving, the Indians along the seacoast shared their corn with the Pilgrims–not to mention the stored corn that the starving Pilgrims found and “liberated” during their first very hungry year in North America. And as I have written before, the Indians taught the early settlers many ways to use the unfamiliar grain, corn. So corn definitely belongs on our Thanksgiving menu.  At our house, it shows up in two forms.  Besides the scalloped corn, we must have my Killer Cornbread and I shared that recipe last year.

By the way, if you’re wondering what the term “scalloped” means in regard to corn, it is the same as “scalloped potatoes.” I explained the term ‘s (possible) origin here. (And by the way, the dish shown in the picture of the scalloped potatoes is the one we usually use for the scalloped corn.)

Although the family recipe for scalloped corn I inherited from my mother called for baking it in a shallow glass dish, we tend to use a round Pyrex dish to take up less space in the oven.  While I insist on using fancy dishes for most of the food on our Thanksgiving table, this one goes directly from oven to table in the baking dish.

It is essential that it be made after everything else (as the turkey comes out of the oven and is cooling is a good time), since it puffs up prettily when it bakes, but sinks down rather quickly.

Paul Kaser’s Scalloped Corn

Serves 6-8
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Total time 40 minutes
Allergy Egg, Milk
Meal type Side Dish
Misc Serve Hot
A traditional family recipe at our house has roots going back to the Pilgrims--Scalloped corn.

Ingredients

  • 1 can creamed corn
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup soda crackers (finely crushed)
  • 1 can Evaporated Milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

1. Beat eggs, stir in all other ingredients except butter.
2. Grease a 8 x 12 rectangular or 1- quart round glass baking dish. Dot butter on top of corn. Bake at 375 degrees, 1/2 to one hour (depending on size of dish), until solid in middle, and just beginning to brown on the edges.

Note

An easy way to crumble the crackers, is to put them in a zip top plastic bag, fasten securely, and then pound gently with wooden mallet or knife handle.

For a southwestern touch, add a can of mild green chiles.

If you are making a family dinner, it is highly recommended that you double this recipe. We invariably run out.

Extend baking time if using a larger, deeper dish.

The dish will puff up while baking, and fall a bit as it cools.

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