Cheesy Baked Corn
We have been making this casserole for years and it's been the star of our dinner parties. The unique combination of cilantro, ketchup, and Béchamel sauce represents flavors from all around the world. This is a dish for all cilantro lovers since cilantro is a must have in this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- ¾ cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic finely chopped
- 2-3 tbsp green chilies finely chopped (serrano or jalapeños)
- ¼ cup cream cheese at room temperature
- 2-3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- If using frozen corn, defrost, and keep it aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet or pan on medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and green chilies and sauté for a few minutes until the raw smell of the garlic is gone.
- Then add the cream cheese and sauté for a few more minutes until it is well blended with the onion-garlic mixture.
- Add the ketchup and cilantro and cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes. Finally, add corn and salt and mix well. Set the corn mixture aside.
- To prepare the Béchamel sauce, warm up the milk in a microwave for one minute.
- Add the butter to a heavy-bottomed pan and melt it on medium heat. Then add the flour to the melted butter and whisk it until it is smooth and starts to bubble, making sure it doesn’t brown. Adjust the temperature to prevent the flour from burning.
- Then add the warm milk to the flour and butter mixture. As you pour the milk, keep whisking the flour and milk sauce until it starts bubbling. The whisking also prevents any lumps in the sauce. It takes only a minute for the sauce to thicken. Pour the sauce in the corn mixture and mix well.
- Evenly spread 1/3 of the corn mixture in a casserole, and sprinkle 1/3 of the shredded cheese over it. Repeat until you finish the mixture and the cheese.
- Bake it in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese starts bubbling. Serve hot with naan or any fresh bread.
