Creamy, Cheesy Corn with Midwest Dairy

Name: Creamy, Cheesy Corn
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter; 2 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour; 1 cup Whole Milk; 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder; 1/8 tsp. Cayenne; 1/2 tsp. Salt (plus more to taste); 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper (plus more to taste); 1/2 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese; 1/2 cup Shredded Smoked Gouda Cheese (or any smoked cheese); 20 ounces Frozen Corn; 4 ounces Smoked Ham (cut into small cubes); 1/3 cup Chopped Crispy Bacon*; 1/4 cup French Fried Onions (finely chopped); 1/2 cup Green Onions (chopped)

November 17, 2020

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A Delicious Cheesy Corn Recipe.

This content has been sponsored by Inmar Intelligence and Midwest Dairy. All opinions are mine alone. #UndeniablyDairy #gotmilkrecipe

The holidays are getting closer! It’s finally starting to cool down here in the Midwest, and all I can think about is comfort food, decorating my house for the holidays, and cooking way more than I probably need to. 🙂

I’ve been working on a ton of side dishes for the holidays, and couldn’t wait to share this one with you! As a HUGE fan of milk, I’ve been incorporating it into a lot of starchy, cheesy, incredibly comfort foods this year. But THIS cheesy corn recipe is based off of a super popular side dish at a famous BBQ restaurant in Kansas City, and it’s so insanely good.

This cheesy corn is super easy to make, too! The restaurant’s recipe only uses cheese sauce and ham, but we tossed in some bacon, green onions, and french fried onions to amp up the flavor level. And our creamy cheese sauce is 100% from scratch, so you know it’s the best.

The quality of the cheese sauce really is the anchor of this entire recipe. Milk is the perfect ingredient to make our silky cheese sauce, and the rest is just flavor bonus! Seriously, you may want to make this cheesy corn as a test run just so you don’t have to share it with anyone else.

To make it so easy for you, just click the image below to add all of the ingredients directly to your cart!

Seriously, you need to make this one ASAP.

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Ingredients for this Cheesy Corn Recipe:

Crispy Chopped Bacon
All-purpose Flour
Unsalted Butter
Whole Milk
Garlic Powder, Cayenne, Salt & Pepper
Smoked Gouda (or Smoked Cheddar) Cheese
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Frozen Corn
Diced Smoked Ham
French Fried Onions
Chopped Green Onions

Tips for Making the Best Cheesy Corn:

Use thick cut bacon. Thick, crispy pieces of bacon add a crunchy texture to this cheesy corn, and makes it that much better. Don’t use the basic thin strips of bacon, use the thick-cut bacon to make sure the crunchiness spreads throughout the entire dish.
Use a smoky cheese. The restaurant version of this cheesy corn uses a house-smoked ham, and we want to bring that smoky flavor into our homemade version. Buying a slice of smoked ham from the store (or a BBQ restaurant!) is great, but using a smoky cheese takes this dish to a whole new level.
Use real milk. Non-dairy substitutes won’t work for this cheesy corn, so be sure to get the real stuff. I recommend whole milk, but 2% milk can also work!
Use more salt and pepper than you think you need. Corn benefits so much from salt and pepper, so don’t be shy. Taste the cheesy corn before you bake it, and do NOT be afraid to add more of each. It makes a huge difference!

I definitely want to thank midwest milk for making this cheesy corn recipe possible. Milk has always been a huge part of my life, and will always have a big part in my cooking. Actually, dairy foods provide a powerful nutrient package! Three of the nutrients found in dairy (Vitamin A, Vitamin D and protein) are essential for a healthy immune function. We all need some immunity boost right now anyway, right?

Dairy foods are also linked to health benefits like reduced inflammation, and improved digestive health. I notice that the more dairy I consume, the happier my stomach is. This could also be due to the fact that I was literally raised on milk. Growing up, I’m pretty sure my mom had to buy at least three gallons a week to keep up with me and my brothers. We poured it over cereal in the morning, chugged a huge glass of milk with sandwiches for lunch everyday, and even craved it with dinner, too.

Today, I keep at least a half gallon of milk in my refrigerator at all times. There is a Super Target right down the street from our new house, so I currently have this Good & Gather half gallon of whole milk on hand.

Not only is it nostalgic to have a glass with a sandwich at lunch, but I use it in SO many of my recipes. Here’s a few of my favorites for inspiration!

Comfort foods are what A Flavor Journal is all about, and milk is an ultimate source of comfort in my book. When I tested this cheesy corn, I invited my parents over to our new house and this was the FIRST recipe that was made in my brand new kitchen. I couldn’t think of a better recipe to share with my family, honestly. A Kansas City-based recipe, full of cheesy milk-based sauce, and so perfect to share with the two people I love the most.

After dinner, we even had lattes that I made with whole milk. It’s amazing how much money you can save on making your own espresso drinks at home. Every coffee shop I go to uses whole milk, so having it on hand at home is a game changer and huge money saver!

Be sure to pick up some milk on your next grocery trip, and make this cheesy corn side dish as soon as you can. I would love to see your creations on Instagram, and as always, feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions you may have!

xx Sara