Roasted Poblano and Corn Pudding
Who says Thanksgiving side dishes have to be boring? Southwest flavors go perfectly with turkey, so why not add some spice to THE meal of the year?!
We here at Everyday Southwest applaud the Meatless Monday movement – it’s a smart move to eat less meat for too many reasons to name. Ok, just a few: It’s frugal. It’s healthy. It helps save the planet. Plus – bonus! – southwest cooking fits well with less meat. Chiles. Corn. Squash. Beans. What’s not to love? So, come back and visit us on Mondays for some fabulous, flavorful meatless cuisine!
My daughter makes a fabulous corm pudding that I look forward to every year. The creamy custardy texture gives the dish that “aaaahhhhh” factor. This year I decided to make it my own by adding poblanos. I was tempted to add some other southwest spices and flavors, but I wanted the “corny” taste to be strong, just with a little of the fruity flavor of poblanos. Green onions, corn, poblanos – the perfect synergy. Trust me on this and try this fabulous side dish!
ROASTED POBLANO AND CORN PUDDING
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
Prep time 20 minutes; Cook time 25 minutes
Kernels from 5 ears corn (or 2 ½ cups frozen thawed corn kernels)
2 large poblano peppers
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 to 4 green onions, thinly sliced
2/3 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
1 cup milk
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut kernels from ears of corn and add to food processor. Pulse until small bits.
Grill or broil peppers until skins are blackened. Place in a zip top bag and seal. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove and rub off most of skins with a paper towel. Cut peppers in half and remove and discard seeds, pulp and stems. Dice.
Heat large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add butter and then add corn kernel bits. Cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is bright yellow and liquid has almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add green onions, cream, salt, sugar, and hot sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and spoon leaves a space when pan bottom is scraped, about 5 minutes. Transfer corn mixture to medium bowl. Stir in milk, then whisk in eggs, cornstarch and pepper pieces. Pour mixture into a buttered 8 by 8 inch baking dish.
Set dish in roasting pan or large baking dish on oven rack; fill outer pan with boiling water to reach halfway up inner pan. Bake until center jiggles slightly and pudding has browned lightly in spots, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove baking dish with pudding from water bath; cool 10 minutes and serve.
Other corn puddings that inspired me:
Corn Pudding with Cheddar and Chives, Runaway Spoon
Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash, Gimme Some Oven
Vietnamese Corn Pudding, Ravenous Couple
Corn Pudding with Parmesan Crust, The Naptime Chef
Sweet Corn Pudding, Dunkin Cookin
Sandy is a former elementary educator whose love for cooking has gone out of control. She has completed a degree in culinary arts and is now a food writer, photographer, cookbook author and co-creator of the popular website Everyday Southwest. 
Oh wow, this looks delish! I need to try this.
Do you think it’s possible to make these without eggs?
theveggie – Hmmm . . . that;s a tough one – making custard without eggs. You would need some sort of thickener, but pretty sure it would turn out more like polenta if served hot. I will experiment with this and let you know!