Mexican Corn Casserole Recipe with Poblano Peppers
This delicious Mexican corn casserole is a holiday staple that strikes the perfect balance between creamy and soufflé-like consistency. Laced with cheese and a little kick of roasted poblano heat, it's a perfect side dish that will become a family favorite.
Servings: 6
Calories: 335.7kcal
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Food Processor
- Whisk or immersion blender with whisk attachment
Ingredients
- 1 poblano pepper roasted, peeled and seeded
- 4 cups frozen or fresh whole corn kernels divided (about 4 ears of corn)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt or ¾ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese or mild cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the poblano pepper on the baking sheet and roast until blackened in most places. Turn the pepper a couple of times to get an even blackening. Lower the oven temperature to 375˚F and transfer the pepper to a container with a lid, or wrap it in foil. After 5-10 minutes, peel away as much of the skin as you can. The skin is papery thin, so just remove the parts that bubble up from the pepper.Slice off the top and down one side of the roasted pepper to open it up. Remove the seeds and pith and coarsely chop the pepper.Note: The seeds and pith are the biggest sources of heat in peppers.
- While the pepper roasts, remove the kernels from the ears of corn, if using fresh corn, or measure out frozen corn and set it on the counter to thaw. The best way to cut kernels from a fresh ear of corn is to lay a shucked ear of corn on a cutting board, and slice down one of its sides with a sharp knife. Turning the cob 90 degrees, and slice again. Repeat until all of the corn kernels are removed. Repeat with the remaining ears of corn.
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Add 2 cups of the (thawed) corn kernels and the roasted poblano to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Purée and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until fragrant and translucent, approximately 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Lower the heat and stir in the puréed corn and poblano pepper. Cook for another 3-4 minutes and set aside and allow to cool.
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl using either a hand-held whisk or an immersion blender with the whisk attachment.Add the buttermilk, flour, baking powder, and salt and continue to whisk until a smooth batter forms.
- Using a silicone spatula, fold in the remaining 2 cups corn, the grated cheese, and the cooled onion and garlic mixture. Transfer the batter to an 8"X8" baking dish.Bake for 45-50minutes or until the top of the pudding is golden brown and the middle of the casserole feels firm when you press on it with your fingertips.Note: Place the baking dish on a baking sheet to prevent spills in your oven.Serve warm.
Notes
Ingredient Notes
- Corn - Either fresh, frozen or canned whole kernel corn work great in this dish.
- Poblano pepper - Substitute jalapeño peppers for less heat or red bell peppers for no heat at all.
- Yellow onion - White onion and green onions are fine too, if that's what you have. If using green onions, thinly slice the white and light green parts of the stalk.
- Buttermilk - Don't substitute regular milk. See the below section for acceptable buttermilk substitutes.
- Baking powder - Be sure it's double-acting and aluminum-free. This ingredient gives the casserole its signature soufflé texture.
- Monterey Jack cheese - Use Pepper Jack cheese for a little additional kick or a mild cheddar cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 335.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.7g | Protein: 16.2g | Fat: 14.9g | Saturated Fat: 6.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 176.2mg | Sodium: 1127.4mg | Potassium: 351.9mg | Fiber: 3.3g | Sugar: 8.2g | Vitamin A: 558.8IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 282.2mg | Iron: 2.4mg