The combination of ham and kale is traditional for a reason: it’s so unbelievably good. But this satisfying casserole is easy to adapt to other greens and meat pairings, depending on what you have on hand: Try cooked sausage with frozen spinach or Andouille with frozen mustard greens.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 25 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Inactive: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the baking dish
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Two 16-ounce bags frozen corn, thawed
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 pound thick-sliced deli ham, diced
- 5 ounces frozen kale (about 1 3/4 cups)
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded sharp yellow Cheddar
- Hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart oval baking dish.
- For the creamed corn: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the corn and cream, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces in volume and bubbles rapidly, about 15 minutes. Transfer 2 cups of the corn mixture to a food processor, puree until smooth, then stir it back into the skillet. Fold in the ham and kale. Transfer the creamed corn to the prepared baking dish; set aside. Clean the food processor bowl.
- For the cornbread topping: Pulse the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a food processor to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the cream and 1/2 cup of the Cheddar, and pulse until the batter just comes together.
- To assemble: Sprinkle the cornmeal batter over the creamed corn. (Don’t worry if the corn isn’t completely covered; the batter will puff and spread as it bakes.) Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar. Place the casserole on a baking sheet, and bake until the corn is bubbling and the crust is puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve with hot sauce.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 594 |
| Total Fat | 44 g |
| Saturated Fat | 26 g |
| Carbohydrates | 41 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 13 g |
| Cholesterol | 132 mg |
| Sodium | 560 mg |
Reviews
My family doesn’t like kale. I will substitute spinach & low sodium ham. Question: Can this be made ahead of time? Creamed Corn kept in the casserole dish & and Corn Bread topping kept in the bowl. Then put it together when ready & bake. ??? That way I can enjoy the family for drinks & appetizers before heading into the kitchen.
This casserole is a wonderful breakfast option, especially for those who can’t eat eggs. I did make mine with homemade spicy Mexican sausage because I had it on hand, but ham would be great too. I usually make the corn casserole with all the packaged and canned ingredients in response to those of you who commented that it would be easier and yes, it is. BUT, no where near as tasty or with the textures you get by making from scratch. This casserole was requested for Thanksgiving over the canned/packaged version and I am gladly taking the extra time to make it.
Loved it!
So, the cornbread topping doesn’t require eggs?!
Sorry, I really did not like this!
I am going to make this sunday but adding a twist like eggs, scrambled under cornbread
It would be easier if you could use cream corn & a cornbread mix…. Jus’ sayin’
Excelente for Sunday breakfast.
I have made this 3 or 4 times it is amazingly good and easy to make kids and grandkids like it and most of it is do ahead it can sit for a while without suffering this is my to go to recipe for Xmas brunch each year made it for girls night and they loved to it ,all asked for the recipe.