By Week 409. Year 8. Tommy is 41. Holiday season. The cottage or the memory of the cottage. The family gathering or planning to gather. Luc (17) at LSU studying engineering. Colette (15) in high school, painting. The food is the constant — the roux and the rice and the cayenne that doesn't change even when everything else does.
Made smothered chicken this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Always enough.
The smothered chicken was the centerpiece, but a meal like that needs something alongside it that matches the mood — something warm and unhurried that doesn’t try to compete. Cape Cod Corn Pudding was exactly that. It’s the kind of side dish that fits quietly into a plate full of gravy and rice without asking for attention, the way a good week does — steady, present, and better than you expected when you stop to notice it.
Cape Cod Corn Pudding
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 (15 oz) can cream-style corn
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 (8.5 oz) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or a 2-quart casserole dish.
- Mix the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Stir in the drained whole kernel corn, cream-style corn, and melted butter until fully combined.
- Add the dry mix. Fold in the corn muffin mix, salt, and pepper. Stir just until no dry streaks remain — do not overmix.
- Pour and top. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. If using cheddar, scatter it evenly over the top.
- Bake. Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes, until the pudding is set in the center, golden at the edges, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Rest and serve. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Spoon directly from the dish alongside smothered chicken, roast, or any winter main.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 320 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 35g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 540mg