By Thanksgiving 2024. Noah home from ISU sophomore year. Emma came from Minneapolis — thinner, more independent, full of stories about the restaurant where she waitresses and the city where she's learning to be a person who isn't Diane's daughter but Emma, just Emma, the girl who organizes the world in her own way.
The table: six plus the chair. The configuration I'm grateful for. Kevin and me. Noah, Emma, Jack. Roger. The turkey brined. The rolls mine. The casserole with garden corn. The tater tot hotdish because Kevin asked and Kevin asking is the tradition.
Roger carved. Eighty-three. Slower. The knife still steady but the hands that hold it are thinner. The carving takes longer. Nobody mentions it. Nobody needs to. The carving will take as long as it takes and the turkey will wait and the family will wait and the waiting is the respect.
That casserole with garden corn I mentioned — it’s this one. It’s always this one. When Roger is at the head of the table taking his time with the carving and Emma is telling a story about Minneapolis and Noah is laughing at something Jack said, this corn pudding is sitting there on the trivet, warm and patient, asking nothing of anyone. I make it every year because it’s easy and because easy matters when the rest of the day is full — but also because some recipes stop being recipes and just become part of what the day feels like.
Microwave Corn Pudding
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 can (15 oz) creamed corn
- 1 box (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the baking dish. Lightly grease a 2-quart microwave-safe baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine the ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the whole kernel corn, creamed corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, melted butter, eggs, salt, and pepper until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour and smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Microwave on high. Cook uncovered on high power for 12—15 minutes, rotating the dish a half turn halfway through, until the center is just set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. The top may appear slightly moist but will firm as it rests.
- Rest before serving. Let the pudding stand for 5 minutes before serving. It will continue to set as it cools slightly. Serve warm directly from the dish.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 540mg