This Creamy Skillet Corn With Bacon is both savory and sweet and it pairs well with grilled meats for dinner. Let this six ingredient skillet corn cook on the stove while you prepare the rest of your dinner and you'll be pleased with the creamy, delicious end result!
This skillet corn recipe is best when fresh sweet corn is available, but I've made it other times during the year and it's just as good using frozen corn.
Cooking the corn slowly in the fat from the bacon gives this the most delicious flavor. Topping it with the crispy cooked bacon is a great addition, and rounds out this perfect side dish and will become a family favorite recipe in no time!
If you are looking for more delicious side dish recipes, try one of these: Cheese and Onion Scones, Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts or Cheesy Hasselback Sweet Potatoes.
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Why You Will Love This
- The bacon. First you cook the bacon in your pan until it is nice and crispy and then you add the corn to the bacon fat. The corn cooks slowly in the bacon grease and water until it is tender and creamy. To finish it off, you top the corn with the crispy cooked bacon.
- The creaminess. Cooking the corn slowly in the bacon fat and water, along with milking the corn cob, creates a creamy sauce for the corn. Adding a bit of heavy whipping cream in at the end enhances that creaminess even more.
- It is simple. You can prepare this corn recipe with just a few simple ingredients and have it slowly cooking on the stove while you get the rest of dinner ready. Give a stir every once in awhile and it will be ready when everything else is!
Ingredients Needed
Here are notes about some of the ingredients needed to make this corn dish. Everything can be found at your local grocery store or at an online retailer, like Amazon.
- Bacon: Use your favorite bacon for this. I prefer thick cut peppered bacon for even more flavor!
- Corn: Fresh corn on the cob is best for this, but you could also use 4-5 cups of frozen corn if you are making this out of season.
- Water
- Salt and pepper
- Heavy whipping cream
Step by Step Instructions
Here is how to make this easy side dish. You will need a large skillet to prepare this corn recipe.
Prepare the corn
STEP 1: Stand the corn cob up in a baking dish. Using a sharp knife, start at the top and cut downward as close to the cob as you can get, allowing the corn kernels to fall into the dish. Rotate and continue cutting downward until all kernels have been removed.
STEP 2: Scrape the cob on the side of the dish making sure to rotate and continue scraping around the entire corn cob. Set the corn aside until you are finished cooking the bacon.
Prepare the Bacon
STEP 1: In a large ovenproof skillet, cook the bacon until crisp over medium-low heat.
STEP 2: Remove the bacon from the skillet to a paper towel lined plate. Keep the rendered bacon fat in the skillet.
STEP 3: Coarsely chop bacon once it has cooled.
Make the Corn
STEP 1: In the skillet with the rendered bacon fat, add the corn, water, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
STEP 2: With the stove still set to a medium-low heat, let the corn cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
STEP 3: Add the heavy whipping cream and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle the bacon on top. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- The biggest trick to making this creamy, sweet and full of that fresh sweet corn flavor is milking the corn cob. Scraping the corn cob on the side of a dish after removing the kernels allows you to extract the corn milk and any kernel bits that the knife did not get. Corn milk has a lot of flavor and helps to make this side dish creamy and sweet. You won't want to skip this step!
- Cutting corn from the cob can be a bit of a messy job. You can avoid kernels flying all over the kitchen by standing your ear of corn up in the center of baking dish or pie plate.
- If the water is absorbed before the 45 minute cooking time is up, add more water ¼ cup at a time.
- As the corn cooks, use a spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to get any cooked on bits from the bacon.
- For some added flavor and heat, sprinkle in some chili powder and/or red pepper flakes.
FAQ
Sure. If you are making this out of fresh sweet corn season, frozen sweet corn would work fine. I would substitute 4-5 cups frozen corn. You may not get the same creamy, flavorful experience as you would with the fresh corn, but it will still be delicous!
Absolutely. That would be a great skillet choice to use for this!
Absolutely. I like to add it just for a little extra creamy texture and rich flavor, but without is so good too!
Storing and Freezing
Store leftover corn in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until heated through.
This corn could also be frozen in an airtight container or zip top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.
Other Recipes to Try
If you find that you have leftover heavy whipping cream after making this easy recipe, try one of these recipes to use it up:
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Recipe
Creamy Skillet Corn With Bacon
Ingredients
- 8 ears sweet corn
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Remove the husk and silk from the corn. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels from the cob. Once the kernels have been cut from the cob, scrape the corn cob on the side of the baking dish to remove any remaining kernels and the corn milk. Set aside.8 ears sweet corn
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon on medium-low heat until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Once cooled, coarsely chop.6 slices bacon
- In the skillet with the rendered bacon fat, add the corn, water, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook on medium-low heat for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Add the heavy whipping cream and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle on chopped bacon.¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Lexi Bissett
Super easy and delicious!
Lexi Bissett
easy and delicious!