Corn Pudding

Memories of corn pudding

I don’t remember having corn pudding as a child. I suppose that’s because it’s a southern dish, and I grew up north of the Mason Dixon line. For me, it was love at first bite. I think it will be for you, too,

If you want a delightful taste of home, have some corn pudding. This dish is a favorite in my community at social events, during holiday times, and just on a regular basis. Our church serves it at our annual Christmas dinner for widows, and it always receives rave reviews.

The history

Folk lore says corn pudding was introduced by natives to Americans. Research tells me this dish is especially popular in the southern US and in appalachia. Truth be told, it probably became a staple because it was a way to expand a dish. It’s more filling than corn, and can be prepared and then baked before the meal. It is a creamy dish, sometimes made from stewed corn. If you couldn’t fill your kids up with bread, you did it with corn pudding because anything creamy adds sustenance to a dish!

Corn is a food that Indians revered. It is also a dish that saved the early colonists from starvation. It makes sense, then, that variety in fixing corn became of interest to those cooking over open fires.

This dish is also referred to as pudding corn or spoonbread. I suppose that’s because it’s easier to eat with a spoon than with a fork, as other corn dishes are.

This recipe is so easy, and it comes from my friend Pat. You put everything into the blender, whip it together, and bake it for about an hour.

The recipe 

This is a repost for seven years ago. I find it interesting that, among the 25+ widows who eat at our Christmas meal every year, 99% of them ask for this side while the younger generation (teens+ who serve the meal) ignore it completely.