A Tea Time Savory and a Delicious Side Dish…It’s Both!
This recipe is so versatile and I love it. It's nothing like an actual souffle, though. This recipe is rich and cheesy and has the texture of really moist, gooey cornbread. It’s easy to put together, practically fool-proof and tastes great as is, but is also a fabulous canvas for add-ins…like onions or bacon…or jalapenos. If you're looking for something savory to add to your afternoon tea time, this is the recipe you want. And, if you're looking for something new to serve with dinner tonight, this is still the recipe you want! Whether you bake this as mini muffins are as more of a casserole, you'll want to try this recipe. It's one you'll make again and again.For those who frequented our tea parlor, you will immediately recognize these as our Corn Souffle Muffins which were a staple on our tea trays. This recipe was one of our most requested over the years. Mostly for its deliciousness (that's a word!) and for its versatility as a teatime savory and as a side dish. I know many, many guests and even our past TEAm serve this as part of their holiday dinners. I love to share recipes from our former tearoom, but do you know these recipes are meant to be much more than just dainty bites for an afternoon tea party? At the heart of my recipes, the reason they exist, is a desire to feed family and friends and to feed them well. After years of planning afternoon tea menus and special high tea events, I’ve learned one thing: Versatility is a necessity in my kitchen! The recipes I use and create, must be flexible enough to manage the many different kinds of meal prep I do. I’m a lady who loves to entertain, but I’m first and foremost, a wife and mom with a family that gets hungry for real food! Now, I want to share with you all the recipes and tips that I use to fill our family dining table with good food.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 can (14 oz.) whole corn, drained or two cups fresh or frozen corn
- 1 can (14 oz.) cream-style corn
- 1 package (8.5 oz.) corn muffin mix
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a mini muffin tin with baking spray if baking muffins. Or, line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper so that edges hang over. Lightly spray with baking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the corn, cream-style corn, muffin mix, eggs, 1 cup of Cheddar cheese, garlic powder and red pepper. Mix well.
- Fill prepared mini muffin tins with batter and top with remaining Cheddar cheese.
- Or, spread the mixture into the prepared 9×13 dish and top with the remaining Cheddar cheese.
- Bake mini muffins 30-35 minutes. Bake 9×13 casserole 40-45 minutes. Bake either version until edges and bottoms are golden brown.
- Allow corn souffle to cool slightly before removing from mini muffin tin or cutting the 9×13 casserole into squares.
- To freeze: allow the corn souffle to cool completely and lay mini muffins or squares close together on a lined baking sheet. Place in freezer until frozen through. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag. Label and date. Corn souffle will freeze well for up to three months if packaged properly with little air in the container. (*I use a Food Saver for longer storage.)°
Notes
What are Corn Souffle Muffins…or Squares?
First, it’s not a true souffle. I would say Corn Souffle is somewhere between a corn pudding and a corn bread. I’ve seen some slightly similar recipes that claim to be corn pudding. In my family corn pudding is made with heavy cream and butter and is akin to a flan or a baked custard. This is not that. This dish, this Corn Souffle has more body than many corn puddings thanks to the corn bread mix and definitely more cheese! Lots of cheese, in fact. The Cheddar holds it everything together and the cream cheese keeps the souffle super moist with a slight, luscious tang that only comes from real cream cheese. The butter does what butter does and brings all the other ingredients together. The little bit of garlic and red pepper just takes it over the edge. You can leave those out, but I don’t recommend it.
This recipe is so versatile and I love it. It’s a great canvas to get creative and add, if you like, additional flavors and textures your family enjoys. If you like to play with your recipes, I suggest these add-ins:
- Crispy bits of fried bacon and sliced green onions
- Sauteed onions and bell peppers, finely chopped
- Replace the Cheddar cheese with a blend of Colby-jack cheeses. In a pinch, I’ve used mozzarella and, man, were they cheesy!
- Amp up the spice and increase the red pepper or use your favorite Cajun seasoning in place of the red pepper.
- Chopped pickled jalapeno
This recipe also isn’t finicky about how it’s baked. If I’m short on time, I forgo the mini muffin tin and pour all the batter into a parchment lined 9×13 dish. It bakes a little longer, but at that point it’s hands off. My family and I prefer the version baked in the mini muffin tin, though. Each little piece has caramelized edges and gooey centers. I can eat these like popcorn! The version baked in a dish is also very good, especially to anyone who likes the softer, gooier center pieces. This recipe is just great all the way around.
That’s the beauty of the recipes I share. You’re not backed into a corner with one single option. Yes, I love tea parties and I love to make pretty, dainty little portions to fill a tea tray. However, I’m also a mom and a wife. I’m not serving afternoon tea everyday–as much as I would love to. I have a family to feed, so all my recipes can be translated for either the tea table or the dinner table.
KISS Tip: I actually doubled the recipe when I made this recipe for this post. I often do this to prepare for future meals. If I’m making something for one meal it’s just so easy to double it up and put the second portion in the freezer. I’m already chopping, cutting, mixing, blending and whatever so I just do a little more. I’m not using twice the dishes or making twice the mess, I’m just making twice the food! Reheating this corn souffle is super simple. Just remove from the freezer, place the desired amount of pieces onto a lined baking sheet and cover with foil. Place in a preheated oven (350°F will do) until heated through and sizzling around the edges.
KISS TIP: I can’t stress enough how helpful it is to have pre-prepared homemade food in the freezer. I have a variety of dishes waiting in my freezer for a day that’s too busy to make time for a lot of meal prep…and for days I just want something quick, easy and tasty. It’s also nice to have meals and side dishes like this Corn Souffle in the freezer for when my dinner plans come up a little lacking or we just want something different for lunch. This Corn Souffle can be served in so many ways and it helps keep meal-time interesting which helps me avoid those dreaded dinner-time ruts.
So, what do you serve Corn Souffle Squares or Muffins with?
Anything and everything, but some of my family’s favorite ways to enjoy this casserole of sorts or muffins are:
- As a side with a bowl of soup or salad, especially good with chili
- Topped with chopped barbeque chicken, pork or brisket for a light meal
- As a Thanksgiving or holiday side dish, as it’s easy to make, stores well and travels well, too
- As a savory bite on a tea tray for afternoon tea (that one is for me)
- As a side dish for summer grilling and cookouts
A Final Thought:
Many of the recipes I share were created or customized for our popular tearoom. They are all quite special to me and I encourage you to try them. I think you’ll find they are for much more than just teatime. It has always been important to me that my recipes are approachable and versatile in nature. All my recipes can be prepared to serve as part of an afternoon tea service and as heartier servings for a hungry family. I hope you try them all and share them with your family and friends. I also hope you get lots of “oohs and aahs” from your special people when you do. There are few things more satisfying to a home-chef than receiving wide-eyed enthusiasm from the ones we enjoy cooking for.Tea Recommendations:
I’ve been recommending teas for many years now and I suggest the following to serve with these amazing Cranberry Almond Cake Bars, but these flavors are excellent for sipping any time of day and any time of year:- Paris in a Teacup Black Tea
- Our Signature Tea is perfect with everything!
- French Caramel Crème Brulee Rooibos
- Caramel and corn are a natural pair and this flavor combo will not disappoint
- Pink Flamingo Fruit & Herb Tisane
- The deep fruitiness of this hot pink tea creates a sweet and savory duo when paired with the corn souffle
- S’Mores Black Tea
- The smokey flavor of this black tea coupled with rich chocolate and creamy marshmallow makes an interesting contrast to the savory, garlicky flavor of the corn souffle
Lori,
I am thrilled to see you have indeed shared your mini corn souffle recipe. I cannot wait to make them. Actually, I cannot wait to taste them again 😋
Happy Fall 🍁
It makes my heart so happy to share my recipes and even happier to know they are well received! The first bite of one of these Mini Corn Souffles brings so many sweet memories to mind. This is a great fall recipe, but I enjoy it year round, too. Happy baking!
Lori,thanks for the recipe but haven’t made it yet because, … it doesn’t say what to do w/ the second cup of Cheddar cheese! I’ve read it over & over & can’t find the 2nd cup of Cheddar, Please help. Donna S.
Donna, I’m so sorry I left that out. I can make these in my sleep and apparently I “added” that instruction in my sleep, too! The second cup of Cheddar goes on top of either the mini muffins or the 9×13 dish. You could also just mix all the cheese into the batter, but I like the look and texture of the melted, golden Cheddar on top. Thank you for letting me know I was missing a step and I apologize for any inconvenience. Happy baking!