Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash

Submitted by Debbwl

"This sounded so good that I put it here for safe keeping till the thermostat starts to drop. Found on http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/roasted-corn-pudding-in-acorn-squash-recipe.html Here also are some useful coments there were on that site. I used an acorn squash here, but you can experiment with other types of squash if you like. And if aniseed and scallions aren't your thing, you might try do a version swapping in coconut milk and a bit of curry paste - and perhaps a cilantro drizzle? Also, (important!) depending on the size of your squash you might have quite a bit of filling leftover - I ended up with double the amount I needed. That being said, I kept Karen's original milk/egg ratio intact here. I poured my leftovers into a buttered ramekin and baked that alongside the squash for a nice, light corn-flecked pudding. Or alternately, you might use a second squash"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 40mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 small acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
• 1 tablespoon clarified butter or 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg white
• 2 egg whites
• 1⁄2 cup fresh corn kernel, thinking i will use frozen (or more if you like)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon anise seed, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup scallion, chopped
• 1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
• 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1⁄3 cup white cheddar cheese, grated

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees with a rack in the middle.
2. Rub the orange flesh of the squash with the butter/oil. Place cut side up on a baking sheet. You will want it to sit flat (and not tip), if you are having trouble just level out the bottom using a knife. If the squash is tilting on the pan, the filling will run out - bad news. Cover the squash with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until the squash starts to get tender.
3. In a bowl combine the milk, eggs, corn, anise seed, half of the scallions, nutmeg, and salt. Fill each of the squash bowls 3/4 full (see head notes about using leftovers). Carefully transfer the squash back to the oven without spilling (tricky!). Continue baking uncovered for another 30 - 50 minutes, or until the squash is fully cooked through, and the pudding has set. The amount of time it takes can vary wildly depending on the squash and oven. At the last minute sprinkle with cheese and finish with a flash under the broiler to brown the cheese. Keep and eye on things, you can go from melted cheese to burnt and inedible in a flash. Serve hot sprinkled with the remaining scallions.

Reviews

[karen]

I really liked how pretty this recipe turned out. I think it would be wonderful for a dinner party. I loved the squash and thought the corn pudding was ok. I cut the squash so both sides had a pretty flower design, and trimmed off the pointy end so that side would lay flat. I followed the recipe exactly except for using 2 whole eggs instead of 3 egg whites, 1 cup of frozen corn (thawed) and subbed fennel seed for anise seed. The pudding would have been enough for 3 small acorn squash (6 halves).

 

[likethebird]

This was my one "special dish" I made for Thanksgiving. MIL and extended family raved! I followed the recipe as posted, only doubled it, using ground anise instead of anise seed. I cooked them the day before, up until topping with cheese and browning them. Popped em back in the oven on the big day for a few minutes while the turkey rested and then broiled with the cheese to brown. Sliced each in half (so each person only had to commit to a fourth of a squash) and the presentation was gorgeous, as the filling stayed put! Thanks for a great post - I am eating the leftovers for lunch now!

 

[Sydney Mike]

OUTSTANDING SQUASH, in my book, anyway! My other half doesn't usually care for baked squash, but he happily devoured this one! Having read the intro to this recipe before going shopping, I bought the largest acorn squash I could find & ended up with very little extra corn pudding left over! Will definitely be making this one again! [Tagged & made in Please Review My Recipe]

 

[strawberrybird]

This is a really yummy recipes. My husband and friends, who normally won't eat squash, just gobbled it up. One change I made - making it less healthy, but very yummy - was substituting milk for cream.

 

[yogiclarebear]

This was freaking AMAZING! I made some "healthier" changes for my diet, using 3 egg whites, unsweetened almond milk, and skipping the butter. I didn't have acorn squash, or squash halves...so I steamed some kabocha squash in chunks, and mixed it all together in a large ramekin dish to bake. This was so tasty! Don't skip the anise, it really adds.