In the final hour, the transformation is complete. The butter and cream cheese will have melted into a velvety sauce, the sugar and salt will have dissolved, and the pepper will have infused the whole dish with its subtle heat. Give it a final, vigorous stir until it’s perfectly creamy and uniform. At this point, you can switch the slow cooker to the WARM setting and let it sit happily for another hour or two until you’re ready to serve. It only gets better as it sits.
Pro Tips for Best Results
For an extra layer of flavor, try sautéing half of the frozen corn in a skillet with a tablespoon of the butter until it gets some golden, caramelized spots before adding it to the slow cooker. I tested this side-by-side with the all-frozen method, and the caramelized corn adds a wonderful toasted sweetness that takes the dish to another level.
If you want a thicker, spoon-coating consistency, you have two options. First, you can mash about one cup of the cooked corn with a fork right in the pot at the end and stir it back in—this releases its natural starch. Second, you can make a quick slurry with one tablespoon of cornstarch and two tablespoons of cold milk, stir it in during the last 30 minutes, and let it thicken. I prefer the mashing method for a more rustic texture.
Taste and adjust at the end! After your final stir, always do a taste test. The sweetness can vary slightly based on your corn. You might want an extra pinch of salt to balance it or another crack of black pepper. This final seasoning makes all the difference between good and unforgettable.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Do not use canned cream-style corn as a base or substitute. I made this mistake thinking it would be even creamier, but the result was a gloopy, overly sweet, and one-dimensional mush. The beauty of this recipe is building the cream sauce from scratch with real ingredients around whole corn kernels.(See the next page below to continue…)