I Tried Jennifer Garner’s “Grandmom Creamed Corn”—I’m Making It on Repeat All Summer Long

It will now and forever be a staple in my summer repertoire.

As a kid, there was nothing more exciting than visiting my grandma's house and being allowed to request whatever I wanted for dinner. Mine was always spaghetti Bolognese, British baps—pillowy bread buns kissed with flour—and creamed corn (but from a can). It was the perfect, carb-forward kid dinner.

Recently, Jennifer Garner and her mom took to Instagram for an episode of her #PretendCookingShow where they made Grandmom's Creamed Corn. I started reminiscing about my own creamed-corn-Grandma-connection before realizing that I'd never made creamed corn for my kids. How could that be?! Inspired to give them real-deal creamed corn as soon as possible, I headed to the store and bought eight fresh ears of corn.

If you're a fan of creamy, buttery corn that, as Garner says, "tastes like summer," this recipe is an absolute must-try. Unfortunately for my kids, they'll have to wait a little while longer since I (literally) ate half the pan while taking these photos. It was really that good! At least now, there will be leftovers, which, according to Garner, are perfect for salsa.

How To Safely Cut Corn off the Cob

Before diving into the recipe, I'd be remiss not to talk about the hilarious corn-cutting interaction between Jennifer and her mom. Mainly because it was funny, but more importantly, because it's an opportunity to talk about corn and safety–corn safety.

Picture this: Garner's mom is holding the cob in her hand and using a large chef's knife to cut the kernels off toward herself (putting her hands and body in harm's way). Aghast, Jen places her hands on her chest and says worriedly, "Mom? You're not supposed to cut toward yourself." Mom quips back, "Well, you cut it then!" Jen then raises her arms in the shape of an "X" and says, "America, don't… this is not…," as if to indicate danger.

Her eyes go wide, and she covers her mouth with her hands. Her reaction is genuinely very funny. She then takes over the cutting and says in her understated, humorous way, "I don't question you, Mom, except that all of America is worried about you right now…and a lot of the UK, and Brazil, and other places."

I'm not going to lie. I, too, was taken aback seeing her cut the corn like that! As were other commenters who chimed in saying things like, "Worried from Italy" and "I was worried from Scotland." It makes for a good laugh, but in the name of corn safety, please don't cut your corn like this! There are much safer ways to cut kernels off the cob, including the bundt pan method.

How To Make Jennifer Garner's Grandmom’s Creamed Corn

After shucking and cutting the kernels off the cob, the rest is easy. With minimal effort and a few ingredients, this dish will steal the show. Start by cutting the kernels off the cobs, particularly the tender tips. Then, scrape the cobs with the back end of a knife. Known as "milking" the cob, this process gets every bit of sweet, starchy goodness out, adding dimension and body to the creamed corn.

Then, simmer the kernels, and any scrapings, over medium heat in a skillet with water, sugar, butter, salt, and pepper until they're tender. (The ingredient list and Garner's recipe can be found in the caption here.)

While that's cooking, whisk up a quick slurry of milk and flour. This is the key to achieving that creamy texture. Once the slurry is incorporated, let everything simmer for a minute or two, and voilà, you've got yourself a batch of creamed corn.

Customizing Grandmom's Creamed Corn

Garner recommends using less butter, half the slurry, and omitting the sugar entirely. I agree that sugar may not be necessary if using fresh, in-season corn, or it might just need a pinch to balance the sweetness. But, since I was using out-of-season corn, I started with one tablespoon of sugar and ended up adding in a touch more when it was almost finished. 2 tablespoons would have been too sweet for me, and this is coming from someone with a sweet tooth.

I followed Jen's lead on her other suggestions and used two tablespoons of butter (half the amount of the original recipe) and half of the slurry, and seasoned generously with salt. The end result was buttery, creamy, perfectly balanced, and delicious. Like, eating-half-the-pan delicious!

One of the best things about this recipe is that it's "very difficult to screw up." Thanks, JG!  If you're catering to different dietary needs, it's a breeze to make it dairy- or gluten-free by swapping out the milk and flour for suitable alternatives.

It would also be easy to play around with the ingredients, like swapping the milk for half and half if you're feeling indulgent, finishing with a sprinkle of fresh herbs for an extra pop of flavor, grilling the corn for more depth, or cooking it with coconut milk, grilled and finely chopped jalapeños, and a hint of lime and cilantro, depending on what vibe you're going for. Garner's recipe is one that celebrates the height of summer in a simple and delightful way. I tip my hat to Grandmom for a recipe that will now and forever be a staple in my summer repertoire.

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.