Summer is my favorite season to entertain.  The kids are usually healthy (usually), the weather is warm and you can grill your main entree leaving the hostess to just have to prepare a few sides.  We had some friends over last weekend and I needed a gluten-free menu.  I wanted a side dish that was not the usual boring starchy side (think potato).

With corn in abundance in the summer months, I decided on this corn pudding recipe.  It was the perfect accompaniment to Tuscan lemon chicken on the grill, fruit salad, and green beans sautéed with tomatoes.  The pudding has corn meal as a thickener thus it’s completely  gluten-free!  It was a big hit and it is a great way to use up fresh corn in the summer months.  Check out my notes for my variations.

Sagaponack Corn Pudding

Recipe Adapted From Ina Garten

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 5 cups fresh yellow corn kernels cut off the cob (6 to 8 ears)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar, plus extra to sprinkle on top

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease the inside of an 8 to 10-cup baking dish.

Melt the butter in a very large saute pan and saute the corn and onion over medium-high heat for 4 minutes.  Cool slightly.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and half-and-half in a large bowl.  Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and then the ricotta. Add the basil, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Place the dish in a larger pan and fill the pan 1/2 way up the sides of the dish with hot tap water. Bake the pudding for 40 to 45 minutes until the top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Notes: I used three eggs instead of four.  I also used all low fat milk instead of the half and half and milk combination.  I also cut the amount of butter to half a stick instead of a full stick.  The hot water bath is a little tricky so be careful!