Sweet and Buttery Basil Corn
This Basil Corn is my favorite way to turn a “nothing in the pantry” kind of night into a side you’ll wanna have with every meal. It’s a 15-minute wonder you can whip up right quick that takes a plain old bag of frozen corn and smothers it in a rich, herb-infused butter sauce that’s thickened just enough to stick to your ribs!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Sweet and Buttery Basil Corn
- 🕐 Ready In: 15 minutes
- 👥 Serves: 6
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Frozen corn, Butter or margarine, Dried basil, Corn starch, Salt, Sugar
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: This Basil Corn is my favorite way to turn a "nothing in the pantry" kind of night into a side you’ll wanna have with every meal. It’s a 15-minute wonder!
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Garden-Fresh Flavor Without the Garden Work
I’ve spent plenty of summers shucking ears of corn until my thumbs were sore, and while nothing beats fresh sweet corn off the cob, life doesn’t always give us the time for that. This basil corn recipe is my little secret for getting that “farmer’s market” taste using a bag from the freezer!
Most folks think of Italian recipes or a complex pesto recipe when they hear basil, but when you add it to sweet corn with a pinch of sugar, it creates a savory-sweet profile fine as frog’s hair! It’s buttery, it’s aromatic, and it’s a great recipe when you need a side dish that’s more than veggies in a bowl.
I’m very much a corn gal, so it feels like my duty to let you know about my Easy Creamed Corn, Summer Corn Salad, and Baked Corn on the Cob With Herb Butter recipes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Frozen corn
- Butter or margarine
- Dried basil
- Corn starch
- Salt
- Sugar
Tips for the Perfect Basil Corn
- Don’t Overcook: When you bring the corn to a boil, remove it from the heat immediately. You want the corn to be tender-crisp, not mushy!
- The Whisk is Your Friend: When you heat butter and cornstarch in your sauce pot, keep it moving. You’re essentially making a quick herb-filled roux, and you want it to be bubbly and smooth before it hits the corn.
- Fresh vs. Dried: This recipe calls for dried basil because it stands up well to the heat of the butter sauce. However, if you have fresh basil in your garden, you can stir in some thin strips (chiffonade) of basil leaves right before serving for a bright pop of green.
- Check the Grocery Stores: If you can’t find frozen corn, drained canned corn works too! Just skip the boiling step and go straight to the sauce!
How to Make Basil Corn
1. Prep the Corn
Pour your frozen corn into a large pot and cover it with water. Set it over medium-high heat. As soon as that water hits a rolling boil, take the pot off the stove. Drain the corn thoroughly in a colander.
2. Make the Basil Butter Sauce
In a separate small sauce pot over medium heat, add your stick of butter, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and dried basil.
3. Simmer and Blend
Stir the mixture constantly as the butter melts. You’re looking for it to become well-blended and just start to get “bubbly.” This ensures the cornstarch is activated so your sauce will be silky, not watery.
4. Toss and Coat
Pour that warm, fragrant basil mixture over your drained corn. Give it a good stir until every kernel is glistening.
5. Season and Serve
Taste a spoonful (carefully!). If it needs a little kick, a crack of black pepper or a tiny pinch of pepper adds a nice depth.
Serve it warm!
Storing and Reheating
This corn is easy as pie to store. Put any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, I recommend putting it back in a small pan over medium heat with a tiny splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce back up. A quick zap in the microwave works too, but the stovetop keeps that “buttery-smooth” texture best.
Serving Ideas
Basil corn plays just as well with a fancy holiday spread as it does with a paper plate. I love serving it alongside Butter Roasted Chicken or Maple Glazed Pork Chops, but it’s also the perfect “something green” (well, herby green!) to tuck next to Southern Dressing With Cornbread and Homemade Mashed Potatoes With Evaporated Milk come Thanksgiving.
If you’re heading to a cookout, try it with a Smoked Burger Recipe or some Crock Pot Pulled Pork, and if you’re just looking for a well-rounded plate, you can’t go wrong pairing it with Easy Roasted Potatoes or Grilled Asparagus.
Ingredients
- 28 ounces frozen corn
- 1 stick 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Pour corn in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat immediately, draining the corn well.
- In a sauce pot, place the stick of butter, corn starch, salt, sugar, and basil.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is well blended and bubbly.
- Pour the mixture over the corn and stir to coat well. Serve warm!
I love to read your posts. It reminds me so much of how I grew up. I am from AL too. My Grandma cooked the same way. She could make a meal out of nothing it seemed. She always had to have a bread, cornbread or biscuts (hot from the oven) and a meat and at least 2 or more sides. That included homemade sweet pickles, onion and sliced tomatoes (from her garden)and she would have some kind of dessert. I miss her so much. I love to cook and I owe that to her. Thank you for reminding me to be thankful for what I have.
Dear Bill – you are so right. However,sometimes it’s hard to see when the glasses are misted up.
Dear Christy – I love the thought of blooming wherever you are.
Great post! I’ve been accused of having rose colored glasses on too & I think it is an excellent quality to have! We call our 4 acres “Dixie Blessings Farm” & it has been a true blessing to us. God has blessed us with so much – and I have just recently been able to quit a stressful full time job to become a stay at home mom to three teenagers! God is so faithful!
Hi – It took me a long time to get to just fixing 1 side dish. I seldom have food go to waste this way. I know what we really like and fix that. I do try new recipes, but gone are the days of meat, several vegetables, starch and all the trimmings. Money is tight and I hate to clean out the refrigerator and end up pitching things that never got used the 2nd time around. One time I was complaining about having to do the dishes and my mother reminded me…….that it meant we had food to eat! I really took that to heart. I think about that often when I do the dishes.
This post is perfect for me today; I needed those glasses! =) And the recipe looks great too. Thanks!
I LOVE this site!! Just LOVE it! Eberything I make from it turns out wonderfully..I just wanted to leave you with a quote, paraphasing my favourite poet, W.B.Yeats from Ireland…
“But think where man’s glory most begins and ends, and say that my glory was, that I had such friends!”
Where would we be without our friends eh?
Warm hugs from Canada,
Debbe
YUM! I love corn, and basil also. In fact I’m going to try growing some fresh this year — lemon basil and lime basil. They sure sound tasty, anyway! I may try making this with either or both when they are ready to harvest. In the meantime though will adapt this for 2 servings (me plus leftovers for me another day)…can’t wait to try it! I may try it with dill, as well (I love dill, too).
Diane in PA, where today it’s cold…low 50s during the day and down to 32 at night…Brrrr!