Slow Cooker Creamed Corn (Rudy's Copycat)
This slow cooker creamed corn is thick, sweet, and rich enough to hold its own next to the turkey, and it takes five minutes of prep. It is a Rudy's creamed corn copycat, the Texas BBQ side built on cream cheese and butter instead of a flour-thickened sauce, and it cooks in the crockpot while the oven handles everything else on Thanksgiving Day.
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Why You'll Love This Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
- It frees the oven. The stuffing, rolls, and pie need the oven on Thanksgiving. This crockpot creamed corn side dish sits on the counter and takes care of itself, which is the whole point of easy crockpot Thanksgiving side dishes.
- Five minutes of hands-on work. Everything goes into the pot at once, and the only job after that is one stir halfway through. It is one of the easiest creamed corn recipes to hand off to the slow cooker, and the most forgiving of the slow cooker corn recipes I make.
- No flour, no roux, no stovetop. Cream cheese thickens the sauce as it melts, so this creamy crockpot corn tastes like homemade cream corn without a pan on the burner.
- It feeds a crowd. This slow cooker cream corn recipe turns two bags of frozen corn into about 7 cups, enough for 8 generous servings or 12 half-cup scoops on a buffet. That makes it one of the most practical crockpot side dishes and easy holiday side dishes for a big table.
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Ingredients and Substitutes
- Frozen corn. Add the corn kernels straight from the bag. Thawed corn sheds water into the pot, and the sauce turns thin. I made this as written with frozen corn, and the kernels stayed plump and distinct.
- Cream cheese. Cream cheese corn depends on full-fat brick cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes. There is no need to soften cream cheese first, because the slow cooker melts it evenly, and it is what makes Rudy's cream corn so thick. Tub-style spreadable cream cheese carries extra water and gives a looser sauce. Neufchatel is the closest lighter swap.
- Heavy cream. Half-and-half works, but the sauce comes out thinner. Heavy cream is what keeps this crockpot cream corn with cream cheese silky through hours on WARM.
- Unsalted butter. Salted butter, cream cheese, and Parmesan together push the salt too far, and you cannot take it back out. Unsalted butter lets you season at the end.
- Sugar. When I made this, 1 tablespoon of sugar was right. It gave the corn enough sweetness without making it overly sweet. If your corn is especially sweet, start with 2 teaspoons.
- Parmesan and black pepper. Grate the Parmesan finely from a wedge so it melts; pre-shredded Parmesan is coated to stop clumping and can leave the sauce slightly grainy. Freshly ground pepper matters here, because pre-ground pepper tastes flat against this much dairy. For slow cooker cheddar corn, swap the Parmesan for ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar. The result is a slow cooker creamy cheesy corn that sits closer to crockpot cheesy corn than to the Rudy's original.
- Parsley. Chopped fresh parsley goes on at the end for color. Snipped chives work too.
How to Make Slow Cooker Creamed Corn (Rudy's Style)
This Rudy's copycat cream corn uses the same short list of cream corn ingredients the restaurant's side is known for: cream cheese, butter, and a touch of sugar. It is a copycat rather than the exact cream corn recipe from Rudy's, and three small moves make this Rudy's creamed corn recipe work:
- Dairy on top. Scatter the cream cheese and butter over the frozen corn, not under it, so they melt down through the kernels instead of scorching on the stoneware.
- One stir at 2 hours. The cream cheese is soft but not melted yet. Breaking it up now turns this crock pot cream corn into a smooth sauce with no white lumps.
- Salt last. Taste after the final stir, then season.
In my 6-quart slow cooker, the sauce was thick and creamy at 4 hours on LOW, with no extra time and no need to take the lid off. The edges did not brown or catch. The whole crockpot creamed corn recipe comes down to dump, wait, stir, season.
Making Slow Cooker Creamed Corn for a Thanksgiving Crowd
Of all the easy crockpot Thanksgiving side dishes, this one handles timing best.
- Day-of timing: Start it 4 hours before dinner, and it is ready when the turkey comes out to rest.
- Holding: I held it on WARM for up to 2 hours. It thickened slightly as it sat but stayed creamy. Stir in a splash of heavy cream if it gets too thick.
- Make ahead: Slow cooker creamed corn reheats well. Cook it fully, then refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Reheat on LOW for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, with a splash of cream. It is a crock pot corn Thanksgiving side you can finish days ahead.
- Doubling: For Thanksgiving side dishes for a crowd, double every ingredient in a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker. Stir at 2 and 4 hours, and plan on 5 to 6 hours on LOW. It serves 16, or about 24 half-cup portions on a buffet.
What to Serve With Crockpot Cream Corn
Creamy corn this rich needs a partner, so pair it with something crisp or something that soaks up the sauce. It fits a BBQ menu as easily as a holiday one, and in summer it earns a spot among cookout side dishes because the slow cooker keeps the kitchen cool.
- Sourdough stuffing bakes in a single Dutch oven while the corn cooks on the counter.
- Pumpkin-shaped dinner rolls are soft enough to mop up every bit of the sauce.
- A festive harvest salad brings crunch and acidity next to richer vegetable side dishes.
- Any of these sweet potato casserole recipes round out a spread of Thanksgiving side dishes for a crowd.
- Buttermilk fried chicken turns it into the kind of plate Rudy's creamed corn is known for.
- Crockpot honey garlic chicken thighs make a two-slow-cooker weeknight dinner with almost no hands-on time.
Slow Cooker Creamed Corn FAQs
Yes, and the cook time stays the same at 4 hours on LOW. Use about 6 cups of fresh kernels, cut from roughly 8 ears. For canned corn, drain four 15-ounce cans very well and pat the kernels dry, since any leftover liquid thins the sauce. Canned kernels are already soft, so they finish less plump than frozen.
Yes. Cook it on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours and stir every hour so the cream cheese melts evenly and the edges do not catch. LOW is more forgiving if you will be away from the kitchen.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat them in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts, stirring often and adding a splash of milk or cream if the sauce has set up in the fridge.
Yes, for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it gently with a splash of cream. The sauce can turn slightly grainy after freezing, and stirring as it warms smooths most of that out.
Two bags of frozen corn, one stir, and 4 hours on LOW is all this slow cooker creamed corn asks. For more crockpot side dishes and hands-off meals, these crockpot dinners for busy families run on the same hands-off crock pot cooking, and these Thanksgiving finger foods keep guests busy while the rest of the meal comes together.
If you tried this Slow Cooker Creamed Corn Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
- Microplane or fine grater
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen corn two 16-ounce bags, not thawed
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese block cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Add the frozen corn to a 6-quart slow cooker. Scatter the cream cheese and butter cubes over the corn.
- Pour the heavy cream over the top, then sprinkle with the sugar, Parmesan, and black pepper. Do not stir yet.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours, then stir well to break up the softened cream cheese.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 2 more hours, until the sauce is thick and creamy.
- Stir well, taste, and season with salt.
- Garnish with parsley and serve, or hold on WARM for up to 2 hours, stirring before serving.
Notes
- Do not thaw the corn. Thawed corn releases water and thins the sauce.
- Salt last. The butter, cream cheese, and Parmesan are already salty, so taste before adding any.
- HIGH setting: Cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, stirring every hour.
- Holding: Keep on WARM for up to 2 hours; it thickens slightly as it sits. Stir in a splash of heavy cream to loosen it.
- Fresh or canned corn: Use about 6 cups fresh kernels (roughly 8 ears), or four 15-ounce cans drained well and patted dry. Same cook time.
- Doubling: Double everything in a 6- to 7-quart slow cooker. Stir at 2 and 4 hours and allow 5 to 6 hours on LOW.
- Make ahead: Refrigerate fully cooked corn for up to 3 days. Reheat on LOW for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, with a splash of cream.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of cream.