Cheesy Corn Souffle Recipe

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

When it comes to souffles, even those who consider themselves confident home cooks will often balk at the idea of whipping one up at home, preferring to leave this specific dish to the professionals. There’s no beating around the bush — souffles are finicky and require a lot of precision to pull off. However, the saying that practice makes perfect also applies to this complex culinary creation, and what better way to practice than with this cheesy corn souffle recipe, courtesy of recipe developer Jennine Rye?

This dish manages to effortlessly straddle the line between elegant French cuisine and humble comfort food, making it a great place to start if you are looking to practice your souffle-making skills. The result is a savory treat with a wonderfully light and airy texture and a rich, cheesy corn flavor that pairs equally well when served with just a light salad or as a part of a larger meal offering. Whether you are looking for an impressive centerpiece or a delicious starter, you’ll enjoy this cheesy corn souffle recipe; it’s definitely one to bookmark.

To begin this cheesy corn souffle recipe, round up the necessary ingredients. To prepare the baking dish for the souffle, you will need butter and grated Parmesan. To make the base cornmeal mixture, gather whole milk, chicken stock, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. To add heaps of cheesy flavor, you will need more grated Parmesan, grated cheddar, smoked paprika, hot chili powder, and canned corn. Finally, to get that characteristic souffle texture, you’ll want eggs and cream of tartar.

Coat a deep, 8-inch round baking dish with the softened butter. Dust the buttered dish with 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan, completely coating the dish’s interior. Set aside.

Separate the eggs and set aside 4 egg yolks and 6 egg whites (discard the remaining 2 egg yolks or reserve for another use).

Add the milk and chicken stock to a medium saucepan.

Heat the saucepan over medium. Once the milk mixture starts to simmer, slowly whisk in the cornmeal.

Season the cornmeal mixture with salt and pepper. Whisk frequently while simmering on low for 15 minutes, until cooked.

Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Once cooled enough, transfer the cornmeal mixture to a large bowl.

Whisk in the 4 egg yolks.

Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of Parmesan, grated cheddar, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Mix well and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Add the egg whites to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites for 45 seconds, until foamy but not stiff.

Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites.

Beat the egg whites mixture for an additional 2 minutes until stiff.

Gently fold ⅓ of the egg whites into the cornmeal mixture. Repeat with the remaining egg whites.

Carefully and without deflating the souffle mixture, fold in the corn, thoroughly incorporating it into the batter.

Transfer the souffle batter to the prepared baking dish.

Bake the souffle undisturbed in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until risen and golden, with a little bit of wobble in the center.

To make sure your souffles are an airy, towering success instead of a chewy, deflated disc of disappointment, keep in mind these tips when preparing and baking your batter. First, the temperature of your eggs matters. Cold egg whites don’t whip up as well as eggs at room temperature, so make sure to allow your egg whites to warm up before beating them.

Although the cream of tartar seems like a minuscule ingredient, it’s vital to making your souffle a success. It acts as a stabilizing agent for your egg whites, playing a key role in giving your souffle a beautiful, lofty rise, so don’t skip this important addition! Another key point when it comes to egg whites is to be mindful of how you incorporate them into your batter. Heavy-handed beating will knock a lot of the air out of the souffle mixture. Instead, gently fold the stiff egg whites into the batter one-third at a time to keep it light and airy.

Finally, once the souffle is in the oven, timing is key to its success. If you remove it too early, it will collapse. However, if you bake it for too long, it will become cracked and dry. For the ideal souffle, it should have roughly doubled in size and retain some wobble toward the center of the dish.

Souffles are known for being a particularly challenging dish to whip up in the kitchen, and though there is plenty of precision needed to make your souffle a success, speed isn’t a necessity. While it may seem reasonable to want to get your perfectly prepared souffle batter into the oven before the precious air bubbles disappear, we promise you that when stored correctly, you can indeed make your souffles ahead of time. After all, professional chefs don’t have the time to freshly whip up a single serving of souffle for every order that comes into the kitchen; they make their batter ahead of time, and so can you.

To successfully store your souffle batter, follow the recipe as usual and place the batter in your prepared baking dish or ramekins. Then simply cover it well with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for a few hours or even up to a day ahead of time. The one important caveat to mention is that, if you do plan to make your batter ahead of time, you should avoid incorporating any meats, vegetables, or fruits that will leak liquid into your batter, as this will negatively impact your batter. So just hold off on folding in the corn kernels until you’re ready to pop the souffle batter into the oven.