Creamed (Cheese) Corn

Directions

1. 1
   If your corn is from a can, drain it and reserve two tablespoons of the liquid to use in a bit. If it is fresh or frozen, rinse it in a colander and pat dry before using.
2. 2
   Allow cream cheese to soften to room temperature. Melt the butter.
3. 3
   Turn oven on to 350 degrees (F).
4. 4
   In a casserole dish, combine the cream cheese, butter, sugar and 2 Tablespoons of water (or water from the canned corn) until completely mixed. Add corn and stir for at least a minute to ensure that every kernel is coated.
5. 5
   Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes.
6. 6
   **Optional changes:
7. 7
   If it's just not edible without a kick to it in your world, you can add 1/2 cup diced peppers (pick your favorite variety) to spice it up.
8. 8
   Have some fun with flavored cream cheese: Chive and Onion is my favorite but I'm sure (especially if you have a specialty bagel shop near by) that the possibilities are endless.
9. 9
   Instead of the water, you can use broth but the flavor difference isn't noticeable to me. But you may have a more sensitive palate.
10. 10
    If it's the holidays and you need to conserve oven space, you can also cook this on the stove top on medium heat for 20-30 minutes based on your stove. I've seen versions where it's done as a slow cooker recipe, but in my opinion, there is nothing about this particular recipe that slow cooking could improve - it doesn't change the chemistry of the dish or impart greater flavor, it just takes longer, and who wants that?
11. 11
    These leftovers are fought over at my house (we've actually had summer dinners where we eat corn on the cob and this dish). If you happen to have leftover white rice at the same time, mix together for a nice treat.