In our series Saving Southern Recipes, we explore the deep heritage of Southern cooking through the lens of passed-down family recipes.

Admittedly, the first time I truly took note of the popularity of the zucchini and corn pairing was on the baby food isle. My son would consume an entire jar of Gerber’s Pear Zucchini Corn faster than a hot knife through butter. When you think about it, this combination makes sense. The endearing mushiness of the zucchini is complimented perfectly by the crunch of the corn.

Enter: this sweet corn and zucchini pie. Not only is this recipe a great and tasty way to use summer crops, it is crustless to boot. All you low carb dieters out there, rejoice! 

Zucchini is considered part of the summer squash variety and is characterized by its soft rind. It makes an appearance in many Southern dishes, such as casseroles and zucchini bread.
 
But this pie is by far my favorite recipe with zucchini. The dried herbs perfectly compliment the mildness of the summer squash while the corn and Vidalia onions add a sweet and crunchy note. Add cream cheese and cheddar cheese, and you’ve got yourself a comforting and bright bite.

Here in the South, we like to cover our vegetables in cheese and we don’t like to be judged for it.
 
Now a staple of my weekly summer menu, I’d recommend this recipe to anyone! I've got only one tip for you: be sure to not over sauté your corn — you want to leave that crunch!

Sweet Corn and Zucchini Pie
Serves: 8
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large zucchini squash, thinly sliced
1/2 large Vidalia onion, chopped
2 ears sweet corn
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 large eggs, beaten
2 ounces cream cheese

Instructions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the zucchini and onion. Cut the corn off of the cobs and add it to the pan, cooking until the vegetables soften (do not allow them to get mushy), 5 to 8 minutes. Remove  from the heat and stir in the basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in the cheddar, eggs and cream cheese.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate. Arrange the top slices of zucchini so that they lay flat and the dish looks nice. Bake until bubbly and browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve in wedges.

Do you have a beloved family recipe to share? We'd love to try it. If it's written on a recipe card, even better. Send a picture of the recipe card or a typed-out version of the recipe to editor@southernkitchen.com. If you can, please include any stories or memories you have about the dish — these will help make your recipe shine! Our goal is to build out a robust visual database of Southern recipe cards to share with you, our community.

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