Creamed Limas & Corn Parmesan

Lima beans and corn baked under a from-scratch white sauce with grated Parmesan is a Southern-inspired side dish that turns two humble canned vegetables into something genuinely worth making.

The white sauce starts with butter and sautéed onion, then flour stirred in to form a roux. Milk and the reserved bean liquid go in gradually, building a smooth, creamy sauce that’s thinner than you’d expect. It needs to be, because 30 minutes in the oven will thicken it further as it bubbles around the vegetables.

Using the bean liquid is a small detail that makes a difference. It carries the starchy, savory flavor of the limas and stretches the sauce without diluting it the way plain water would. Most canned bean recipes tell you to drain and rinse, but here the liquid is an ingredient.

The Parmesan and pepper get sprinkled directly over the beans and corn in the baking dish before the sauce goes on top. This puts the cheese right against the vegetables where it melts into salty pockets rather than floating on the surface of the sauce.

Pro Tips

• Drain the corn well and blot with paper towels. Excess water from the corn will thin the sauce during baking.
• Make the sauce slightly thicker than you think it needs to be. The vegetable liquid released during baking will loosen it.
• Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best melt and flavor. Pre-grated has a powdery texture that doesn’t integrate as well.

Variations

• Bacon-topped: Sprinkle crumbled bacon over the top before baking for a salty, smoky crust.
• Fresh vegetable version: Use frozen baby limas and fresh corn cut off the cob in summer for a brighter, sweeter casserole.
• Breadcrumb gratin: Top with buttered breadcrumbs mixed with the Parmesan for a golden, crunchy top.