This Baked Cod has a delicious parmesan cream sauce that only uses 4 ingredients. Topped with toasted breadcrumbs, this is a pro chef dinner that's takes only an hour to make. Plus it's great with any white fish as well as salmon to customize to your liking.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: seafood
Servings: 2servings
Calories: 482kcal
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Ingredients
Sauce
2tablespoonsbutter
1tablespoonscornstarch
1cuphalf and half
¼cupshredded parmesan
Salt and Ground White Pepperto taste
Cod
2 6ouncecod filets
½teaspoon salt
½teaspoonblack pepper
1tablespoonbutter
1garlic cloveminced
1-2tablespoonsseasoned bread crumbs or panko
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Parmesan Cream Sauce
In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in cornstarch. Allow the mixture to cook 30 seconds.
Slowly whisk in half & half. When the mixture begins to simmer (do not let it boil), turn the heat to low and add parmesan cheese.
Whisk occasionally for 3-5 minutes, until mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cod
Pat cod filets dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Melt butter in a small bowl and mix in garlic.
Pour the parmesan cream sauce in the bottom of individual au gratin dishes or a baking pan. Place cod on top.
Brush the cod filets with the garlic butter. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until the cod reaches an internal temperature of 145ºF. The sauce should be bubbling and the crust golden brown.
Video
Notes
Using Frozen Fish: Thaw frozen filets completely, then remove as much moisture as possible. Sometimes frozen varieties can leach out additional moisture, which can alter the consistency of the baked sauce's consistency.
Fish Varieties: Tilapia, salmon, or flounder can also be used in this dish. Keep in mind you may need less baking time as these tend to be thinner filets. The safe internal temperature of fish that should be reached is 145°F.
Avoid Broken or Curdled Sauce: To avoid a broken or curdled sauce, follow these tips during the cooking process:
Control Heat: Use low to medium heat. Avoid bringing the sauce to a boil
Temperatures Matter: Gradually whisk in the half-and-half. This helps prevent abrupt temperature changes that can lead to curdling.
Whisk Constantly: Stir or whisk the sauce continuously while cooking.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Allow the half-and-half to come to room temperature as cold ingredients can shock the mixture and lead to curdling.
Sauce Thickness: If your sauce becomes too thick, simply whisk in 1-2 tablespoons half-and-half or milk. If it’s too thin, in a small bow, mix together 1-2 teaspoons each cornstarch and milk. Whisk the mixture into the sauce and allow it to cook 1-2 minutes.