Creamed Corn Casserole— The EASIEST holiday side dish you’ll ever make! This CREAMY, cheesy corn casserole is a simple stir-and-bake affair that can be made in advance! The texture is a cross between a souffle and cornbread. Slightly gooey, slightly firm, and pairs perfectly with your favorite Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dishes!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time55 minutesmins
Course: Sides, Salads & Vegetables
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 434kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
½cupyellow cornmeal
½cupall-purpose flour
2teaspoonsgranulated sugar
1 ½teaspoonsbaking powder
½teaspoononion powder
½teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonpepper
15-ouncecan whole kernel corndrained
15-ouncecan creamed corndo not drain
1cupheavy cream
2large eggslightly beaten
½cupunsalted buttermelted
1cupshredded white cheddar cheese*divided
Chivesoptional for garnishing
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 2 1/2 quart ceramic baking dish (or similar sized baking dish ranging from 2 to 3 quarts, a 9x9-inch square baking pan may also be used noting the baking time will likely be reduced if using a metal pan) very well with cooking spray; set aside.
To a large bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and whisk to combine; set the dry ingredients aside. Note - Yellow cornmeal is not the same as corn flour nor corn starch. You want yellow cornmeal (or 'corn meal' as it can be spelled) for this recipe.
To a separate large bowl, add the drained whole kernel corn, creamed corn, heavy cream, melted butter, half the shredded white cheddar cheese*, and whisk to combine. Note - I recommend heavy cream but if you want to reduce the fat a bit, half-and-half will work. I do not recommend milk because the dish will be lacking richness.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir to just combine; don't overmix.
Turn the batter out into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is set. Baking Tips - The edges may be very lightly golden, and while it may be a bit jiggly in the center, it needs to be set like a muffin top needs to be set, even if a little fragile looking. If the corn casserole is watery looking or sloshing around, it needs to bake longer. However, don't overbake. The texture of a corn casserole is somewhat like pudding or a souffle, not totally hard like corn bread and even softer than Thanksgiving stuffing is how we like to serve it.
Remove from the oven, evenly sprinkle the remaining half cup of cheese, and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Note - This step is only to melt the cheese on top; the interior of the casserole needs to be already set and done before adding the cheese.
Allow the corn casserole to cool momentarily before optionally garnishing with chives and serving. Extra corn casserole will keep airtight in the frdge for up to 5 days. While I don't love freezing/thawing it because the delicate texture will change, you can freeze it airtight for up to 3 monhts. Reheat gently in the microwave.
Notes
*I am definitely partial to white cheddar for this recipe because it adds just the right flavor, and white cheddar cheese melts nicely but isn't gooey and stretchy like mozzarella is, and the pale color is a nice match for the rest of the dish in comparison to traditional cheddar which is usually bright orange and is a little visually shocking for the recipe. If you absolutely need to substitute, I would go with a Monterrey Jack, Havarti, or Provolone.