Moist, shredded chicken, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and creamed corn stirred into this cornbread casserole will have you thinking: why have I never put all my favorite foods right in the cornbread before—instead of just beside it?
For a year now, I have been on a cornbread kick. I take a knife, score that big pan of honey cornbread into 12 sections, pour in melted butter with honey, and then my roommate and I devour it together.
Then I discovered this cornbread casserole, and it is simply divine. Everyone loves it so much that I always make two for bigger families and gatherings because everyone wants at least two squares.
Bursting with two cups of melty cheddar cheese, savory chicken, and the homey flavor of cornbread—all this deliciousness is made silken with a bit of milk, butter, some sour cream, and the surprising bit of crunch from creamed corn—in short, this casserole is a stunner.
Why Your Family Will Love This Cornbread Casserole
You cannot get an easier kind of casserole to prepare, especially if you use moist, fresh rotisserie chicken. Altogether, it’s in the oven within 15 minutes. Since it’s bursting with veggies and protein already, you don’t need much on the side to make it a really filling meal; perhaps a bright veggie or two and a fruit-based dessert would be wonderful here. At Thanksgiving, or really anytime, a cranberry sauce creation of some kind is lovely to scoop up with this delicious casserole, or you could try the cranberry compote in this recipe for Sage Pork Chops with Cranberry Compote.
To get the freshest chicken possible, and one with that delicious, savory skin that you can just leave on the chicken, I always ask whoever is working in my closest deli department at the grocer what times they cook their chicken, and exactly when I should buy it for that moist, just-got-out-of-the-oven flavor and quality. Then I get really good fried or rotisserie chicken without the fuss.
In fact, come to think of it, getting on a first-name basis with such people, from butchers to the people working at your favorite grocery stores in the deli, seafood, and bakery departments, is one of the smartest, most fun and rewarding things you can do to create sublime concoctions instead of so-so ones. Always—fresh, flavorful ingredients make fresh, flavorful dishes (except when you need stale bread for stuffing and croutons—I call Katie or Alan, who are typically hard at work at my local Kroger Bakery for that).
How to Make Ahead and Store
I would love to tell you that this freezes well. However, this is an eat-it-up-now situation because, with a full cup of sour cream in it, the texture would be completely affected. Wrap leftovers with tight plastic wrap or use airtight containers, keeping this 2 to 3 days maximum in the fridge for the highest quality.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken cornbread casserole would be great with a bright, colorful vegetable, like Honey Roasted Carrots and elegant, delicious Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms. Both options would complement this meal nicely and bring a cornucopia of nutrition, too. And that means you and the family deserve a nice dessert—something special, say, like this delicious Blueberry Galette.
Chicken Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 8.5-ounce package cornbread mix
- 1 14.75-ounce can creamed corn
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cooked chicken, sour cream, milk, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and spread the chicken mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- In the same bowl, combine the cornbread mix, creamed corn, egg, and melted butter. Stir until just mixed.
- Spread the cornbread batter over the chicken mixture in the dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the cornbread topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the casserole to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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