If you love cornbread but you have never had a Cornbread Casserole, then you are in for a majorly delicious treat!
Creamed corn meeting cornbread is one of those magical culinary interactions that both confuse me and make food taste, well, sublime.
So, creamed corn is kind of a wonderful ingredient anyway, bringing its own magical set of creamy sugars to the table. Even if you don’t like it straight from the can, you might want to remember it for casseroles requiring corn. Because—man, does it add this delicious texture and flavor to a cornbread casserole.
See, most cornbread casseroles call for a combination of sour cream and creamed corn for a reason. That’s because chefs, over time, have come to rely on these two ingredients because they know from making it again and again that they’re exactly what brings the deliciousness to the table. And, boy, did they know what they were doing when it came to creating a really good casserole sauce out of creamed corn, sour cream, and melted butter.
Why is Cornbread Casserole So Delicious?
A lot of people think that creamed corn is corn with a creamy base of some sort added to it, like canned milk or something. But it’s not. Creamed corn is usually made by adding the soupy, milky liquid from young corn kernels that are scraped from the cob. The liquid is then mixed with sweet, mature corn, and the result is a major corn flavor with a uniquely silken texture that combines with sour cream to create the most amazing base for a casserole. You take one bite and know you’re in gourmand territory.
Not to mention the flavor creation that happens when that naturally delicious pairing of sour cream with shredded cheddar cheese (that you already know and love well from many a layered taco dip or taco salads) meets this silken corn. All combine with the delicious, sweet, salty, comforting, chewy, tender, welcoming flavor of cornbread. And there you go, you’ve got one of those casseroles that, if you’re not watching all the time, someone will pick up that entire casserole dish and lick it.
This dish goes with anything cornbread would go with, which I think means every single thing. No, seriously, though, I serve this beside every soup, stew, chili, and salad I can because I like eating it, and so do all the families I make it for. A fork full of this makes a great scooper for all kinds of tasties from salad dressing, to baked bean broth, to chili, to beef stew, to this Lasagna Soup—well, my stars (I’m reviving that expression too), I might as well go make this now instead of at 1 a.m.
How to Make Ahead and Store
I wish you could freeze it, but it’s also fun trying to eat it all up in a mere 2 days after serving day, which is all I would advise you to keep it given all that dairy in there. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Serving Suggestions
Well, this should be a breeze. I serve this often, especially when I’m making this very surprisingly delicious Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili or this savory, filling Slow Cooker Cowboy Chili. For dessert, the sweet, tropical, crunchy surprise of this Pineapple Coconut Crisp will dazzle your diners.
Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounces can whole kernel corn drained
- 1 15 ounces can creamed corn
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 8.5 ounces package corn muffin mix
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained whole kernel corn, creamed corn, sour cream, melted butter, and beaten eggs. Mix well.
- Stir in the corn muffin mix until just combined, then fold in the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are slightly crispy.
- Allow the casserole to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy your hearty and delicious cornbread casserole!
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