Sides / Casseroles & table breads
Corn Casserole from Scratch
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Creamed corn, sweet kernels and a gentle jiggle in the middle when it comes out of the oven. Let it rest ten minutes, then watch the corner pieces disappear.
The short version
Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl, then stir in melted butter, eggs, sour cream, a can of creamed corn and sweet corn kernels. Bake in a buttered 2-quart dish at 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes, until golden and just set with a slight jiggle. Rest it 10 minutes before you scoop.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Skip the box; measure four dry ingredients. Flour, cornmeal, sugar and baking soda are the whole mix, and stirring them together yourself takes two minutes. You choose the sweetness (the box runs sweet), you control the salt, and you're not stuck when the store is out of it the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
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Frozen sweet corn for the kernels. Frozen kernels are picked at their sweetest and stay plump and poppy in the oven; canned whole kernels taste faintly of the can and turn soft. Thaw and pat them dry so they don't water down the batter.
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Pull it with a jiggle, then let it rest. The center should still wobble a little when it comes out. It finishes setting during a 10-minute rest and stays creamy and spoonable; bake it until it's firm and you get dry cornbread.
What you need
the usual suspects
- Unsalted butter½ cup
- All-purpose flour½ cup
- Fine yellow cornmeal½ cup
- Granulated sugar¼ cup
- Eggs2 large
- Sour cream1 cup
- Cream-style corn1 can
tap each one as it goes in. no double-salting.
Steps
deep breath. you’ve got this.
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Heat the oven, butter the dish
Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Butter a 2-quart baking dish, such as a 9-inch square or an 11×7-inch dish. Melt the butter and let it cool while you measure.
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Whisk the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt until evenly mixed, with no lumps of soda.
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Add the wet ingredients
Add the eggs and whisk them into the dry mix (it will be stiff), then whisk in the sour cream and melted butter until smooth. Stir in the creamed corn and the kernels with a spatula. The batter will be loose and pourable, more like a thick soup than a cornbread batter; that's right.
Let the butter cool a few minutes first. Very hot butter can scramble the eggs.
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Fill the dish
Pour the batter into the buttered dish and smooth the top. It should come no more than about two-thirds of the way up the sides.
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Bake until just set
Bake until the top and edges are golden brown, the edges have pulled slightly from the dish, and the center jiggles only a little when you nudge the dish, 45 to 55 minutes. A knife pushed in 1 inch from the center should come out moist but without wet batter.
Check at 45 minutes. A deeper dish takes longer; go by the jiggle, not the clock.
About 45 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Rest, then scoop
Let it rest on a rack for 10 minutes. The center firms up as it cools, from wobbly to soft and spoonable. Serve warm with a big spoon.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
the stuff I’d tell you over the phone
- The shortcut works if you want it. One 8.5-ounce box of corn muffin mix replaces the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt; everything else stays the same. It's a little sweeter and a little saltier.
- With cheese, stir 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar into the batter, or scatter it over the top for the last 10 minutes of baking. Shred it from a block; the bagged kind melts grainy.
- For heat, add a minced seeded jalapeño and a pinch of cayenne with the corn.
- Make it ahead. Assemble in the dish, cover and refrigerate up to a day. Let it sit out 30 minutes, then bake as written, allowing 5 to 10 extra minutes. For a doubled batch, use a 13×9-inch dish and expect about an hour.
- Storage. Refrigerated, covered, 4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F for 15 minutes, then uncovered for 5 to 10 to dry the top, or microwave single portions. Frozen, wrapped well, 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Can I make corn casserole without Jiffy?
Yes, and this recipe does. Half a cup each of flour and cornmeal, a quarter cup of sugar, baking soda and salt do the same job as the box, with less sugar and salt if you want it.
Why is my corn casserole runny in the middle?
It came out too early, or the dish was too deep for the time. It should be golden, pulling from the edges and only slightly wobbly in the center, and it needs its 10-minute rest to finish setting. If it's still loose after resting, put it back for 10 minutes.
Can I make corn casserole ahead?
Yes. Assemble it up to a day ahead, cover and refrigerate, then let it sit out 30 minutes and bake, adding 5 to 10 minutes. Or bake it a day ahead and reheat covered at 350°F for 15 minutes, then uncovered for 5 to 10.
What's the difference between corn casserole and corn pudding?
Corn pudding is mostly corn, eggs and milk baked into a custard. Corn casserole adds flour and cornmeal, so it's softer than cornbread but holds a scoop, somewhere between the two.
Can I use fresh corn?
Yes. Cut the kernels from 2 or 3 ears, about 1½ cups, and use them in place of the frozen. Keep the can of creamed corn; it's what makes the casserole creamy.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Yes, full-fat plain Greek yogurt in the same amount. It's a little tangier and just as moist.
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Published October 26, 2026.