This custardy creamed corn casserole recipe is SO good you'll want to scrape the dish clean to get every last bit of caramelized goodness... My favorite of all the corn casserole recipes I've tried, just like my grandma made it!
Creamed Corn Casserole Like Grandma Made
I'm not really sure where this creamed corn casserole recipe originated, but I can't recall a single holiday dinner growing up where it wasn't served...
It was the first dish on the buffet that I'd hit at every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter meal. And it was the first container of leftovers I grabbed from the fridge - that is IF there were any.
Though I'm not certain where it came from, it's always been my Dad's specialty. So my best guess is it was passed on by my Grandma Russell. She called it custard corn (which is a pretty good description of it), but I've also heard people refer to it as corn pudding casserole and a corn soufflé recipe.
The texture and level of sweetness is VERY different from this Jiffy corn casserole or this Mexican corn cake recipe... Call it whatever you want, just know that this baked corn recipe is AMAZING!
Why is this baked cream corn casserole dish such a staple side dish? Partially because it's so darn easy to make, even in large quantities. But mainly because it's absolutely delicious whether it's hot, warm, or cold!
Seriously, my kids have been known to scrape the dish completely clean, getting every last bit of caramelized goodness from the corners. AND whether you're making a deep fried turkey or an Instant Pot ham, it's the perfect complement!
"Everyone was raving about it!"
Made a triple batch for a potluck and boy oh boy - everyone was raving about it! Recipe was shared many times over. YUMMY!
Easy Corn Casserole Recipe Ingredients
Chances are you already have all of the ingredients for this creamed corn casserole recipe in your pantry right now!
It's comprised of just 6 staple ingredients: canned whole kernel corn, canned creamed corn, sugar, flour, eggs, and butter, plus a touch of salt and pepper.
I'll warn you ahead of time that this recipe does contain a good amount of sugar... Please keep in mind: this is an heirloom recipe that's been passed down through my family. I always prepare it exactly as written, because it's a special occasion side dish.
Yes, it's a little decadent, and I'm perfectly okay with that - because "everything in moderation." Ya know?! But if you're truly concerned, decreasing the sugar shouldn't hurt the outcome.
How To Double Corn Casserole
There is a high probability that you'll want to double, or even triple, this corn casserole recipe at some point. The good news is, YES, you absolutely can! Just use a larger baking dish, and keep in mind that you'll need to increase your baking time slightly.
I should add that even when you're not increasing the recipe, the cooking time can vary by oven and/or the casserole dish you choose. Larger, shallow dishes will cook faster than smaller, deeper dishes.
The corn casserole is done when the center is set and the top has that great caramelized appearance. If it seems set but isn't caramelizing, you can just pop it under the broiler for a couple minutes to finish it off.
Go-To Side Dish Recipe
This sweet corn casserole is still on the menu for every single family gathering we host today. If it's potluck style, I can almost guarantee that the first question I get is: "Who's bringing the corn casserole?" followed by, "Who's bringing the pickles?"
If you don't know what pickles I'm referring to, check out these pickle wraps ASAP! Oh, and also this yummy layered cranberry salad if we're talking Thanksgiving...
Give this easy corn casserole recipe a try at your next family gathering. It just might become your go-to side dish recipe, as well!
Printable Recipe ↓
Creamed Corn Casserole
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, well beaten
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
- 1 (14.75-ounce) can cream-style sweet corn
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350℉.
- In a sauce pan, heat the butter slowly over medium-low heat, swirling the pan until it's just melted. Set aside to cool slightly while measuring the remaining ingredients.
- Whisk the flour into the melted and cooled butter until well incorporated. Then whisk in the sugar, eggs and milk.
- Stir the creamed corn into the butter mixture, along with the drained whole kernel corn. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to an 8x8" casserole dish.
- Bake at 350℉ uncovered for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the center is set and the corn casserole is brown and caramelized on top. Move casserole to top rack near the end of the cook time if more caramelization is desired. Let stand for 5 minutes; serve warm.
Recipe Notes
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Baked Corn Casserole FAQs
I've received a TON of questions about how to make corn casserole over the years. Though I've answered them all in the comments, it's getting to be quite a bit to wade through.
So I'm adding the most frequently asked questions for this baked corn casserole recipe below, and I will continue to update it with any new questions.
What type of baking dish do you use for this corn casserole?
I generally use a shallow 8x8" baking dish when I make this recipe. If I'm doubling or tripling it for a potluck or cookout, I'll size up to this 9x13" baking dish.
If you need to go even larger, I'd recommend something like this large roasting pan.
Note that I do not recommend using those large disposable aluminum trays. Aluminum is not a great conductor of heat, so it takes significantly longer to bake this recipe in them. And you probably won't achieve the same amount of caramelization - which is totally the best part!
Help, my corn casserole seems curdled! Where did I go wrong?
After many readers experienced this, I did some extensive research on what could be causing the custard-like quality of the corn casserole to break. A couple of things could be happening:
- Your oven may be running a little hot... This could cause the corn casserole to cook too fast, in turn causing the custard consistency to "break". You can check this with an inexpensive oven thermometer.
- It may be your milk... I've always purchased whole milk, so it never occurred to me that it could affect the consistency. But apparently the lower fat percentage in low fat and skim milk can also cause a custard to break.
Also, using real dairy butter is recommended for best results. Substituting margarine or another plant-based butter will definitely affect the finished consistency of this dish.
Do I *need* to use whole milk?
As I mentioned above, you do need the fat in the milk for a successful custard. That said, readers have reported using heavy cream and 2% milk successfully.
Can corn casserole be made ahead of time?
While it's best freshly made, you can definitely refrigerate it after baking and just warm it up again in the oven before serving. I typically make two batches for Thanksgiving, one for the "Big Meal" and one to reheat with the leftovers.
How to reheat corn casserole:
Warm the casserole in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through. I do not recommend microwaving it.
Can corn casserole be frozen?
Again, freshly made is always best, but you can make it ahead and freeze if you'd like. After baking, let the corn casserole cool completely. Then wrap it tightly with aluminum foil, label, and freeze up to one month.
To reheat, bake covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 more minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
If you have further questions, please ask in the comments below!
More Easy Casserole Recipes To Try
If you like this corn casserole recipe, you might also enjoy these other delicious casserole recipes:
- Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes Casserole Recipe
- Tuna Casserole With Egg Noodles
- 3-Ingredient Easy Green Bean Casserole
- 5-Ingredient Cheesy Meatball Casserole
- Baked Macaroni And Cheese Casserole
I'd love to see how your corn casserole turns out… Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check them out. Enjoy!
Kar For says
Does the texture change if I use 1 or 2% fat milk instead of whole?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I recommend using whole milk, but other readers have successfully used 2% or heavy cream.
Gary McIntyre says
I doubled the recipe and cooked it for about 20 minutes longer, slightly higher temp. But I found that the sugar really detracts from the taste. Omit it entirely or greatly reduce it since the corn has quite a bit of inherent sugar.
Lee says
This was a crowd favorite. To make it gluten free, I used corn starch instead of flour. Next time, I would cut down a bit on the butter but it was a hit.
Crystal Catherwood says
just made this as a new side for Christmas. It was aweful!! Made it with everything that was called for and nothing added and it was water logged and soupy not with creamed corn "soupy ness" either it was watered down and gross. We even cooked it at 400 for 25min longer and it was no better.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Crystal! Did you drain the whole kernel corn? Also, what type of baking dish did you use? As I mentioned in the post, a shallow, flat dish seems to work best — I use an 8"x8" Pyrex dish when I'm making a single batch.
Nancy Smith says
I made this corn casserole for dinner and it was very soupy, not consistent at all. What did I do wrong?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Nancy! Did you drain the whole kernel corn? Just checking because it's a common mistake. The mixture will be soupy before cooking. It sounds like it just needed to cook longer. Some things that can affect the cooking time are doubling the recipe and/or using a baking dish that's deeper. It should be set in the center and caramelized on top like in the photos when it's done cooking.
Emily says
I just finished putting this together and its VERY liquid-y...im worried its going to be soup instead of casserole! Any chance i'm doing this wrong?!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
It will be somewhat liquid when it's mixed. You did drain the corn, though, right? Just checking!
Stefanie says
I make something very similar. I use jiffy cornbread mix and sour cream with the corn cans and butter. I think it makes it a bit heartier. I'd love to try your recipe!
Tammy says
This is virtually the recipe I have used for the past 30 years. The only other thing that I did was top it with cooked bacon before I put it in the oven. You can also use half n half instead of milk, but Always use real butter, and if using salted butter, don't add the extra salt.
susan says
I'm baking this right now and looks wonderful. Question: my oven seems to take longer than the hour and 15 min. to bake so I'm checking every 10 min.
What am I looking for? A brown crust on top? Slight browning?
Thanks
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
It won't get uniformly brown across the top. Look for browning around the edges and brown patches spattered across the top, as in the photo where my daughter is holding the casserole. Enjoy!
susan says
Thanks. It seemed to take an extra 40 min. At first it was very undone in the center--jiggly. I allowed it to set some more but still remain soft. Hope that was correct.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Yes, that sounds perfect! One thing I've noticed is the type of baking dish can affect the cook time — deeper dishes take longer to fully cook in the center.
susan says
Thank you for all your quick replies, Tara!
Pam says
This is the closest recipe to my corn pie. I don't add butter and I beat my eggs before adding them to the dish. Also a splash of vanilla essence. Every party I go to I know I will be asked to make this.
arlene says
I have to agree with Lady Ana, would not recommend, I too went back to see if I missed anything on the recipe also. It was rather mushy.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
As this is considered a custard, it will have more of a "mushy" texture. If you're looking for a casserole with more of a cornbread consistency, I'd recommend searching for one of the recipes that include Jiffy Mix.
LadyAna says
Didn't care for this recipe. It just tasted like overly sweet baked corn mush. I couldn't even taste the other ingredients! I kept looking at the instructions to see if I messed up, but I didn't. I do not recommend it.
Julie says
Made this last night following your directions exactly except at the end added a box of Jiffy cornbread mix ~ whole new level of deliciousness! Same cooking time ~ fyi...try it!
Debby says
Almost exactly like my southern grandmother's!!! Take it to all the church covered dish dinners!!! A crowd favorite and soooooo easy!!!
Pauline Lee says
Everyone loved this thanks