Corn casserole with cream cheese is an incredibly delicious and creamy side dish that everyone will love! This simple yet flavorful casserole dish makes for the perfect side dish to any main course. With its sweet and savory taste and crunchy and creamy texture, this dish is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ultimate comfort food. The combination of corn and cream cheese creates a rich and creamy flavor that makes for a comforting side dish. The cream cheese adds a tangy, slightly sweet taste to the dish, which complements the natural sweetness of the corn. Check out this microwave corn on the cob too!
- It’s super easy to make. All you need is some canned or frozen corn, cream cheese, butter, and a few other simple ingredients. This makes it a popular dinner idea for busy weeknights or potluck gatherings.
- Makes for a great side dish. Whether it’s a family dinner or a big holiday meal (like a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner), this corn casserole with cream cheese is sure to be a hit!
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make corn casserole with cream cheese, you’ll need corn, cream cheese, butter, milk, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, hatch green chiles, salt, black pepper, and fresh chives.
Notes and Variations
- Corn. Whether you choose fresh, canned, or frozen corn for this dish — the choice is yours! During the summer, I prefer to use fresh corn. But rest of the year, I use either frozen or canned corn. They all taste just as good!
- Spicy variation. To infuse some heat into your dish, consider adding jalapeño peppers or green chilies for a flavor-packed kick.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter for this recipe.
- Cheddar cheese. If you don’t have cheddar cheese on hand, you can substitute it with pepper jack cheese. You can also add sour cream in addition to cream cheese for a more amplified flavor profile.
- Milk. For this recipe, I opted for whole milk but you’re free to substitute it with low-fat milk, plant-based milk, or any other type of your choice.
- Make it vegan. To make this vegan, use dairy-free butter and cheese!
- Add some texture. You can add some chopped green or red peppers, some bread crumbs as a topping, or fried onions when you serve to add texture.
📖 Make corn casserole with cream cheese
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with butter. In a large saucepan, combine cream cheese, butter, and milk. Stir the mixture over medium heat until it melts and becomes smooth.
Take the saucepan off the heat, and add corn, cheddar, and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, hatch green chiles, salt, and pepper to this creamy sauce. Stir everything together until well combined.
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
Cover the dish with foil and bake it for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Once done, sprinkle fresh chives and serve the dish immediately!
👩🏽🍳 Tips for the best corn casserole!
To make this easy cream cheese corn casserole recipe, keep these tips in mind:
- Use quality cream cheese. Cream cheese is what makes this dish so creamy and delicious. Use full-fat cream cheese and make sure it’s at room temperature before using it.
- Incorporate the ingredients well. Make sure to fully combine the ingredients with each other for a fuller flavor all throughout. Stir well to ensure no lumps.
- Season it well. Corn casserole can be quite bland if not seasoned properly. Be sure to include salt, pepper, but don’t be afraid to try other seasonings (e.g., Italian season, red pepper flakes etc.) to enhance flavors. You can even top it with potato chips (like in this creamy cheese corn casserole)
- Bake it to perfection. Make sure to bake the casserole until it’s golden brown and the edges are crispy. Test it with a toothpick inserted into the center to ensure it’s cooked through.
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
You can use either canned or fresh corn. If you’re in a pinch and need to whip up this casserole quickly, then canned corn is the way to go! However, if you have more time on your hands and want to make this dish extra special, then reach for the freshest sweet corn you can find.
The best way to store it is to cool the casserole completely before putting it in an airtight container. If you don’t have an airtight container, then wrap the dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil to keep out moisture and odors. This will last 2-3 days inside the fridge.
You can definitely make this recipe in a slow cooker. Simply toss all of the ingredients in the crockpot and heat it on low for three to four hours until it simmers.
🍴 Serve and store corn casserole with cream cheese
Make ahead: The best part is that you can make this dish ahead of time and store it for later, making meal prep a breeze. Just cover it tightly with foil or plastic wrap before storing. When ready to serve, allow it to come to room temperature and follow the baking instructions in the recipe.
Store: Let the casserole dish cool to room temperature completely before placing it in an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Freeze: This casserole dish can also be frozen. Simply place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to two months. I like portioning them and freezing individual portions so that it’s easier to reheat later, but this is optional. These containers are great for portioning and freezing! To thaw, transfer it to the refrigerator and leave it overnight or place it for a few hours on the counter.
Reheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Make sure your casserole dish is oven-safe. Take the corn casserole out of the refrigerator and remove any cover or wrapping. Reheat the corn casserole for about 15-20 minutes or until it is heated through. The exact time may vary depending on the size and thickness of the casserole. You can garnish it with fresh herbs or grated cheese.
- If the casserole seems dry, you can add a splash of milk or cream to moisten it before reheating. Mix it gently to distribute the moisture evenly.
- Keep an eye on the casserole while reheating to avoid overcooking or drying it out. If you notice the top browning too quickly, you can cover it loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.
🍴 More casserole recipes
For more great casseroles for your holiday table, try out these delicious recipes!
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Corn Casserole with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons milk, substitute almond milk to make it vegan
- 3 cups corn, frozen or canned
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, divided and shredded
- 2 ounces hatch green chiles, diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- fresh chives, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with butter.
- In a large saucepan, combine cream cheese, butter, and milk. Stir the mixture over medium heat until it melts and becomes smooth.
- Take the saucepan off the heat, and add corn, cheddar and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, hatch green chiles, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake it for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes to brown the cheese.
- Once done, sprinkle fresh chives and serve the dish immediately.
Notes
- You can use either fresh, canned, or frozen corn kernels for this recipe. If using canned corn, drain and rinse it before adding to the casserole.
- Experiment with different flavors of cream cheese, such as garlic and herb, jalapeño, or onion. It adds an extra dimension of taste to the casserole.
- For added texture and crunch, consider mixing in ingredients like chopped bell peppers, diced onions, or even crumbled bacon. These additions can elevate the overall taste and provide a pleasant contrast.
- Adjust the level of spiciness by adding chopped jalapenos or a dash of cayenne pepper if you prefer a kick of heat. Alternatively, you can omit the spicy ingredients for a milder version.
- This casserole can be prepared in advance and refrigerated overnight. Just cover it tightly with foil or plastic wrap before storing. When ready to serve, allow it to come to room temperature and follow the reheating instructions provided in the previous response.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Will canned green chilies work in this instead of hatch chilies?
Yes, it would!
Hello,
Excited to try this for Thanksgiving so I hope you can reply. If using frozen corn should I thaw it before mixing it with everything?
Hi there – yes, I recommend thawing it before mixing, so the casserole doesn’t become watery and the cream cheese mixture stays smooth! You don’t have to fully dry it, just pat off any excess ice crystals.
Hello
I was wondering do you have to use the pepper
It is optional!
What would the measurements be if I want to make this in a 9 x 13 dish? Also, how long in the oven? Thanks!
I’d do 1.5x all the ingredients! Cover with foil and bake for ~25 minutes instead of 20. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, but it might take 15 minutes to brown the cheese! I’d check after 10 and then add a few more if needed. Hope you love it!
Just took out of oven
Should it be firm?
Hi, not particularly – what do you mean by firm? It definitely holds together since the cheese melts well!
Recipe looks delicious! Just one thing, by substituting almond milk it will not make this recipe Vegan.
This dish was perfect for my friend’s potluck as there were people that wanted vegetarian options. Everyone raved about it…. I came home with a clean dish! I will try to make it again next time but with some herb cream cheese.
Our neighbors gave us a TON of fresh sweet corn and this was a great way to put it to use! We had it with barbecued chicken sandwiches and it was the perfect addition – so creamy and yummy!