This Cornbread Casserole is a sweet and savory spoonable cornbread that is packed with fresh corn. The creamy texture is the perfect addition to your holiday dinner table! It’s a staple at our Thanksgiving meal and any time we want a delicious side dish that feels special.

Creamy, Savory Cornbread Casserole

We absolutely love this buttery cornbread casserole. It is perfectly sweet and savory- and the texture is like a cross between cornbread and souffle. The dish bakes up moist and and studded with sweet corn. It is a staple Thanksgiving side dish at our house! But because it’s a crowd-pleaser, and so easy to whip up- we make it all year round. It’s a great potluck dish, or simply anytime you want a really good side dish.

I’ve heard it referred to as corn pudding, but I think that name is a little misleading. There is nothing pudding-ish about this dish. It’s just a moist cornbread that doesn’t exactly hold together like cornbread due to all the fabulous corn kernels stuffed inside. And you can play with the flavor, too! I like the savory addition of sauteed onion and garlic, but you can totally leave that out if you like. Read on for more delicious variations.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make this Cornbread Casserole Recipe:

• Olive Oil– For cooking the onion. You can also use vegetable or avocado oil.
• Onion– We love the savory flavor the onion adds, but you can leave them out. You can also use sliced green onions instead.
• Garlic
• Cornmeal– This recipe calls for cornmeal, not cornbread mix.
• Flour
• Sugar
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Plain Greek Yogurt– You can also use sour cream.
• Butter
• Eggs
• Whole Kernel Corn– We used a can of corn, but you can also use frozen corn or fresh corn cut from the cob.
• Cream Style Corn– Creamed corn adds to the creamy corn pudding consistency of this casserole.
• Chives– For garnish.

How to Make Cornbread Casserole:

1. Saute the onion and garlic. Add olive oil to a small skillet or sauce pan and put over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Combine wet ingredients. To a separate bowl, add the greek yogurt, melted butter, eggs, and corn. Stir well to combine.
4. Mix everything together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
5. Bake. Pour the cornbread batter into a greased baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the casserole is set.
6. Serve. Sprinkle the finished casserole with minced chives and serve.

Tips & Suggestions

Variations

Add cheese. This is optional, but adds a delicious cheesy, gooey flavor and consistency. You’ll want to use about 1 cup of cheese. We like to use shredded cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese, or pepper jack cheese if you want to add some heat.

Add extra veggies. I love to add diced bell peppers to this corn casserole! Just dice a red bell pepper and saute it with the onion and garlic.

To make a Mexican cornbread casserole add a can of green chilies and pepper jack cheese. Bake according to the recipe directions for a yummy side dish. To make it a tasty main dish, cook a pound of ground beef or ground turkey with a packet of taco seasoning. Stir in a can of black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans and a can of rotel tomatoes. Stir together, then spread the ground beef mixture into the baking dish before topping with the cornbread mixture. Bake as directed.

How to make Cornbread Casserole with Jiffy mix

To make this casserole even easier, you can replace the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt) with one 8.5 ounce package of cornbread mix (like Jiffy corn muffin mix).

Why is my cornbread dry?

You want to make sure not to overcook your cornbread casserole! Once the edges get a little brown and the center looks set, it’s ready to pull from the oven. Otherwise, you might end up with a dry casserole.

How do I store and reheat leftover cornbread casserole?

Store leftover cornbread casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For best results, enjoy your leftovers within 4 days. Leftovers can be enjoyed cold, or simply reheat in the microwave.

Serving Suggestions

We already mentioned that it should have a rightful place on your holiday dinner tables. But cornbread casserole is also delicious served with chili, grilled meats, or even made into a main dish casserole by adding a meat, bean, and veggie layer on the bottom!

More Delicious Holiday Side Dish Recipes: