Southern Cheesy Corn Casserole (No Jiffy Mix!)

Southern cheesy corn casserole is a homemade, oven-baked classic that’s simple to prepare—no Jiffy box mix needed! Made with shredded cheddar cheese, canned corn, and canned cream corn, it boasts a hint of sweetness from a touch of sugar. Baked at 350°F for an hour, this comforting dish is ideal for the holidays or any Southern-style dinner party. Yields enough for 8-10 people.

My sweet husband and his obsession with this dish

Fun fact - my husband LOVES corn. And I do not. He jokes it is his favorite veggie (knowing technically it's not a veggie....).

My father-in-law makes a cheesy cream corn casserole every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And my non-corn-loving heart admits that it is delicious and one of my favorite side dishes every year.

But here is my thing about homemade casserole recipes or casserole recipes in general: I love the idea of a casserole. I love the thought of basically dumpling everything into a 9x13 dish and tossing it in the oven to bake, yielding a comforting all-in-one dish without a ton of work and dishes—kind of like the crock pot.

But so many casserole recipes are full of can of this and cream of this and so many processed ingredients that I just cannot. No offense to casserole recipes in the wild but I want something that has no processed ingredients in it, and that you don't have 1 millions steps involved. Kinda like Southern cornbread and biscuit dressing, oven baked easy ground beef enchilada casserole, orbaked chicken pot pie casserole. So now you know my rules for casseroles.

So I took one of Justin's favorites and have been making corn casserole without jiffy for the past several years (at our house). And it's a huge hit! You mix everything together in one bowl - use simple ingredients like cornmeal, a combo of canned corn kernels and canned cream corn, sour cream, butter, nutmeg, and shredded cheese from a block of cheddar. Bake it in a 9x13 for an hour and the result is a corn casserole that is cheesy, comforting, and perfect for any holiday table.

Let me show you how easy it is!

Welcome to my real kitchen...lets cook!

⭐️Pro Tip ⭐️ - I don't like using the bag of pre-shredded cheese for this. It is much better to just take the extra 2 minutes and grate your own from a cheddar block - IMO it results in a better melt and taste all around.

How to Prep Ahead of Time

Making as much as you can ahead of time is the name of the game around the holidays. Good thing this corn casserole can be made weeks or even months in advance and waiting for Thanksgiving to arrive.

How to Prep the Day Before:

1. Make the casserole completely up until baking. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight or for 24 hours - leaving the cheese off the top until baked half way through.
2. Bake as directed.

How to Prep Ahead and Freeze:

1. Follow the directions all the way up until putting in the oven. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap 3 times making sure it is airtight (make sure to label what it is on the outside!) Place in the freezer for up to 6 months or until needed.
2. To cook from frozen you can either: Place in the fridge 24 hours before to begin to thaw and cook as directed below OR place straight into the oven from the freezer baking for 70-90 minutes. Add the cheese on top half way through like the recipe states.

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