Baked Cheesy Corn Casserole

This cheesy baked corn casserole is the perfect side dish for your holiday table! It’s loaded with cheesy, creamy corn and topped with crispy Ritz crackers and the best part is you can use frozen corn!

 

You Will Love This

• If you’re looking for a simple side dish recipe that takes just minutes to throw together, you are going to love this cheesy baked corn casserole! It comes together with simple, pantry staple ingredients and the ease of frozen corn! It’s the perfect holiday side dish or quick weeknight addition to your main course.
• If you loved this cheesy corn recipe, make sure you check out my Easy Greek Bean Casserole, my Broccoli Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes, or my Baked Cheesy Potato Casserole.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Butter – For the best flavor and texture, I prefer to use butter for this cheesy baked corn. I like to use unsalted butter so that I can season it to taste myself.
• Frozen Corn – You could also use canned corn if you don’t have any frozen corn on hand. We usually have some frozen corn in the freezer just in case I get a hankering for this corn casserole or my Street Corn Pasta Salad.
• Onion – You can use white or yellow onion – either will taste great!
• Garlic – I like to mince fresh garlic for this recipe, but if you prefer you can use 1/4 of a teaspoon or so in place of the fresh. You could also try a couple teaspoons of garlic paste instead as well.
• Flour – I find that all-purpose flour works best to thicken the cheese sauce for this recipe.
• Whole Milk – You could use half and half if that’s all you’ve got on hand but the sauce will be a bit thicker. Whole milk is your best bet for a creamy corn casserole.
• Sharp White Cheddar – Sharp white cheddar adds a delicious flavor to this cheesy corn casserole. Feel free to use sharp cheddar, Fontina, Havarti, or Monterey Jack in its place if you’d like.
• Ritz Crackers – The crispy crackers on top are going add a delicious variety of texture that compliments the creamy cheese sauce and the perfectly tender corn kernels.

Instructions

Sauté onions and garlic in butter. Add flour.

Cook for a minute.

Slowly stir in whole milk until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Add shredded cheese and stir until melted.

Stir in frozen corn.

Mix to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish.

Cover with remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered, then add crushed crackers and bake for a few more minutes.

Broil until the crackers get dark golden brown. 

Let cool just a few minutes, garnish with chives, and then dig in and enjoy!

Make Ahead Instructions

This cheesy baked corn casserole is the perfect make-ahead side dish and it can be prepped up to 3 days in advance!

• Follw recipe instructions, including topping the casserole with cheese, but before baking, cover the casserole tightly with foil and pop it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• About an hour before baking, remove casserole from the fridge and let it sit on the counter to come to room temperature.
• Bake as directed, adding an extra 10 minutes or more to the baking time. Because it was refrigerated, it will take a bit longer to warm through entirely.
• To check and see if it’s warm in the middle, stick a butter knife in the center of the casserole, then carefully feel the knife. If it’s warm or hot, the casserole is warmed through all the way to the center, if not bake it for a bit longer.
• Add Ritz crackers and give it the final bake along with a couple minutes of broiling to brown the crackers if desired.

Crockpot Instructions

This cheesy corn casserole cooks up great in the crockpot too, which will free up some valuable oven space if you’re working on a holiday feast!

• I’d recommend using a smaller size crockpot unless you’re planning to double the recipe.
• Follow the recipe instructions as directed and then instead of baking the casserole, transfer it to the crockpot insert and cook on high for 1-2 hours or on low for 2-3 hours.
• Everything is already cooked in the casserole, so you’re basically just warming it through.
• If making in the crockpot, I recommend waiting until just before serving to add the crushed Ritz crackers or they will get soggy.

Tips

• This makes a small batch of corn casserole, about an 8×8 baking dish. If you’re looking for a 9×13 pan of corn casserole, just double the recipe! You may need to bake for just a few extra minutes to ensure that it’s heated through.
• If your family doesn’t like onions, try dicing them super fine and they’ll blend right in with the cheese sauce! You’ll still get all the flavor without the diced onion texture.

FAQ

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