Cream Cheese Corn Casserole (Creamy, Cheesy, Easy to Make!)
Cream Cheese Corn Casserole is a decadent, comforting side dish featuring sweet corn mixed with cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and (optional) diced jalapeños. It’s the only corn casserole recipe you’ll need!
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If you're a fan of corn casseroles, you'll also enjoy ULTIMATE Cornbread Casserole, Easy Creamed Corn with Parm, and Scalloped Corn!
Do you love cream cheese as much as I do? Are you always on the hunt for amazing holiday side dish ideas? Well, today I'm sharing one of my very favorite ways to eat corn...Cream Cheese Corn Casserole! My mother-in-law gave me this recipe years ago, and it was love at first bite. Seriously, hand me this dish and a spoon and I'm perfectly content.
This cream cheese corn finds its way onto my holiday table every year. Multiple times per year, in fact...for every holiday. 🙂 I also typically make it as a side dish when I take a meal to another family, whether someone is ill or they just welcomed a new baby. It's always a hit, and I'm always asked for the recipe.
Ingredients
The ingredients to make Cream Cheese Corn Casserole are simple and few. In fact, they're probably already in your kitchen!
- Cream cheese. The obligatory ingredient in cream cheese corn. 🙂
- Butter. Unsalted or salted will work fine.
- Milk. To help transform the cream cheese and butter into a creamy, silky sauce.
- Salt + pepper. For seasoning. Sometimes I also stir in a spoonful of sugar if I want to boost the sweetness of my corn.
- Corn. I always use frozen and thawed sweet corn in this corn casserole recipe. I find that frozen corn combines convenience with fresh flavor and texture. That being said, you could certainly use fresh roasted corn if you have it, or you could sub drained cans of corn instead.
- Pickled jalapeños. Minced. Optional but recommended if you enjoy a little kick in your corn casserole.
- Cheddar cheese. Shredded. Because the only thing better than a creamy corn casserole is a cheesy corn casserole!
How to Make Corn Casserole with Cream Cheese
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
This Cream Cheese Corn Casserole is embarrassingly easy to make. Like, it almost shouldn't count as a recipe.
Yes, one of my favorite things about this dish -- aside from how delicious it is -- is how quick it is to throw together. The whole shebang is ready in no time. Ready for the oh-so-complicated steps?
- Melt together the cream cheese and butter. Stir to combine.
- Stir in milk until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add salt, pepper, and thawed/drained corn.
- Add minced jalapeños, if using.
- Stir all ingredients until well-combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and smooth the top.
- Top with shredded cheese.
- Bake until golden and bubbly.
Your cream cheese corn is DONE! Enjoy!
Variations
As mentioned before, you can add some finely minced, pickled jalapeños to this cream cheese corn for a bit more flavor and to break up the richness. But there are no jalapeños in many of these photos, you might be thinking to your ever-observant self. Well, the original pictures in this post actually depict a dish of Cream Cheese Corn Casserole that I made (many years ago) for my son's Thanksgiving feast at preschool. And since, in my experience, 3- and 4-year-olds prefer to avoid random green bits floating around in their food, I left out the jalapeños that time. 😉
I usually do include jalapeños, though. By using the mild variety, they're not even spicy. But if you like a little heat, feel free to add some diced hot jalapeños.
Alternatively, if you enjoy green chiles, stirring in a 7 ounce can of diced green chiles would also lend flavor to this creamy corn casserole without too much spice.
Rotel (diced tomatoes + green chiles) would work, too, for some extra color and flavor.
And guess what else would be good atop (or stirred into) a corn casserole with cream cheese? Crispy, crumbled bacon! You know...because cream cheese corn isn't already decadent enough. 😉 I haven't actually made this recipe with bacon yet, but lots of folks in the comment section have and it's on my to-try list!
My point here? This is your corn casserole, so jazz it up as you see fit. Or leave it plain if you prefer your cream cheese corn pure and unadulterated.
Make-Ahead Option
The Cream Cheese Corn Casserole is a popular side dish for holidays, from Easter to Thanksgiving to Christmas. And when you have multiple dishes to make for a holiday spread, it's nice to be able to prepare certain components ahead of time.
Luckily, you can assemble this corn casserole recipe up to a few days before your big meal.
- Simply spread the cream/cheese corn mixture into a casserole dish and top with cheese as directed.
- Then once it's cool enough, tightly cover the dish and pop it in the fridge.
- When you're ready to bake it off, allow the dish to come to room temperature and preheat the oven.
- Bake (uncovered) as directed, adding 5 to 10 additional minutes of baking time if necessary to achieve hot and bubbly status!
Slow Cooker Option
To save on oven space, this corn casserole with cream cheese can also be modified for a crock pot.
In fact, to make your life easier, I've already adapted the recipe to the slow cooker!
You can find it HERE >>> Slow Cooker Creamy Cheesy Corn.
I'm telling you, folks...you must make this creamy, cheesy corn casserole! It just might top green bean casserole as the most popular veggie side dish on your table next T-Day.
If you're a fan of cream cheese, it will make you positively swoon. It's a bit rich to go on the everyday dinner menu at our house, but I love making it for holidays and special occasions! And I also think it's a really nice side dish for pampering another family when I want to help them out with a meal.
Cream Cheese Corn Casserole is simple, it's yummy, it's a family favorite around here...and I hope it will become a favorite of your family, too!
More Holiday Recipes
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
- Holiday Honeycrisp Salad
- Make-Ahead Garlic & Herb Mashed Potatoes
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Green Bean Bundles with Bacon + Brown Sugar Glaze
- Cornish Hens with Citrus Glaze
- The BEST Crockpot Ham
- Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy
- Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
- Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
Cream Cheese Corn Casserole (Creamy, Cheesy, Easy to Make!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed and at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter, salted OR unsalted
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (18-ounce) bag frozen sweet corn, thawed
- Diced pickled jalapeños, to taste (OPTIONAL)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium pot set over low heat, melt cream cheese and butter. Stir in milk until mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in salt, pepper, corn, and (if using) jalapeños.
- Pour corn mixture into an 8- by 8-inch square (or 2-quart) baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheddar. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
Equipment Needed
- Medium Pot (2-quart) I recommend this one!
Notes
- An 18 ounce bag of frozen corn is equivalent to approximately 4 cups of corn, once you measure it out. You could also substitute two 15-ounce cans of corn (drained) in this recipe, which equal about 4 cups as well. That being said, I highly recommend using frozen corn instead of canned for better flavor in this recipe.
- The melted butter and cream cheese may seem lumpy as you try to stir them together, but once you stir in the milk, the mixture should become smooth.
Nutrition
Post originally published on November 18, 2013, and updated on April 1, 2019, October 25, 2020, November 28, 2020, and October 19, 2023.
My family (especially my husband) loved this casserole at our Thanksgiving dinner. I used about 2 TBS of mild green chilies, instead of the optional pickled jalapeños. I will be adding this recipe to my vegetable line up for other family dinners. Thanks for a wonderful taste treat.
How much jalapenos should you use to not make it spicy but have good flavor? I want to make this for a potluck so I'll need to double up and use a 9 x13 baking dish.
Hi Amber! It's rather difficult to gauge that...it depends on how spicy your jar of jalapeños is and the heat threshold of the people who will be eating it! Honestly, I would just dice up some jalapeños, taste the mixture, and continue adding more diced jalapeños until it tastes right to you.
Sorry I can't be more specific...spicy is just so subjective to different people. 🙂
I've made this several times already and my husband and I just love it. This version of the recipe is perfect as is, yet an excellent base for additional additions. At different times I've added caramelized onion, tame jalapeños, more corn, and more or different cheese on top, including pepper jack. Making it for my sister tonight.
I actually didn't get to taste it. I sent it to a function and it came home empty. I have never had that happen before! 5 stars just for that!
Sounds delicious... can this be doubled for a 9x13 pan?
Yes! 🙂
This was soooo good! I made it with vegan cream cheese, oat milk and vegan shredded cheese. I also added the jalapeños, and some garlic and onion powder. Wow! I will definitely be keeping this one in the rotation. I could literally just have eaten this for dinner with a salad. It was delicious! Thanks for an amazing recipe!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it for so many different occasions and it has been a hit every single time!
I have been making this recipe for years. I add in a can or two of diced green chilies and it's perfect! I bring it to every one of my family's holiday feasts. It's everyone's favorite side dish! Including mine! YUM!
Made this for a family birthday gathering with Rotel added. Everyone loved it and it was a hit! Cooked in the Breville oven and it was cooked perfectly too.
I know this is meant to be a side dish but I could eat it for lunch! It is so, so good. I left out the jalapenos this time but next time I'm going to try adding them.
Absolutely delicious. I make it every holiday and it's a favorite. Easy to make too. Great recipe!
This corn casserole has become a favorite side dish in my house! It's super easy to make and so creamy.
Can this be made ahead and frozen? Planning for a big beach trip 🙂
Hi Tonya! I typically avoid freezing cream cheese-based recipes because the cream cheese can change texture in an unpleasant way upon thawing. However, you can prep/assemble this recipe up to a week ahead of time, cover, and refrigerate. Then simply bake as directed when you're ready to serve. Hope that helps!
Made w=this with fresh corn of the cob and it was AMAZING!!! I took it to a pot luck and it disappeared in minutes.
Made this for a 4th of July party and it was very easy and tasteful! Fantastic for adults and kids. For the first time I made it as is, except for the jalapeños, next time I will add some to see how it goes.