The perfect side dish for Thanksgiving is not a classic green bean casserole, nor is it a crock of ultra-creamy mashed potatoes. For me, Thanksgiving’s not Thanksgiving without this cheesy corn casserole recipe. Is it fancy? Nope. Is it comfort food you’ll want to reheat the next day and eat straight from the Pyrex? Absolutely. And it doesn’t require much prep time—or a box of regionally available cornbread mix—to put together.
Dubbed “that creamy, cheesy corn thing” by those in the know, this easy recipe starts with canned corn, making it decidedly simple to put together (you don’t even need a mixing bowl). Avoid cans labeled “creamed corn” or “cream-style corn”—you’re looking for plain canned sweet corn kernels. Heated with cream cheese, cheddar, and Parmesan (plus diced green chiles and garlic), the kernels add sweetness and pops of texture to the creamy, melty dish. You can assemble the corn casserole a few days ahead; top it with the breadcrumbs and more cheese before popping it in the oven for 15 minutes to warm up—just enough time to carve the turkey. It’s so make-ahead friendly, in fact, you can cook it all the way through and cart it along to a potluck since it’s even great at room temperature.
My “creamy, cheesy corn thing” isn’t the only corn casserole out there. If you’re in it for the version on the back of a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, which one BA staffer thought was a treasured family secret, we’ve got the deets on that too. (Spoiler alert: Hers has a ton of extra melted butter.) We also have a hominy-bolstered corn pudding enriched with sour cream and laced with poblano chiles and Cotija cheese, and a creamed corn soufflé made with grated ears of fresh corn. All this to say: Options abound. Still, I keep coming back to this, IMHO, perfectly cheesy corn casserole.