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!
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
Cream Cheese Corn Casserole (Creamy, Cheesy, Easy to Make!)
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed and at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter, salted OR unsalted
- â…“ 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
Video
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.
I asked my mom to make this for Thanksgiving. I am sooooo looking forward to it! Thanks for sharing!
I hope it was a hit, Kristen! We ate it over Thanksgiving as well, and I enjoyed every last bite of it... 😉 Hope your December is off to a fantastic start!
Hey this looks amazing!!! I'm going to make this thanksgiving but have a quick question. How many jalopenos do you recommend? I was thinking one seeded and finely chopped but didn't want the dish to be too hot to enjoy on my first try. Thanks for your help and a fabulous recipe! Happy thanksgiving!
Hi Hunter! That's a great question, but I don't know if I can give you a definitive answer since everyone has a different tolerance for heat, and since jalapeños can vary in how hot they are. 😉 But I would think that if you remove all seeds and membranes from a small jalapeño and finely dice it, it should be the right amount to add a little kick without being overly spicy in this recipe. Enjoy and happy (almost) Thanksgiving! 🙂
the more cheese the better ) looks delicious
I totally agree, Heather...there's no such thing as too much cheese! 😉
I made this dish for thanksgiving and now my family begs for it....thanks for the recipe 🙂
Awww...I'm so happy to hear that this recipe has become a family favorite, Christine! I just don't see how anyone could not like it...unless they have an aversion to cream cheese, I suppose. But I don't even understand how that's possible to begin with... 😉 Thanks for stopping by to share your sweet comment! Hope you have a wonderful week!
This looks super delicious. I'm always on the look out for new side dishes to mix things up
Thanks, Krystle! This is one of my family's very favorite side dishes...I hope it's a hit at your house, too!
Holy. Yum. I cannot take my eyes off of that picture, Samantha! It looks ahhhmazing and I am definitely making this!!
And congrats because this was the MOST VIEWED link at our last party the week before Thanksgiving so you will be featured on all THREE of our blogs when the party goes liv tonight at 8PM EST! 🙂
You are so sweet, Claire...thank you for stopping by to let me know! See you in a few minutes at tonight's party...hope you have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Could this be used as an appetizer?
I don't see why not, Lizzyanne! There are plenty of hot dips with cream cheese as a base that are delicious scooped up with tortilla chips. 🙂 Hope it's a hit if you end up serving it as an appetizer!
I was wondering if I could incorporate cornbread mix into this recipe somehow? Either by mixing it in, or adding it to the top. This looks mouthwatering but I am a sucker for the cornbread mix as well. Let me know, thanks!
Hmmm...great question, Heather! I'm not sure of the best way to incorporate cornbread mix into this recipe. There is the more traditional corn casserole recipe that uses corn kernels, creamed corn, sour cream, and cornbread mix (along with a few other ingredients), so maybe you could take softened cream cheese and sub it for part of the sour cream in one of those recipes?
Or, if you wanted to add cornbread batter to the top of this recipe, you could certainly do that. I would just prepare the corn/cream cheese mixture according to this recipe and pour it in the baking dish, then fix the cornbread mix according to package directions and spread it on top. I would sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top of the cornbread and then bake the whole thing according to the cornbread mix package directions. I haven't tried doing this, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work! If you try it, please come back and let me know how it turns out!
Yes I've got a few other corn casseroles bookmarked, but I loved this recipe in particular. I'm going to try your latter suggestion, and will let you know how it turns out for sure! Thanks!
Great! I can't wait to hear...but I bet it will be tasty. 🙂
Ooh.. these look like a lovely side dish for Christmas dinner. Thanks for sharing!
You're so welcome, Theresa! I hope it's a hit at Christmas dinner! 🙂
I have been looking for a corn side dish for Thanksgiving and this is precisely what I had in mind! I'm definitely going to try it with bacon. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I'm so glad you found what you were looking for, Sarah! I can't wait to try this recipe with bacon sometime. Hope you enjoy it...Happy Thanksgiving!
This looks delicious! I definitely plan to add some spicy jalapenos when I make it;)
I agree, Ginnie...the jalapenos are a very nice accent to the cream cheese! I usually always include them and I think they add more flavor than spice. Hope you enjoy this when you make it...thanks for stopping by! 🙂
My mouth is watering! I make a similar dish, but without the cheese and jalapenos...that's going to change! =) Thanks a million for sharing this creamy, dreamy dish at Weekend Potluck. Your recipes/photos are definitely eye catchers!
Thanks so much for the kind words! I think you'll enjoy this with the cheddar and jalapenos. I could seriously eat the whole dish! 😉 I appreciate you stopping by, and I hope you have a great weekend and a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Oh my, my, my. This sounds so wonderfully fabulous! Can't wait to try it!
Thanks so much, Emily...I think (and hope) you'll love it! I'm glad you stopped by...hope you have a great weekend!
looks so good Samantha! I pinned this right away!
Thank you for that, Shamene! It is totally addictive...I'm afraid I could eat the whole dish by myself in one sitting. Enjoy! 🙂
I LOVE cream cheese!! It makes every recipe better, if you ask me. I also love the addition of the jalapenos. This is a fun side dish for Thanksgiving!! Thank you for linking up to Wake Up Wednesdays! I'll be sharing this recipe on Facebook and Pinterest.
Thank you so much, Meghan! I think that cream cheese and jalapenos were made for one another, and the corn fits in just perfectly. 🙂 I really appreciate the pin and FB share...you are too sweet! Hope you're having a great week... 🙂
A little bit of Worcestershire sauce makes a good kick for it. We added sausage cooked with it to the finished dish and made a meal out of it
Sounds delicious, Emily...thanks for sharing!
We add a little sauted onions to this..
that sounds like a terrific side dish!
It is pretty darn tasty, Heather...thanks!
I do absolutely love cream cheese! I also love corn and so do my children. We always have a huge bag of corn in the freezer and this dish would be one of the easiest things for them to gobble up.
It sounds perfect for your family, Marie...it hope it's a hit! I personally don't think you can go wrong with cream cheese... 😉
Try shoe peg frozen corn! So delicious
That does sound tasty, Georgette! Thanks for the tip. 🙂
You made this for us when our sweet boy was born, and it has been a family favorite ever since!!! It is on our table every Thanksgiving and Christmas--and more often than not it happens on our table during the rest of the year as well. 😉
Awww...thank you, Jenn! Glad you enjoyed it then...and that y'all still enjoy it now! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you for another mouthwatering recipe! This looks amazing!!
Thanks, Brenda! I hope you enjoy it if you end up trying it! Have a great week... 🙂
This is a great meal when adding not pickled jalapenos but real they give it a kick great recipe Merry Christmas .