Creamy Jalapeno Corn Casserole Recipe (Easy Vegetable Side Dish)

We always need a good vegetable side dish in our recipe back pocket.

One we’ll be proud to take to the potluck or barbecue.

Oh, and one that’s easy.

Most people generally like corn, but unless it comes on the cob dripping in butter, it’s kind of blah.

This cheese corn casserole is anything but boring. How can you go wrong with the zing of sharp cheddar? A little zang of spice? And the luscious richness of cream cheese?

And this cheesy corn casserole is not only a great side dish for Mexican and summer meals, it’ll bring raves anytime. Because with frozen corn you can make it all year long.

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• 2 16 oz. packages frozen whole kernel corn (32 oz. or about 6 cups)
• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, cubed and softened to room temperature
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut up (half a stick)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh jalapenos
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (optional)

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

• Add the cubed cream cheese, butter, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a saucepan and melt over medium heat, stirring often. Don’t try to get all the cream cheese lumps out – just melt until it makes a sauce that’s easily stirred into the corn mixture.

• Add frozen corn, chopped jalapenos, chopped red bell pepper, and half of the shredded cheddar cheese (1 cup) to a large bowl.

The red bell pepper is optional – I wanted to make this dish even more colorful for Cinco de Mayo. It does change the flavor a little but we like the flavor of bell peppers so it’s okay in our kitchen.

• Pour the cream cheese mixture into the bowl and stir to combine.

• Transfer to a 9×13 casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top.

• Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

You’ll know it’s done when the middle is warm. Simply check the center to make sure it’s warmed all the way through. The frozen corn speeds up the prep time, but it does take a little longer to cook.

• If your corn is thawed, cut back the baking time to 20 minutes.
• If you use a smaller baking dish like I did here, it will take a few minutes longer to get warm in the middle.

Canned corn. Feel free to substitute can corn for another easy shortcut. For this type of corn, drain approximately 6 cups of corn and reduce the baking time to 20 minutes.

Fresh corn. For extra special flavor, cut 6 cups of corn off the cob. If already cooked, lower the baking time to 20 minutes. If still raw, cover the dish with foil and up the baking time to 45-60 minutes.

Make it milder. Omit the jalapeno peppers and substitute a can of chopped green chiles. Or make it with no spice by using 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper.

Make it spicier. Increase the amount of chopped jalapenos or include some of the pith or seeds. Or add a dash of ground red pepper to the bowl when mixing.

Make it richer. Any kind of milk will work in this recipe, but using heavy cream will make the cream cheese sauce even more decadent.

Make it in a slow cooker. To put it together extra quick, add all of the ingredients (except for the extra cheese topping) to a crockpot, stir to combine, and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Stir the mixture often to prevent burning. You can sprinkle the extra cheese on top when it’s done.

The ingredients in this recipe should be gluten-free. But if you need to be sensitive to this issue, double check your specific ingredients and brands for trace amounts of gluten.

With rich yumminess comes calories. But don’t use low-fat or no-fat cream cheese or cheddar cheese in this recipe or it will change the creamy texture.

This dish can be assembled ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days until you’re ready to bake. Not to be confused with Jiffy mix traditional corn casserole which freezes beautifully, freezing is not recommended for this dish because it will change the consistency of the cream cheese sauce.

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Pop the leftovers by the serving into the microwave for 30-40 seconds to warm and bring back the melty goodness.

I love that this cheesy jalapeno corn casserole qualifies as a vegetable side dish for when I need to bring a veggie side that non-vegetable lovers won’t turn their noses up at. It makes this new dish the perfect addition to my recipe box.

If you try out this easy recipe and let me know how it turns out in the comments and any tweaks that you made!

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