Corn Pudding Recipe

Corn pudding is one of my favorite side dishes, reserved for special occasions like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. It’s the ultimate Southern comfort food and can always be found at any Southern Thanksgiving table, it’s just not Thanksgiving without it.

At our house when there’s just the four of us, we each get to pick a side for Thanksgiving, and mine is always corn pudding. So for dinner, I experimented with a new corn pudding recipe with cornbread and boy was it a hit. I’ve made it several times since and everyone begs for the left-overs.

What makes this different from traditional homemade corn pudding is toasting cubes of cornbread first and adding them to your mixture of cream, eggs and corn. It’s a cross between bread pudding and corn pudding.

I love it so much that I make it throughout the year, not just at Thanksgiving. Try serving it with braised short ribs or pork marsala to change things up.

Why you’ll love corn pudding

• Corn pudding is a Southern classic for good reason
• It’s important to have a comfort food that will compliment your traditional ham or turkey and this dish fits the criteria
• The recipe makes a large portion which is great if you’re feeding a crowd and it freezes and reheats without affecting the texture.
• If you enjoy making cornbread for your family, you can make a double batch. Enjoy one to go along with a bowl of chili and then freeze the second until you’re ready to make this side dish recipe.

What you’ll need

• Cornbread – I generally buy it pre-made from the grocery but you can make your own. My favorite is Browned Butter Cornbread, just leave out the corn. Have it prepared and cooled. You will need 6 cups.
• Corn – fresh is best but if you don’t have it available, which I don’t in November, frozen will work
• Cheese – cheddar and parmesan cheese are the perfect finishing touches to this dish
• Pantry staples – cream, milk, butter, eggs, and sugar.

Now you can see why it is so delicious!

I use pre-made cornbread from Fresh Market or Whole Foods to save some time in putting mine together.

How do you make this corn pudding recipe

Step 1

Cut the prepared cornbread into cubes and toast them in the oven for about 20 minutes until all sides are golden brown.

Step 2:

Sauté the corn in a skillet until tender, about 5 minutes.

Step 3:

Whisk together cream, milk, eggs and sugar.

Step 4:

Combine the toasted cornbread and cooked corn in a casserole dish and pour the custard over the cornbread mixture and if you want, you can top with grated cheese. I like it both ways. Sometimes I go half and half to please my non cheese lovers.

Step 5:

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the custard is set and the top is golden.

You still get the custard you expect from creamy corn pudding but with a flavor boost from the toasted cornbread.

Of course you shouldn’t save this just for Thanksgiving, it’s a great side to serve for any gathering. Try serving it with Steak Marsala, or with Mustard Drumsticks with Peach Glaze. It’s also great with Slow Cooker Ribs or Carnitas.

FAQs and tips

What can you use in place of fresh corn?

Frozen corn will work just as well. Don’t use canned corn or creamed corn.

Can you make this ahead of time?

You can assemble this a few hours before baking, but if you assemble it the night before the cornbread will become mush. To reduce the amount of steps, toast the cornbread the day ahead of time and just assemble before baking.

Does corn pudding need to be served right away?

Corn pudding does not need to be served piping hot, it should sit for a few minutes before serving and is delicious warm.

Can you freeze corn pudding?

You might be surprised to know that you can freeze corn pudding after it has baked and reheat covered with aluminum foil in the oven.

What to serve for Thanksgiving with corn pudding

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Broccoli Salad

Homemade Dinner Rolls

Apple Blackberry Crumble