Creamy Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Casserole

This Creamy Jalapeno Corn Casserole is made with cream cheese and cheddar for an ultra rich and indulgent corn side dish. Perfect for potlucks, BBQ's, Cinco de Mayo, or just for serving up on Taco Tuesday! This is an easy side dish with a touch of heat that is sure to satisfy.

Updated on 12/21/2021

Before diving into blogging, and thus having a constant roster of recipes to develop and photograph, I stuck to a pretty regular scheduled meal plan. Taco Tuesday was a common occurrence, and we often served up my skillet fajitas, tacos, or something of the sort. While these are great weeknight meal ideas, they require a little something to round them out!

While rice almost always makes a great side dish, and is easy to prepare, sometimes you want something creamy, cheesy, and totally indulgent. Those times call for this Jalapeno Corn Casserole where cheddar and cream cheese are added for a rich and delicious impact!

Jalapeno Corn Casserole is the Perfect Side Dish!

The best thing about this dish is that a little goes a long way. Since it's so rich and creamy, just a small serving really satisfies. That means you can bring it to a fun potluck or BBQ and know that your guests will all get to try this creamy and cheesy casserole. Although it makes an excellent summer side, it can work for all times of year since frozen corn kernels are always available!

This fits in a standard 9X13 baking dish, but if you want to avoid bring a dish home you can absolutely use a foil pan. I keep a big stack of them in my cupboard, that way they are available if I need to take a meal or if I want to prepare a freezer meal. You can also double or triple the recipe for big events.

Ingredients

• Frozen Whole Kernel Corn: Widely available year round, and a one of the best tasting ways to preserve fresh summer corn.
• Fresh Jalapeno Peppers: Just 2 fresh peppers, seeded and chopped, add a touch of heat to this recipe. You can use green chilies or chopped bell pepper if you prefer it without any added heat.
• Cream Cheese: I like to use the brick cream cheese in this recipe. It melts better and doesn't separate like the tubs of cream cheese do.
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Using cheddar from the block that you shred yourself works best here. Since you're melting the cheese, the anti-caking agents in pre-shredded cheese can interfere and make a grainy end product.
• Butter: When in doubt, add a good chunk of butter!
• Heavy Cream: Adds a nice creaminess and a little more liquid.
• Seasoning: Since there is plenty of salt in the other ingredients, all you need is a little black pepper to taste.

How to Make Jalapeno Corn Casserole

Making the sauce

Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a 9X13 casserole dish.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.

Add the cream cheese cubes and stir until completely smooth and uniform. Be careful, since the butter may splash up on you. Just be gentle and patient.

Add the heavy cream and stir until completely smooth.

Add the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted completely.

Add the corn and the jalapeno peppers to a large bowl and mix to combine.

Putting the casserole together

Add the sauce to the bowl of frozen corn and jalapeno peppers.

Toss well to combine.

Pour the sauce-coated corn and jalapeno peppers into the prepared casserole dish. Spread it out evenly and sprinkle with a little bit of black pepper.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake for 1 hour and serve immediately!

Variations and Substitutions

Slow Cooker: Instead of preparing the cheesy cream cheese sauce on the stovetop, add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on "low" for 3-4 hours, stirring frequently to help combine the ingredients and prevent burning.

Instant Pot: Add the all of the ingredients to a 6qt Instant Pot and set on manual pressure for 4 minutes. When the time is up, set the valve to "venting" and release all of the pressure. Once the pin drops, open the lid and stir the contents of the Instant Pot. If your sauce needs thickening, set the pot to "sauté" and cook until thickened. Be sure to stir often to prevent burning. Alternatively, you can bake it in the oven to create those crispy edges and true casserole feel.

Fresh Corn: If you'd like to use fresh corn, use approximately 6 cups of corn cut from the cob.

Canned Corn: You can also use canned corn. Drain your canned corn, and measure out approximately 6 cups to use in the casserole. Reduce the baking time by 10 minutes.

Gluten Free: This recipe is gluten free as written. Verify your ingredients (like the cream cheese) to ensure they are gluten free, since some brands of processed foods can have trace amounts of gluten or fillers added.

Less Heat: If you have members in the family that like less heat, you can try using 1 can of chopped green chilies, OR ¼ cup of chopped green or red pepper for those that really turn their noses up at heat!

More Heat: Leave the seeds and/or some of the pith on the jalapenos when you add them to your corn casserole. WARNING: This can get really hot, really quick! So be careful with how much you add.

What to Eat with Jalapeno Corn Casserole

This dish is ultra versatile, and makes a great side dish for SO many great mains. Here are some suggestions for what to eat with this creamy, cheesy jalapeno corn casserole:

• Tacos
• Fajitas
• Quesadillas
• Grilled burgers
• Sausage and peppers
• Enchiladas
• Beef barbacoa
• Burritos
• Burrito bowls
• Cilantro lime rice

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