Fully Loaded Corn Casserole Recipe With Bacon and Sharp Cheddar
This fully loaded Corn Casserole recipe with bacon and cheddar is the one I bring when a plain side dish won’t cut it. Every potluck table has a version made from a box, and I got tired of mine tasting like everyone else’s.
This post may contain affiliate link(s). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure.
Not only is this a delish Corn Casserole, but it’s also gluten-free, which makes it a great pick for a crowd. It’s loaded with bacon, cheese, green onion and oodles of flavor, but it’s the smoked paprika sour cream drizzle that turns this from a good corn casserole into the one people ask about days later. I built it completely from scratch, no box mix, no shortcuts.
31 of Chef Jenn's FAVE Casseroles
I've gathered 31 of my favorite casseroles for you and your family to love, all in a convenient ebook with no ads and no AI! Each of these scratch-made dishes is created, tested, and loved by Chef Jenn. Get your instant download now!
You'll get ad-free recipes like:
Spaghetti Casserole,
Sloppy Joe Casserole,
Cowboy Casserole,
and more!
This is a digital product. You'll receive an instant download link after purchase.
This one is sized for a crowd with ten servings from a single 9×13 pan. It’s what I bring to cookouts and holiday tables instead of the same box-mix casserole everyone else shows up with. But don’t worry, the leftovers are just as good, if not better. That is, if you have any leftovers!
Chef Jenn’s Take on Fully Loaded Corn Casserole
Most corn casserole recipes start with a box of cornbread mix, canned corn, and a tub of sour cream stirred together and baked. It’s fine. It’s also the same casserole showing up at every potluck table in the country, and it tastes like it.
Mine starts from actual ingredients instead of a mix, and it changes the texture more than people expect. Pulsing half the corn in a food processor, rather than leaving it all whole or blending all of it smooth, is the detail that makes the difference. All of it pureed and you’ve made creamed corn shaped like a casserole. All of it whole and the batter doesn’t hold together as cleanly when you cut into it.
Fresh-shredded cheddar helps too. Pre-shredded bags carry anti-caking starch that keeps the melt from being smooth, so a block and a box grater get you there faster than digging through the dairy aisle for the right bag.
What You’ll Love About Fully Loaded Corn Casserole
- The smoked paprika drizzle on top does more work than the casserole itself. I keep extra in the fridge just to spoon over baked potatoes later in the week.
- No box mix, no canned corn quietly doing all the work. Once you taste what starting from scratch does here, it’s hard to go back to the version everyone else brings.
- This scales for a crowd without falling apart, ten servings from one pan, and it reheats just as well the next day.
Ingredients
- Thick-cut bacon – Dice it large, not into crumbles, so you can still see and taste it once it’s baked in. Regular bacon works too.
- Red bell pepper – Any color works. Red is just sweeter. Dice it small so it cooks through fast in the sauté step.
- Unsalted butter – If salted is what’s on hand, cut back the added kosher salt a little.
- Cream cheese – Bring it to room temperature first so it melts smooth instead of clumping.
- Full-fat sour cream – Don’t use light or fat-free here. Either one can break when baked.
- Large egg – Just one. Whisk it in once the butter mixture has cooled, not while it’s still hot.
- Frozen sweet corn – Thaw and drain it well. Canned corn works in a pinch, but pat it dry first or the batter turns watery.
- Heavy cream or milk – Either works. Cream makes the batter a little richer.
- Sharp white cheddar – Buy a block and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded bags melt less smoothly.
- Green onions – Slice thin. You need enough for both the batter and the topping.
- Kosher salt and black pepper – The amounts below season the base without oversalting, since there’s already bacon and sharp cheddar in the mix.
- Smoked paprika – If you don’t have smoked paprika yet, get some! It’s my new fav spice; regular paprika doesn’t bring the same smoky depth to the drizzle.
- Fresh lemon juice – Bottled works if that’s what you’ve got but fresh is brighter in the drizzle.
How To Make Fully Loaded Corn Casserole
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp, then move it to a paper towel lined plate. Leave about a tablespoon of the fat behind in the skillet; you’ll need it for the peppers.
Sauté the diced red pepper in that reserved fat until it softens, about 4 minutes. Add the butter to the same skillet over low heat, and once it’s melted, stir in the cream cheese until fully smooth.
Let that mixture cool for about 5 minutes before whisking in the sour cream, cream (or milk), then the egg. Adding an egg straight into a hot pan scrambles it, so the cooldown isn’t optional.
Pulse half the thawed corn in a food processor until the kernels break up but stay chunky. You’re after texture here, not a puree.
Fold the pulsed and whole corn into the cream cheese base with 6 ounces of the cheddar, most of the bacon, most of the green onions, and the sautéed peppers. Season with the salt and pepper.
Spread the batter into a buttered 9×13 dish and bake at 350°F for 35 minutes. Top with the remaining cheddar and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, until the center is set and the edges turn golden.
Rest the casserole 10 to 15 minutes before cutting in. It keeps setting during that rest, and skipping it gets you a loose center.
Whisk the drizzle ingredients together while the casserole rests. Finish the top with the reserved bacon, green onions, and a generous drizzle of the smoked paprika sour cream.
Make It A Meal
This is a side dish and I love serving it with Smoked Pulled Pork for an easy cookout spread, or alongside Smoked Chicken Thighs on a weeknight when I want fewer pans going at once.
For a holiday table, I’ll serve it with Traeger Smoked Turkey instead of a plain corn side. If chicken is the easier call on a Tuesday, Air Fryer BBQ Chicken keeps the whole plate in the same smoky, slightly sweet lane.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or cover the dish with foil and warm it in a 300°F oven until heated through. It doesn’t freeze well once baked; the cream cheese and sour cream base can separate, so plan to eat it within the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but drain it well and pat it dry first. Canned corn has more water than frozen, and skipping that step can make the batter loose.
Give it the full 10 to 15-minute rest before cutting in because it keeps firming up as it cools. If it’s still loose after resting, put it back in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Yes. Mix the batter, cover it and refrigerate it in the baking dish for up to a day, then bake it straight from the fridge, adding 5 to 10 extra minutes to the covered bake time. You can also let it sit out on the counter for an hour first to take off the chill before baking it.
Yes, the casserole still bakes up fine without it. Add a small extra pinch of salt, since the bacon fat used to sauté the peppers won’t be there to season them.
Fully Loaded Corn Casserole
Ingredients
For the casserole
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 4 cups frozen sweet corn thawed
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream or milk
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 4 green onions thinly sliced, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Smoked paprika sour cream drizzle
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the skillet.
- Sauté the red bell pepper in the reserved fat until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the butter to the skillet over low heat. Once melted, stir in the cream cheese until fully melted, then turn off the heat.
- Cool the mixture for 5 minutes, then whisk in the sour cream, cream (or milk), and egg until fully combined.
- Pulse half the thawed corn in a food processor until the kernels break up but stay chunky.
- Stir in all the corn, 6 ounces of the cheddar, about three-quarters of the bacon, about three-quarters of the green onions, and the sautéed peppers. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- Top with the remaining 2 ounces of cheddar and continue baking for 10 to 20 minutes, until the center is set and the edges are lightly browned.
- Rest the casserole 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
- Whisk together the sour cream, smoked paprika, salt, and lemon juice until smooth for the drizzle.
- Top the casserole with the reserved bacon, remaining green onions, and the smoked paprika sour cream drizzle before serving.
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Rest the full 10 to 15 minutes before cutting in. It keeps setting during that time, and cutting in early gets you a loose center.
- Pulse only half the corn and leave the rest whole. All of it pureed turns this into creamed corn shaped like a casserole instead of something with real texture.
- Dice the bacon into large pieces, not crumbles, so it’s still visible and noticeable once it’s baked in.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.