Fully Loaded Corn Casserole

A spoon holds a serving of creamy casserole with corn, chopped vegetables, and green onions above a baking dish filled with the same dish.

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This fully loaded corn casserole swaps the boxed mix for a from-scratch version packed with bacon, sharp cheddar, and sweet corn, finished with a smoked paprika sour cream drizzle. It's built for a crowd, ten servings from one pan, and it's easy to prep a day ahead of time.

Prep Time25

Cook Time50

Resting time10

Total Time1 25

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: corn casserole recipe, corn casserole with bacon and cheddar, corn casserole without a box mix, fully loaded corn casserole, homemade corn casserole recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 433kcal

Author: Chef Jenn

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 9x13-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