Is it a savory, earthy cornbread or a sweet, custardy pudding? The answer is yes. Worlds collide in this easy corn pudding recipe, resulting in a spoonable one-bowl wonder laced with melted butter and cheddar cheese. This style of corn pudding is a staple side dish at holiday dinners across parts of the American South and Midwest, and we’re willing to bet it’ll become a staple on your holiday table too.
For ease, we call for a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, which is available in most grocery stores and can also be bought online. Don’t be tempted to swap in plain cornmeal; Jiffy mix is a combination of cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, and leaveners. An equal amount of a similar prepared cornbread mix should work just fine. We call for drained canned sweet corn, but frozen corn will work (you’ll need about 1½ cups; no need to thaw it first). A bit of sour cream adds bright balance, while a high ratio of eggs gives it setting power and helps it develop a gorgeous golden-brown color. To serve, top the corn pudding simply with chives or go all out and add a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey to boot.
For a spicier, less bready take, try this cheesy corn casserole recipe with jalapeños and fresh herbs, or for a creamy corn recipe that uses fresh corn, creamed corn with tarragon is the move.
What you’ll need
Corn Muffin Mix
$8 At Amazon
8x8" Baking Dish
$18 At Amazon
Pastry Brush
$6 At Amazon
French Wire Whisk
$18 At Amazon
Rubber Spatula
$13 At Amazon
Medium Bowl
$17 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour
Yield
6–8 servings
Ingredients
½
3
1
6
½
½
1½
½
½
1
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 350°. Brush an 8x8" glass or ceramic baking dish all over with melted unsalted butter. Whisk 3 large eggs, one 15.25-oz. can whole kernel corn, drained, 6 oz. cheddar, coarsely grated (about 1½ cups), ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup sour cream, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper, ½ tsp. chili powder, and ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, in a medium bowl until combined. Add one 8.5-oz. box corn muffin mix and stir until no lumps or dry bits remain. Scrape batter into prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
Step 2
Bake corn pudding until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45–50 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve topped with 1 Tbsp. chopped chives.
Head this way for more of our Thanksgiving dinner favorites →