Mama’s Jiffy Corn Casserole with Sour Cream and Cheese
Every holiday table has one dish that disappears first, and in my family it’s always Mama’s Jiffy corn casserole. You stir everything except the cheese together in one bowl, bake it, then add cheddar on top for the last 15 minutes. It takes about 5 minutes of hands-on time and 45 in the oven, and one 9×13 pan serves about 6.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Jiffy Corn Casserole
- Serves: 6
- Main Ingredients: cream-style corn, whole kernel corn, eggs, sour cream, box Jiffy corn muffin mix, butter, shredded cheddar cheese
- Why You'll Love It: Using simple ingredients, this easy Jiffy corn casserole recipe is moist, tender, and one of my family's favorite Southern side dishes.
Jiffy mixes added a lot to my childhood. They ran about 4 for a dollar back in the day, and my mother was from the old school set that thought every supper needed a meat and three plus dessert, so they were awfully handy to have around. This corn casserole is soft and moist, somewhere between cornbread and creamed corn, sweet and savory at the same time. You can serve it as a side dish, as your bread, or just close the blinds and eat it all by yourself.
Why This Jiffy Corn Casserole Works
The Jiffy mix does the measuring for you, and the creamed corn and sour cream keep the casserole tender in the center instead of dry like a pan of cornbread. Neither my recipe nor Mama’s says to drain the whole kernel corn. If there’s a lot of liquid in the can we pour a little off, then dump the rest right in, and that extra moisture is part of what makes it so soft.
What You Need for Jiffy Corn Casserole
- Creamed corn: A can of cream-style corn works great, or use my crock pot creamed corn if you have some made.
- Whole kernel corn: Don’t drain it all the way. Just pour off a little of the liquid if there’s a lot.
- Eggs and sour cream: These make it set up soft and tender, more like a spoonbread than a cornbread.
- Jiffy corn muffin mix: Another brand of cornbread mix works too.
- Butter: Melted, so it stirs right in.
- Cheddar cheese: Optional, but it gives you that golden, cheesy top. Pepper Jack is good here too.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease your 9×13-inch baking dish before you mix anything.
- Everything but the cheese goes in one mixing bowl, so there’s hardly anything to wash.
- Wait to add the cheese until the casserole has baked for 30 minutes so it melts on top instead of sinking in.
- To make it ahead, mix it up, cover the dish and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before baking as usual.
How to Make Mama’s Jiffy Corn Casserole
1Dump it all in a bowl
And now for my favorite cooking instructions: put everything except the cheese in a mixing bowl.
2Stir it together
Stir until the Jiffy mix is moistened and everything is combined.
3Pour it into the dish
Pour the mixture into your greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
4Bake, then add the cheese
Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned, then sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the top.
5Finish baking
Return it to the oven for about 15 minutes, until the cheese melts and the center is firm.
What to Serve with Corn Casserole
Corn casserole is one of my favorite Southern side dishes for Thanksgiving next to a crock pot turkey breast or an overnight turkey, and it’s just as good beside a brown sugar glazed ham at Christmas or butter roasted chicken any night of the year. It’s wonderful with a bowl of crock pot chili, too, for soaking up all those juices.
On a holiday table, set it out with green bean casserole and candied sweet potatoes, and find more ideas in my Thanksgiving side dish recipes, make-ahead Thanksgiving dishes and Thanksgiving menu ideas. I also love warming leftovers in a skillet with a fried egg on top for breakfast.
Easy Ways to Change It Up
- Stir in crispy crumbled bacon.
- Add a minced garlic clove or a little garlic powder.
- Mix in a small can of green chiles.
- Add diced onion, green onion or chopped chives.
- Stir in a diced bell pepper or jalapeño.
- Swap the cheddar for Pepper Jack or Parmesan.
Jiffy Corn Casserole FAQs
Can you make corn casserole ahead of time?
Mix it up to 2 days ahead, cover the dish and keep it in the fridge. Let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before baking as usual. You can also bake it ahead and reheat it in the oven, microwave or air fryer.
Is corn casserole the same as corn pudding?
They’re close cousins. Corn pudding with Jiffy mix is usually more custardy and often has extra sugar added, while this corn casserole is moist and tender with a texture closer to spoonbread.
What is the difference between corn casserole and corn soufflé?
They’re basically the same dish. Corn soufflé leans on the eggs for a fluffier texture, and I believe corn casseroles like this one were just called corn soufflé back in my grandma’s day.
Is corn casserole supposed to be mushy?
It should be lightly browned on top with a soft, moist center, but not runny. If the middle still jiggles, give it a few more minutes in the oven until it’s firm.
Mama’s Jiffy Corn Casserole with Sour Cream and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 can cream-style corn 15-ounce
- 1 can whole kernel corn 11-ounce
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix can use another cornbread mix
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cream corn, whole kernel corn, eggs, sour cream, muffin mix, and melted butter. Pour into the prepared dish.1 can cream-style corn, 1 can whole kernel corn, 2 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix, 1/2 cup butter
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle shredded cheese over the top. Return to the oven for 15 minutes or until the center is firm.1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Video
Notes
- Make ahead: Mix it up to 2 days ahead, cover and refrigerate. Let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before baking as directed.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat in the microwave, oven or air fryer. Leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Corn: No need to drain the whole kernel corn. Just pour off a little of the liquid if there is a lot.
- Add-ins: Try crumbled bacon, green chiles, diced onion, jalapeño or Pepper Jack cheese.
Hey Christy,
Where are your moving? Across town or far away? Wait loved the Nashville area so much when you visted you are now moving here, right???? AWESOME!!!
I’ve never made the corn casserole, someone else always made. Seems easy enough. Can’t wait to make, my family all love corn, they will love this too.
Hey I get those emails too – maybe we are relatedt hrough our Nigerian roots!!! That would be great!
Corn casserole looks fantastic in a red Fiestaware casserole. Fiestaware has been made in West Virginia for decades and comes in lots of colors and sizes.
Christy, can this be put together the night before, put in fridge and cooked the next night?
Mahlzeit
I’m sure this recipe will be fabulous I will be trying it tonight. I’m writing to tell you OMG! ROFL! I LOVED your post script to Nigeria. I would like to post it to my giving you all the credit of course.
Heehee! I’m honored and tickled you liked it, post away!!
I added some browned hot italian sausage and it was amazing 😛
Ken…you are a man after my own heart. I had to LOL at your comment because of the conversations I and my husband have had. I didn’t grow up with sweet cornbread, but my husband did (to the point I told him it was more like cake) and I’ve slowly converted him to a non-sweet or less-sweet cornbread. It is a little sweet using the Jiffy, and this is the ONLY time you will see this Southern girl using Jiffy in her kitchen, but the way I make the casserole, it seems to balance out the sweetness a little. You might try to make it using Martha White’s Cotton Country Buttermilk Cornbread Mix in the packet, but it’s only 6 oz. (as opposed to Jiffy’s 8.5 oz.) so you will have to get two packets and use one whole one and nearly 1/2 the other packet. I’ve never tried the recipe using this, so I can’t vouch for how it will turn out, but it’s worth a try and will definitely have only the sweetness of the corn.