The BEST Paula Deen's Corn Casserole Recipe (2024)

Corn casserole, a recipe also known as corn pudding, is a beloved Southern dish.

This corn casserole recipe is made with Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. The same family-owned business has been making Jiffy Mix since 1901 when founder Harmon Holmes established a flour mill named the Chelsea Milling Company. When the Great Depression first started, Holmes’ daughter-in-law wanted to find a way for the family to help the local community.

Mabel Holmes noticed that a single father was serving flat biscuits to his little boys, and Mabel got the idea to create a mix that would produce fluffier muffins that would help the man make biscuits more easily. With her husband’s help, Jiffy Mix was born.

The best corn casserole is crispy around the edges and tender and moist on the inside.

Paula Deen’s corn casserole has long been a staple at family gatherings and holiday feasts, and for good reason. This mouthwatering dish combines the natural sweetness of corn with a rich, creamy texture that has made it popular amongst food lovers nationwide. Covering the history and appeal of this beloved comfort food, this article will explore what makes Paula Deen’s corn casserole a must-try dish.

Considering Paula Deen’s widespread influence in Southern cuisine, it’s no surprise that her corn casserole has quickly become a favorite on dinner tables across the United States. The recipe’s simplicity – often requiring just a few ingredients – lends itself to home cooks at any skill level. Focusing on the ingredients and variations of this tasty casserole, readers will gain valuable insight into creating their own version of this comforting dish.

Beyond her recipe’s ease and crowd-pleasing nature, there’s a deeper meaning to this Southern classic that speaks to the essence of Paula Deen’s cooking philosophy. With her emphasis on family, love, and tradition, this corn casserole serves as a true representation of the communal dining experience that lies at the heart of Deen’s culinary approach. By delving into the cultural significance of corn casserole, this article hopes to provide a deeper understanding of the dish and the role it plays in fostering connection and togetherness.

What does corn casserole taste like? Think of it as a marriage between a casserole and a pan of homemade corn bread.

This easy corn casserole recipe is the perfect holiday side dish, and when you double the recipe, you can feed a crowd.

All About Paula Deen Corn Casserole

Paula Deen is an American chef, TV personality, and cookbook author who lives in Savannah, Georgia.

In her career as a chef, Paula Deen has published 15 cookbooks and she’s widely known as the queen of delicious Southern cooking.

Since she first appeared on the Food Network in 1999, Paula has been a household name. In fact, some of her recipes have become legendary.

One of Paula’s most popular recipes is her recipe for corn casserole (sometimes called Paula Deen corn pudding).

What’s so special about this delicious Jiffy Mix corn casserole? Well, besides being incredibly yummy and full of umami, this casserole side dish has only six ingredients.

Corn casserole is also called corn pudding, creamed corn casserole, or spoon bread. Whatever you call it, there’s no question that this dish is beloved by almost everyone who has ever tasted it.

When it comes to comfort food, this casserole is perfect. Tender, sweet, buttery, and creamy, corn casserole is sure to become one of your family’s favorite dishes.

You can pair this corn casserole with nearly any type of meat or main dish, including beef, chicken, pork, and soup. It’s also delicious with a baked potato.

Paula Deen Corn Casserole Ingredients

Home cooks and chefs love that Paula Deen’s corn casserole has only six common ingredients. Even better, most home cooks already have most of these ingredients in their fridge and pantry.

Let’s go over all of the ingredients in this yummy corn casserole.

Corn Muffin Mix

For this recipe, you can mix up your own homemade corn muffin mix or cornbread mix using flour, corn meal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and oil. Alternatively, you can use Jiffy Mix.

However, using a store-bought mix makes your corn pudding come together so easily. Also, these little boxes of corn muffin mix are very inexpensive.

We like Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, but you can use any similar product.

Whole Kernel Corn

When Paula Deen makes her corn casserole, she uses fresh corn right off the cob. However, you can use canned or frozen whole kernel corn to make your own corn casserole if that’s easier for you.

Trust us on this: you won’t notice any difference in taste if you use canned whole kernel corn or frozen whole kernel corn.

Cream Style Corn

Have you ever accidentally bought canned cream-style corn instead of whole kernel corn? It’s happened to most of us.

Well, the good news is that you now have a recipe to use up that cream-style corn.

Cream-style corn is purred corn, and it’s this corn that gives your corn pudding recipe the delightfully moist consistency that you love.

Sour Cream

Paula Deen’s corn casserole is delightfully creamy and that is in large part because of the sour cream in the recipe.

Can you use light sour cream to make this corn casserole? Absolutely! In terms of consistency, light sour cream is very similar to regular sour cream, so it can be substituted in most recipes.

Cutting calories and fat? No problem! You can also substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream in this corn casserole recipe.

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Shredded cheese that comes pre-shredded at the grocery store has a coating to keep it from sticking together. For this reason, it’s always best to shred your own cheese.

Shredded cheese that’s made in your own kitchen always has the best flavor and meltiness.

Melted Butter

The melted butter gives this corn casserole so much flavor.

This is an important issue to note. Some of the popular recipe websites have a discrepancy in the amount of butter to use. These websites list the amount of butter to be used in the recipe at half a stick of butter (1/4 cup) instead of the correct amount, which is a whole stick of butter (1/2 cup).

For best results, use an entire stick of butter (1/2 cup) as listed on Paula Deen’s website.

Tips for Making the Best Corn Casserole

Below are a few best practices for making the perfect corn casserole recipe.

• Stir the sour cream and cans of corn together before adding them to the corn muffin mix. This will help to ensure that your corn casserole stays beautifully tender and moist.
• Don’t over stir your ingredients. The key is to stir them together just until all of the ingredients are combined well.
• To make your corn casserole even fluffier, beat a teaspoon of cornstarch and two eggs into your ingredients.
• Shred your cheese yourself to get an even creamier and meltier cheese for your corn casserole.
• Want some tanginess? Stir in some cream cheese to replace half of the sour cream.
• Jazz up the flavor of your corn casserole with add-ins like bacon, jalapenos, green chilies, bell pepper, green onions, and different cheeses.
• For a spicy kick, stir in a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
• Bake your corn casserole in a round dish to have tons of perfectly brown and crispy edges.
• To store in the fridge, keep your corn casserole in an airtight container. It will keep for up to four days.
• For the first 20 minutes that your casserole is in the oven, cover it to keep it from over-browning.
• Your casserole is done when the top is golden brown. It will probably still be somewhat jiggly at the center, and that’s normal.
• Reheat your leftover corn casserole in the microwave or in a skillet.
• Serve your corn casserole for breakfast with an egg.
• Be sure to drain your canned whole kernel corn. Do not drain the cream-style corn.

Corn Casserole: Sweet or Savory?

If you use a Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, your corn casserole will definitely have a very slight sweetness to it. To make your corn casserole even sweeter, you can add 1/4 cup or more of granulated white sugar to your dry ingredients.

If you prefer a savory corn casserole, that’s totally OK. Just use a corn muffin mix that doesn’t have sugar or make your own cornbread or corn muffin mix.

A little bit of sweetness enhances the corn’s flavor.

Making Paula Deen Corn Casserole in Advance

Paula Deen’s corn casserole tastes even better when it’s made in advance. You can make your corn casserole as much as 48 hours in advance.

To make this corn casserole recipe in advance, follow these instructions.

1. Combine all of the ingredients except the cheese.
2. Place the ingredients in a greased baking pan. You can even mix the ingredients up right there in your baking dish to make cleanup a breeze.
3. Cover the dish with your ingredients with plastic wrap.
4. Refrigerate the casserole until you’re ready to pop it into the oven.
5. To bake your casserole directly from the fridge, bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Freezing Corn Casserole

You can also freeze your casserole after cooking it. To freeze, wrap your completely cooled cooked corn casserole in a container that’s designed for the freezer, and freeze your casserole for up to two months.

Note that the texture of your frozen corn casserole will be different after freezing, but it will be just as flavorful.

Can You Cook Paul Deen’s Corn Casserole in a Slow Cooker?

You absolutely can cook your corn casserole in a slow cooker. To do this, follow these instructions.

1. Grease your slow cooker or Crock Pot with cooking spray and add all of the ingredients except the cheese.
2. Cook on low for four hours or on high for two to three hours.
3. In the last 20 minutes of cooking time, sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top.
4. Continue cooking (covered) for 20 more minutes.

Below, you can watch a video of Paula Deen making her legendary corn casserole recipe.