This Mexican Corn Casserole recipe has all the bright flavors of Mexican street corn, right off the cob! It is easy-to-make and incredibly delicious. Of all the Mexican street corn recipes out there, I am confident this will be your favorite.
Corn is smothered in a mixture of sour cream, corn meal, cheeses and spices, and it baked to perfection in a casserole dish. It has a sweet flavor from the corn that’s balanced with the savory seasonings.
And it’s very difficult, if not impossible for me to imagine any casserole more perfect than this cheesy Mexican corn casserole. It has everything I look for in a perfect meal and it’s all cooked together in one place.
This recipe is not complicated, but it does require the use of a food processor in order to puree a few of the ingredients. On the whole, this recipe is easy to follow and the results yield a delicious, casserole that can last a few days if you decide to store leftovers.
If you love Mexican-inspired recipes, you need to check out this Mexican Chicken Spaghetti, and delicious Cheesy Mexican Hash Brown Casserole.
This Mexican street corn casserole is an ideal side dish for Steak Ranchero or Steak Fajita Nachos.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- You get all the traditional flavors of Mexican street corn, only it is “off the cob” in a very easy-to-prepare and easy-to-eat casserole.
- The flavors of this side dish go well with tacos, fajitas, steak, and practically any kind of meat.
- This cheesy Mexican corn casserole is so satisfying and filling that you can eat it as a meal in itself.
Ingredients in Cheesy Mexican Corn Casserole
Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients in this easy to make Mexican corn casserole recipe. You probably already have most of them.
- Frozen corn: While you could use fresh or canned, frozen corn is ideal for this recipe.
- All-purpose flour: Works with the cornmeal and keeps this dish light and airy.
- Cornmeal: An essential ingredient in most any corn casserole.
- Baking powder: The leavening agent for this casserole.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cayenne pepper: If desired, this adds some subtle heat to the dish.
- Monterey Jack cheese: An essential part of this casserole, though you could swap it out for a different type of cheese.
- Green onions: The mild taste of green onions does not overpower the dish.
- Sour cream: I use regular sour cream, but you could also use light sour cream.
- Parmesan cheese: The fruity, nutty taste of this cheese works well with corn.
- Eggs: Helps bind the other ingredients together and adds moisture to the casserole.
- Jalapeños: This optional ingredient adds just the right amount of heat.
- Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter helps you control the sodium in the recipe.
- Fresh cilantro: Essential to most any Mexican-inspired dish.
How to Make Cheesy Mexican Corn Casserole
Here are the step-by-step photos and instructions for making this easy cheesy corn side dish recipe. For complete recipe instructions, check the recipe card further down the page.
Grease 13 by 9 inch baking pan or dish.
Prepare some of the cheese in cubes and shred the rest.
Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne together in large bowl.
Pulse half of corn and green onion whites inside your food processor until coarse puree, about 12 pulses.
Stir pureed corn mixture into flour mixture.
Stir in sour cream, Parmesan, eggs, jalapeños, melted butter, remaining half of corn, and cubed cheese until blended together.
Transfer mixture to your prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle with parmesan and then shredded cheese.
Bake until casserole is slightly puffy and cheese is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
Transfer casserole to wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro.
Serve and enjoy every bite.
Substitutions
Don’t have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this Mexican Corn Casserole recipe.
- Corn: Fresh corn that has been cut from the cob or canned corn that has been very well drained can be used instead of the frozen corn.
- Sour Cream: Crema, creme fraiche, and plain Greek yogurt can all be substituted for the sour cream. You could even use cottage cheese.
- Cayenne Pepper: You can swap this out for something more mild like chili powder or smoked paprika.
Variations
Want to personalize this Mexican Street Corn Casserole recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.
- Heat: You always skip the jalapeno to make this side dish more mild, but you can also take it up another notch with some green chiles or a few dashes of hot sauce.
- Cojita or Queso Fresco: Mix some of this popular Mexican cheese into your casserole or sprinkle some over the top while the casserole is still warm from the oven.
Equipment
All you need are a handful of basic kitchen tools to cook up this delicious Mexican casserole.
- Food Processor
- 13 x 9 inch baking dish
Storage
- Refrigerator: Let it cool and then cover in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, including the day you made it.
- Freezer: Store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to two months.
- Reheat: Thaw in the Mexican corn casserole refrigerator before reheating, preferably overnight. Allow casserole come to room temperature on your counter for about one hour before starting to reheat. Preheat the oven to 300 and bake for 10-15 minutes. Check regularly that the casserole is heated through to avoid overcooking. Unfortunately 15 minutes may not be enough time.
Tips
- If you want a punch of lime flavor. Squeeze some fresh lime juice over the top of the Mexican street corn casserole after it finishes baking.
- Grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-clumping agents that do have an effect on how the cheese melts while cooking. Freshly grated cheese is always best for melting.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Bring the eggs and sour cream to room temperature before stirring into the other ingredients. This will help everything combine more easily.
- Be careful to not overmix. This will keep your casserole stays fluffy and tender.
FAQ
Do you have questions about Cheesy Mexican Corn Casserole? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about this Mexican-inspired side dish.
Mexican street corn is commonly grilled corn on the cob that is coated with a mixture of sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, chili powder, and lime.
You can use a light sour cream, but to keep this casserole true to the flavors of Mexican street corn I wouldn’t alter this recipe very much.
I suggest serving this corn casserole alongside steak tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, or pork carnitas.
What Makes a Casserole?
I love that you can take something like Mexican street corn and turn it into a comforting, easy-to-make, and often more affordable side dish to feed a crowd. The casserole is the most ingenious meal on the planet. Before Instant Pots, before skillet meals and before slow cookers, there was casserole. Nothing beats it. It has survived for decades as the best way to pile a whole meal into one dish.
Popularized in the 1950s casserole as we know it today was the product of advanced cookware brought to market. Nothing since has replaced the casserole dish, no matter how many bells and whistles we add.
Casserole dishes are easier to clean than any modern appliance and you don’t have to worry about them being dishwasher safe.
But wait, there’s more! Casseroles are the perfect meals for leftovers. They are conveniently stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Casseroles are impressively economical, which is another reason why they were so popular in the 1950s.
If you can feed your family two meals for the price and effort of only one, why not jump on it? The casserole is the ultimate “set it and forget it” dish and chances are, you have a casserole dish already in your cupboard.
All of this doesn’t just apply to evening meals, but to breakfast casseroles as well.
Cheesy Mexican Corn Casserole
Equipment
- 13 x 9 inch cake pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups (½ pound) Monterey Jack cheese or cheddar, mozzarella or Mexican blend, more or less to taste
- ¼ pound (4 oz) Monterey Jack cheese or cheddar, mozzarella or Mexican blend cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds frozen corn, thawed
- 5 green onions, thinly sliced with white and green parts separated
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ¼ cup minced jalapeños
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9-inch casserole dish or baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cut ¼ pound or 4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar or Mexican blend into ½ inch cubes. On a separate plate, shred the remaining cheese (except the shredded Parmesan). Set aside.
- Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl.
- Pulse half of corn and scallion whites in food processor until a coarse puree; about 12 pulses.
- Stir pureed corn mixture into flour mixture.
- Add sour cream, ¼ cup Parmesan, eggs, Jalapeños, if using, melted butter, remaining half of the corn, and cubed Monterey Jack.
- Stir until combined. Transfer mixture to baking dish.
- Smooth top so it's as level as possible.
- Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Then cover with Monterey Jack or whatever shredded cheese you're using. Use as much or as little as you like!
- Bake until casserole is somewhat puffed up and cheese is a golden-brown color; between 45 to 50 minutes.
- Transfer casserole to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with green onions and fresh cilantro.
- Serve and enjoy every bite.
Notes
Nutrition
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