Cream Cheese Corn Casserole with Bacon and Ham

Cream Cheese Corn Casserole is a filling and decadent side dish made with cheese, ham, and bacon. This savory, cheesy corn casserole recipe is loaded with flavor, and is a delicious crowd-pleaser that everyone will love. A popular holiday side dish that can be enjoyed anytime.

This corn casserole with cream cheese is a comforting side dish that is perfect for cooler days, holidays or anytime you want an easy-to-make side.

Cool days signify fall has arrived and the hallmarks are displayed in the falling leaves as they turn scarlet red, fiery orange, and golden yellow. The season brings us edible delights like pumpkin, squash, and corn.

Corn is a bright and beautiful vegetable that's also considered a cereal grain. Originally from Mexico, the plant is sacred to Native Americans and they showed the settlers how to plant and harvest it.

Without a doubt, corn is the underpinning of our food chain and is in literally thousands of products we use and consume today. Surely, we owe a lot to corn and I'm grateful for it.

Cream cheese is another ingredient I have a deep appreciation for thanks to a dairy guy by the name of William A. Lawrence. In the 1800s, he began mass producing it and cream cheese became another way of enjoying dairy. Thousands of sweet and savory recipes have been created from this smooth, silky cheese. Thus, corn casserole with cream cheese is one shining example!

During the fall, corn made a regular appearance on my grandparent's kitchen table and one of the first things grandma made was her corn casserole with cream cheese. Our eyes lit up with anticipation. We'd been down this road before and knew full well how good it was going to be.   

Adopting this easy corn casserole recipe from grandma was something I never regretted. Both my husband and son adore this casserole and come Thanksgiving, my family expects it to be part of the food celebration.

Made with fresh kernel corn or frozen corn, this one tasty casserole includes bacon and ham for a flavor boost like no other.

Sweet and crunchy, corn is fundamental to this dish. Each kernel of corn defines sweetness making this sweet corn casserole shine. So, this easy cheesy corn casserole will put a smile on all the corn lovers' faces out there.

Creating this cream cheese corn casserole recipe from scratch is well worth the effort and can be ready in under 40 minutes. Dairy and pork's contribution to this dish enriches it very much!

If you are looking for other recipes that use corn, you need to check out this Instant Pot Chicken Corn Chowder and this delicious Slow Cooker Mexican Street Corn.

This Cream Cheese Corn Casserole is the perfect side dish to Honey Mustard Baked Ham, Smoked Bacon Wrapped Meat Loaf or easy Pan Fried Pork Chops.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Creamy and cheesy. I feel like I should say that again. The creaminess of the cream cheese combined with the sharpness of the Cheddar cheese is a winning combination. Thus, both are vital to making this dish the success it is.
• Easy to prepare! With few ingredients, this corn side dish is simple to make.
• It is a hearty side dish that can be a meal in itself.
• Bacon. Bacon really does make everything taste better and this cheesy corn casserole from scratch is no exception.
• Ham steak. Pork supercharges the flavor making this one quality dish you’ll want to serve many times over. 

Ingredients in Cream Cheese Corn Casserole

As you can see, there are very few ingredients involved in this cream cheese corn casserole recipe. Everything you need is probably already in your pantry and refrigerator, so you probably won't even need to make a run to the store to make this family favorite.

• bacon: It makes everything better.
• ham: Dice up some ham steaks or use ham that has already been cubed.
• corn: Frozen and fresh corn are best, though you can use drained canned corn.
• whole milk: You can use 2% milk, but whole milk really adds to the richness of this casserole.
• cream cheese: Cream cheese is the most important component of your sauce. It adds an undeniable creaminess and tanginess to the dish.
• granulated garlic: Garlic powder works well for this recipe, although you can mince a couple of cloves if you prefer.
• salt
• pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese: Cheddar combines perfectly with the cream cheese and corn. Grate your own cheese for this recipe. Pre-grated cheeses contain a preservative to prevent clumping in the bag. However, it also prevents the cheese from melting as well.

How to Make Cream Cheese Corn Casserole

Making this cream cheese corn casserole recipe is extremely easy. The bull of the work with this corn casserole with cream cheese is stirring and baking. It doesn't get easier than that!

1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp, less than 10 minutes.

2. Once cooked, make a ball of paper towel and remove some of the bacon grease before proceeding with the recipe. You only need a few tablespoons to make this recipe taste great.

3. I never measure the bacon grease. I simply CAREFULLY tilt the pan and judge from there. Some brands of bacon will leave more grease than others, so an extra tablespoon of bacon grease one way or the other will not ruin this amazing cream cheese corn casserole.

4. Add corn with cream cheese, ham, milk, garlic, salt, pepper or cayenne to your saucepan. Stirring until cream cheese is melted and incorporated with a wooden spoon or spatula.

5. Wait for mixture to start to gently bubble up around the edges, about 10 minutes.

6. Remove the corn mixture from the heat. And add in shredded cheese, until you reach your desired consistency. One cup of cheese works well.

7. Turn on your broiler.

8. Prepare oven safe casserole dish or 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray and pour corn mixture inside. Cover top with more shredded cheese.

9. Broil until cheese is melted and starts to show dark or brown spots, just a few minutes.

10. Remove from oven, and serve while hot and that is it.

If heaven exists, let there be corn and cheese, please! Every once in a while, I pull out this cheesy corn recipe and wonder why I don't make it more often than I do. 

With a combination of cheddar cheese bubbling and the velvety, smooth texture of cream cheese, overall this is one corn recipe you'll want to make time and time again.

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 corn casserole recipe.

• Cheddar: While Cheddar is my favorite cheese for this casserole, you can substitute the Cheddar with Parmesan, American, Mozzarella, Colby, Cheddar, Fontina, Swiss, Feta, Havarti, Monterey Jack, Gouda, etc.
• Bacon and, Ham: If you prefer not to use both bacon and ham, you can leave one or both out of the recipe. You can also substitute with another protein you prefer.
• Milk: Use half and half instead of whole milk.
• Bacon Grease: Use butter instead

Variations

Want to personalize this cream cheese corn casserole? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.

This is an extremely versatile casserole. Hence, spice it up, however, you like.

While I simply season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper you can add whatever seasonings you like to change things up. That's what makes this cream cheese corn casserole so much fun. While corn is the star of the show, you can add more vegetables, if you like. Here are some recommendations:

• Black beans (drained)
• Mushrooms
• Broccoli
• Bell peppers (chopped)
• Zucchini (chopped)
• Tomatoes (chopped)
• Onions
• Jalapeno (finely chopped)
• Green Chilies
• Add a teaspoon of chili pepper flakes, jalapeno powder, smoked jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder to the casserole mixture to imbue heat into the dish or add a teaspoon of our homemade hot pepper sauce, or use your favorite hot sauce.
• Breadcrumbs (for topping)
• Sage (dried)
• Thyme (dried)
• Parsley (dried)

If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy Smoked Green Bean Casserole.

Equipment

All you need are a handful of basic kitchen tools to cook up this delicious corn casserole.

• saucepan
• oven safe casserole dish or 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 inch pan

Storage

• Refrigerator: This casserole will keep well for up to 4 days, when stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator.
• Freezer: For longer storage, you can freeze this casserole for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or a freezer-safe dish, ideally without the cheese already melted on top.
• Reheat: To thaw the casserole, simply take it out of the freezer and let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Make Ahead: You can easily make this cream cheese corn casserole a few days in advance. Just prepare it all the way through baking it and refrigerate it. Take it out, then let it sit for about an hour before you bake it.

Tips

• shred your own cheddar cheese for best results
• don't hesitate to use a few tablespoons of bacon grease to make this tasty casserole

FAQ

Before you dive headfirst into this simple corn casserole recipe, let's hit all the important points. Just a quick glance at this FAQ will have you ready to start baking up this delicious, cheesy corn casserole. 

Video

More Corn Recipes

If you specifically want more corn recipes try Broccoli Cornbread with Cheese or these below.

With so much cheesy goodness and such an easy recipe, you owe it to yourself to give this cream cheese corn casserole a try. This recipe isn't just for holidays. It's so good and easy-to-make that it is perfect for a weeknight side or your next potluck.

Give it a whirl, and I think you'll find that your family will be asking for this casserole dish again and again.