This Easy Southern Cornbread Casserole is homemade and also known as a baked creamed corn casserole. This dish uses cornmeal to produce a sweet souffle similar to scalloped corn. This is the best for Thanksgiving, the holidays, and Sunday dinners.
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Did you eat Jiffy corn pudding growing up? Or have you heard of it? Jiffy corn pudding is often referred to as a casserole and it involves grabbing a box of Jiffy cornbread, which is meant to be a sweet cornbead, and pairing it with creamed corn and standard ingredients like eggs and milk. It’s then baked to produce a fairly sweet casserole dish.
It’s delicious. Jiffy includes the following ingredients. WHEAT FLOUR, DEGERMINATED YELLOW CORN MEAL, SUGAR, LARD (HYDROGENATED LARD, BHT AND CITRIC ACID PRESERVATIVES). I can do without the lard and added sugar (I love to sweeten the dish on my own).
I have always made my own cornbread, because making your own from scratch is really easy.
What Type of Corn to Use
I like to use frozen, whole kernel corn because it’s easy to grab and store. Thaw it first, and drain any excess water. You can also use drained, canned corn or fresh corn if you wish.
Can You Use Creamed Corn?
You can use creamed corn if you wish. Most canned cream corn is made primarily of corn, sugar, and food starch used to thicken. It actually isn’t made with any cream. The ingredients include: Golden Whole Kernel Corn, Water, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Salt.
It does have added sugar, so keep that in mind if you want to use it in this recipe. You likely won’t need to add any sugar or sweetener as noted in the recipe.
Do You Add Sugar or Sweetener?
I do, but it’s optional. Most casseroles are made using canned cream corn which already has sugar, so additional sugar or sweetener isn’t necessary. I opt to skip the canned corn with additives for just corn and I add my own monkfruit sweetener. It’s zero-calorie, zero-carb, and has no aftertaste. It measures 1:1 like refined table sugar, so you can always use the exact same amount as sugar noted in a recipe.
How to Make Southern Cornbread Casserole
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with butter.
- Add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sweetener, and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir.
- Add in buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, Greek yogurt, and corn.
- Stir to combine the ingredients.
- Add the batter to the baking dish.
- Bake.
Self-Rising Cornmeal Mix
I typically use self-rising cornmeal mix for cornbread and you can use it in this recipe, too. You can use 2 cups of the mix and omit the yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, and baking powder noted in the recipe. It will save you excess ingredients!
Can You Use Boxed Cornbread Mix
Sure, if you want. It wouldn’t be homemade. Use a 8.5 ounce box.
Can You Make it Without Sour Cream?
Yes, you can substitute sour cream for plain, non-fat Greek yogurt. You can omit it completely, but it will alter the texture. It will be really dry.
How to Substitute Buttermilk
You can substitute/make your own buttermilk if you wish by combining milk and vinegar (or lemon). Get instructions on How to Make a Buttermilk Substitute here.
Buttermilk is a soured product so it will be more acidic than milk. This will react with any rising agent such as baking powder used in the recipe and give a better rise to the product. You can substitute milk, but the cornbread won’t rise as much.
Milk is used in baking recipes for thinning the batter. That’s not what we want here. Milk does not lower the pH of the cornbread and is therefore very different from buttermilk.
What Type of Pan to Use
I recommend a 9×13 ceramic baking dish. For baking dishes, I often prefer ceramic to glass. A ceramic dish will regulate heat better. When I use glass, the dish is more prone to drying out.
You can also bake the dish in cast iron.
Can You Bake it in Cast Iron
You absolutely can. Cornbread is traditionally made in a cast iron skillet. This casserole is often served very light and fluffy. A cast iron will give you cornbread with crisp edges and a fluffly interior. If that’s what you’re going for, definitely use cast iron.
Using a baking dish will make fluffy edges all around.
Can You Make it Ahead/How to Store it
This dish is best served fresh and warm. You can make it ahead and store it tightly sealed in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezer Tips
To freeze the cornbread, wrap it in foil or in plastic wrap for 2-3 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature for a few hours.
More Cornbread Recipes
Homemade Southern Style Cornbread
Air Fryer Cornbread
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Keto Low Carb Cornbread
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Homemade Blueberry Cornbread
Pumpkin Cornbread
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Pair With these Main Dish Recipes
Baked Turkey Wings
Smothered Turkey Wings
Southern Baked Ham With Pineapple
Cajun Roasted Turkey
Smothered Chicken
Air Fryer Whole Chicken
Air Fryer Honey Glazed Ham
Seafood Mac and Cheese
Stuffed Turkey Legs
Slow Cooker Turkey Legs
Holiday Side Dish Recipes
Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce
Southern Collard Greens
Southern Green Beans
Sweet Potato Casserole
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
Scalloped Corn
Squash Dressing
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar
Seafood Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Check out our list of The Best Authentic Soul Food Recipes here.
Easy Southern Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted Measured solid to grease the pan.
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sweetener or sugar See notes.
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup butter, melted Measured solid.
- 1/2 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 16 oz frozen corn Thawed and drained.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
- Add the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sweetener, and salt) to a mixing bowl. Stir.
- Add in the buttermilk, 1/4 cup melted butter, eggs, Greek yogurt, and corn.
- Stir to combine the ingredients. Do not overmix.
- Add the batter to the baking dish.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick returns clean.
- Cool before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- I like to use frozen, whole kernel corn because it’s easy to grab and store. Thaw it first, and drain any excess water. You can also use drained, canned corn or fresh corn if you wish.
- You can use creamed corn if you wish. It does have added sugar, so keep that in mind if you want to use it in this recipe. You likely won’t need to add any sugar or sweetener as noted in the recipe.
- 1/2 cup of sugar or sweetener adds some sweetness, but not a ton. If you like sweet cornbread, consider using 3/4 to 1 cup of sugar or sweetener. A lot of other recipes include using Jiffy box mix (which also has added sugar). Since this is a homemade recipe, you should expect to sweeten to your taste and liking.
- You can omit sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, but it will alter the texture. It will be really dry.
- You can substitute/make your own buttermilk if you wish by combining milk and vinegar (or lemon). Get instructions on How to Make a Buttermilk Substitute here.
- Buttermilk is a soured product so it will be more acidic than milk. This will react with any rising agent such as baking powder used in the recipe and give a better rise to the product. You can substitute milk, but the cornbread won’t rise as much.
- I recommend a 9×13 ceramic baking dish. For baking dishes, I often prefer ceramic to glass. A ceramic dish will regulate heat better. When I use glass, the dish is more prone to drying out.
- The type of pan you bake with will impact the cook time. Be sure to check in and test the center using a toothpick.
- You can also bake the dish in cast iron.
- This casserole is often served very light and fluffy. A cast iron will give you cornbread with crisp edges and a fluffly interior. If that’s what you’re going for, definitely use cast iron. Using a baking dish will make fluffy edges all around.
- Macros assume monkfruit sweetener. Feel free to use the macros calculator of your choice and include the brand of sweetener or sugar you personally use in the recipe.
Danielle
Friday 13th of August 2021
Made this right now and it’s delicious! So yummy! Thanks for another great recipe!
staysnatched
Monday 16th of August 2021
You're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.