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This small batch corn casserole is made from scratch with cornmeal, sweet corn, crisp bacon, and plenty of cheese. It bakes up golden on top and soft inside, made for one or two.
Featured Comment
“I’m eating it right now, and it’s SO FREAKING GOOD!”
– Jennifer
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Equipment: 5-inch baking dish, 10-inch skillet
- Cook Method: Bake
- Servings: 2 servings
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Savory, buttery, cheesy, and lightly sweet.
This small homemade corn casserole is made completely from scratch. It’s a fraction of the size of the 8×8 or 9×13 corn casseroles most recipes make, so it’s the perfect amount when you’re cooking for one or two.
Why You’ll Love This Small Corn Casserole Recipe
My favorite part of this mini corn casserole is the first scoop. The top bakes up golden and cheesy, and underneath it’s soft and packed with sweet corn and bacon.
Most corn casseroles feed a crowd and start with a box of Jiffy mix. I wanted a casserole that was a little smaller, so I developed this recipe from scratch with cornmeal and flour, adjusting the amounts until my small version had the same soft, savory, cheesy bite as a full pan.
My husband says it’s the best he’s had and I make it whenever I want a holiday side that won’t have me eating corn casserole for a week.
Building a smaller holiday plate? Add our small green bean casserole and mini carrot soufflé, then make our roast turkey breast as the centerpiece.
Ingredient Notes
This homemade corn casserole, sometimes called corn pudding comes together easily with everyday ingredients and no box of cornbread mix. If you have anything leftover, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Cornmeal: Medium-grind cornmeal is what I use and recommend. It gives the casserole a soft, tender crumb like cornbread. A finer grind bakes up more cakey, and a coarse grind like polenta leaves a grainier bite, so medium sits right in the middle. If cornmeal is hard to find, polenta will work, though the texture will be a little coarser.
Flour, sugar, and baking powder: These stand in for a boxed mix. The flour and baking powder give the casserole its lift and soft crumb, and the small amount of sugar keeps it lightly sweet.
Corn: Fresh, frozen, or canned all work here. For a fresh corn casserole, blanch the kernels in boiling water for 4 minutes, cool them in ice water for 3 minutes, then slice them off the cob.
Egg yolk: Just the yolk goes in, adding richness and helping bind the batter. Save the white for one of our egg white recipes.
Bacon: Two strips add a smoky, savory note to the casserole. You can leave the bacon out if you’d like.
Sour cream: Adds moisture and a little tang that keeps the casserole tender. Use any left over in a twice baked potato casserole for one or small broccoli salad.
Cheddar: I use shredded white cheddar, melted over the top in the last few minutes of baking, but regular cheddar works just as well.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few ways to change up the flavor and heat of this corn casserole for two.
Cheesy Corn Casserole: Stir ¼ cup shredded cheddar into the batter, then add a little more on top before baking.
Jalapeño Corn Casserole: Add 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh jalapeño, or a small can of diced green chiles, drained, to the batter for gentle heat.
Mexican Corn Casserole: Swap the cheddar for pepper jack and stir a spoonful of drained diced green chiles into the batter. Scatter chopped cilantro over the top after baking.
How To Make Small Batch Corn Casserole
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make a small corn casserole, from cooking the bacon to pulling it out of the oven. It bakes in about 35 minutes, and the recipe card below has the full ingredient amounts.
Baking Dish: Use a 5×5-inch dish (25 square inches). A 4×6-inch dish (24 square inches) works too. A 6×6-inch dish will give you a thinner casserole that bakes a little faster.
- Cook the bacon: Fry 2 strips of bacon in a small skillet over medium heat until crisp, then move them to a paper-towel-lined plate. Heat your oven to 350°F while the bacon cooks. If the pan looks dry afterward, add ½ tablespoon olive oil.
- Cook the onions and garlic: Add the chopped onions to the bacon drippings and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk the egg yolk, sour cream, milk, and melted butter until smooth.
- Combine: Stir the corn, crumbled bacon, and onion-garlic mixture into the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Bake: our the batter into a buttered 5×5-inch dish, set it on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Add the cheese: Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the top and bake 5 minutes more, until it melts.
- Finish: Scatter chopped green onions over the top and serve warm.
Expert Tips
Mix just until combined: Once the dry ingredients go in, stir only until you no longer see dry flour. Overmixing works the flour and bakes up denser and tougher instead of soft.
Match the dish size: The 5×5-inch dish gives you the right thickness and a 35-minute bake time. A wider dish spreads the batter thinner, so it bakes faster and can dry out if you don’t check it early.
Drain the corn well: Pat thawed or canned corn dry before it goes in. Extra liquid thins the batter and can leave the center wet.
Check your baking powder: Since this is made from scratch, the ½ teaspoon of baking powder is what gives the casserole its lift. If yours has been open a while, stir ¼ teaspoon into ½ cup of hot water. If it bubbles, it’s still good.
Take the chill off the dairy: Let the sour cream and milk sit out for a few minutes first. Cold dairy can seize the melted butter into small lumps when you whisk them together.
Troubleshooting
If your small batch corn casserole isn’t turning out quite right, here is how to fix common problems.
Why is my corn casserole runny in the middle?
A runny corn casserole almost always comes from too much moisture in the corn or from pulling it out of the oven too soon. Pat thawed or canned corn dry before it goes into the batter, since extra liquid keeps the center from setting. If the corn was drained well, give it a few more minutes in the oven and check again.
Why is my corn casserole dry?
A dry corn casserole usually means it baked too long or the batter was overmixed. Stir the batter just until the dry streaks disappear, since overmixing develops the flour and firms up the crumb. Start checking at 30 minutes so it doesn’t sit in the oven longer than it needs.
How do I know when a corn casserole is done?
A corn casserole is done when the top is golden and the center is set with only a slight jiggle. The edges will pull away from the dish a little, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. It keeps firming as it cools, so let it rest a few minutes before serving.
Why didn’t my corn casserole set?
A corn casserole that won’t set was either underbaked or had too much liquid for the amount of dry ingredients. Wet corn is the usual cause, so drain it well. If you scaled the recipe up, make sure the batter isn’t sitting too deep in the dish, which slows the center from cooking through.
Serving Suggestions
Not sure what to serve with a corn casserole? It’s a side dish, so it pairs best with a simple main and it’s a natural fit on a Thanksgiving or holiday plate.
- Serve it with turkey tenderloin for a smaller Thanksgiving dinner.
- Pair it with a glazed ham steak for an easy holiday meal.
- Spoon it next to a bowl of chili, a classic corn-and-chili combination.
- Enjoy it alongside a small meatloaf for a comfort-food dinner any time of year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make a corn casserole without Jiffy. This small batch version is made from scratch with cornmeal, flour, sugar, and baking powder in place of a boxed mix.
A 5×5-inch baking dish, about 25 square inches, is the right size for this small batch corn casserole.
Yes, a corn casserole can be made ahead. Since this one is made from scratch with baking powder, it holds up best when you bake it first, cool it, and reheat before serving, rather than letting the batter sit unbaked, which softens the rise.
A corn casserole is done when the top is golden and the center is set with only a slight jiggle. A toothpick in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, and it firms up as it cools, so let it rest a few minutes before serving.
Not exactly. Corn pudding bakes up looser and more custard-like, while this corn casserole sets into a firmer, cornbread-style texture. The names are often used for the same dish, so recipes vary in how soft the center turns out.
Yes, corn casserole freezes well. Cool it completely, wrap it tightly, and freeze for up to two to three months, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Reheat corn casserole in a 325°F oven until warmed through, or microwave individual portions for 30 seconds to a minute. Covering it in the oven keeps the top from drying out.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
Made this small batch corn casserole? I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a rating and a comment below, and if you snap a photo, tag (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it.
Small Batch Corn Casserole
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- 5-inch baking dish or use a 4×6-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 slices bacon
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic – minced
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ cup sour cream (4 tablespoons), at room temperature
- ¼ cup milk – at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter – melted
- 1 cup corn kernels
- ½ cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, then drain it on a paper towel and crumble.
- Cook the onions in the bacon drippings until soft, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk the egg yolk, sour cream, milk, and melted butter until smooth.
- Stir the corn, crumbled bacon, and onion-garlic mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the buttered dish and set it on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle the cheddar over the top and bake 5 minutes more, until the top is golden and the center is set.
- Top with green onions and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I’m eating it right now, and it’s SO FREAKING GOOD! I’ve never heard of corn casserole, but I was scrolling through the recipes at the top of the page and it caught my eye. I made it as directed, taking your advice re: the addition of green chilies (good call – they’re perfect) and I used fresh corn off the cob. Long story short – it’s delicious, the recipe is a total keeper. I pinned it, and I’ll definitely make it again. Thanks and have a terrific day!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the corn casserole. Thank you so much for your feedback.
I want to make this recipe but I cannot find cornmeal anywhere. I was wondering if polenta would work as a substitute.
Yes although the texture will be slightly different.
Corn casserole has been a dish served at every family holiday I have ever had and it never gets old. I add cheedar cheese to mine, fresh cut corn from the cob, jalapenos, green chiles, red bell pepper and the list goes on. There are so many ways to make this little dish different each time you make it! Thanks for a fantastic recipe I can make again and again and don’t have to keep buying instant cornbread mix!
Very tasty. Used as a side dish. Used real bacon bits to save time and subbed EVOO to saute onions. Halved sugar to reduce carbs. Baked nicely in toaster oven. Made enough for 4 moderate servings for us.
Thank you for all your inspiring
recipe ideas. They make cooking fun!
Thank you so much for your feedback, Sara. I’m so happy you enjoyed the casserole.
Love the use of sour cream…always adds so much flavor. It was more “cakey” than I like so think the use of the additional creamed corn is more to my liking. I did add black pepper, does need a little more seasoning…again, my prefs.
I was trying to decide on making cornbread with left over corn or your mini
corn casserole. I am glad I made your casserole. It was very very good.
Good recipe.