This creamy green chile corn casserole with cream cheese and sweet corn is a perfect side dish for any holiday dinner.
This green chile casserole combines the creamy richness of heavy cream and cream cheese with the sweetness of corn kernels and the mild heat of green chiles.
This delicious cream cheese corn casserole is a favorite side dish at the holiday table and is always a hit with the entire family. Green chile corn casserole isn't just for special occasions and holiday dinners, it's also a great summer corn salad when sweet corn is in peak season from May to September.
Whether you're serving this cheesy corn casserole at Christmas dinners or weeknight dinners alongside a main dish, it's an easy recipe that never disappoints. If you enjoy this easy casserole recipe, try creamy jalapeño corn casserole or green bean tater tot casserole next.
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Recipe Highlights
- Easy recipe: Prep this approachable recipe in 10 minutes or less.
- Simple ingredients: This is made with easy-to-find ingredients and pantry staples.
- Creamy: Heavy cream and cream cheese make a rich cream cheese sauce for this tasty side dish.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese: Rich and creamy with a smooth texture and tangy flavor.
- Heavy Cream: A thick, high-fat dairy cream used to add a luxurious and velvety texture to dishes.
- Diced Green Chile Peppers: Canned mild green chiles that have a very subtle heat. Find these on the canned foods aisle or on the international foods aisle near the fixings for tacos, enchiladas, and burritos. You can also use hot green chiles.
- Sweet Corn: Canned corn, drained.
- Pepper Jack: Spicy and creamy cheese with just a little heat.
- Monterey Jack: A mild, creamy cheese that melts beautifully.
- Garlic Powder: To add a light
garlicky taste to the recipe. - Dried Parsley: Adds a very muted herb flavor.
- Salt: To enhance the flavors.
- Paprika: Made from ground dried peppers, offering a smoky and slightly sweet flavor and a tiny bit of color.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
In a medium saucepan, heat the cream cheese and heavy cream over medium heat, breaking up the cream cheese and stirring occasionally until smooth.
To the cream cheese mixture, add the green chiles, sweet corn, half of the pepper jack, half of the Monterey jack, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and paprika. Stir until combined.
Transfer the corn mixture to an 8x8 inch baking dish.
Top with the remaining cheeses.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese starts to turn golden brown and the casserole is bubbling.
Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Substitutions
- Cream Cheese: Reduced-fat cream cheese, Neufchatel cheese, or Greek yogurt cream cheese spread are all great substitutes.
- Heavy Cream: Half-and-half and whole milk are perfect in this recipe. Even reduced-fat milk will work, though the higher the fat, the richer and creamier the dish. You can always add butter!
- Diced Green Chile Peppers: Try canned diced jalapeño peppers or fresh jalapeños (see my creamy jalapeño corn casserole recipe).
- Sweet Corn: Frozen corn kernels that have been thawed or fresh corn kernels that have been cooked will work. You can also use white corn or low-sodium corn.
- Pepper Jack Cheese and Monterey Jack Cheese: Pick your favorite shredded cheese like shredded cheddar cheese, shredded Colby Jack, or shredded mozzarella.
- Garlic Powder: Onion powder is a close substitute.
- Dried Parsley: This can be omitted.
- Salt: Instead of kosher salt, you can use table salt (slightly less), sea salt, or flaky salt.
- Paprika: Smoked paprika or a very small amount of chili powder.
Variations
Jalapeño corn casserole: Bookmark this creamy jalapeño corn casserole with fresh jalapeños.
Jiffy corn casserole: Try this jiffy mix corn casserole with green chilies, sour cream, and cream-style corn. It has a firmer consistency and is crumbly rather than creamy.
Corn pudding: Southern corn pudding with creamed corn, eggs, milk, butter, and sugar is a treat.
Equipment
- 8x8 baking dish - For baking the casserole. You can also use a 9x9 baking dish.
- Medium saucepan - For melting the cream cheese to combine with the heavy cream. A microwave-safe mixing bowl could also be used to melt the cream cheese in the microwave in 15-second intervals.
Storage
Allow the casserole to cool to room temperature. Store it in an airtight container or cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
You can freeze this for up to 3-4 months but cream cheese has a tendency to change texture after being frozen and reheated, so I personally recommend making this dish fresh.
FAQ
Canned corn, unlike fresh corn, is already fully cooked.
Food can be left at room temperature for up to 2 hours, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Related
If you're in need of another great side dish for turkey day, try one of these side dishes.
📖 Recipe
Green Chile Corn Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 7 ounces diced green chile peppers
- 2 cans sweet corn drained (15-ounce each)
- ½ cup shredded Pepper Jack
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
- In a medium saucepan, heat the cream cheese and heavy cream over medium heat, breaking up the cream cheese and stirring occasionally until smooth.
- To the cream cheese mixture, add the green chiles, sweet corn, half of the pepper jack, half of the Monterey jack, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and paprika. Stir until combined.
- Transfer the corn mixture to an 8x8 inch baking dish and top with the remaining cheeses.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese starts to turn golden brown and the casserole is bubbling. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Tiff says
Hi, can i shredded chicken? Is so will i have to add more of the listed ingredients so it doesnt dry it out?
Kelsey Smith says
I'm so glad you're interested in trying the recipe with shredded chicken, it’s a great addition! I recommend using about 1 to 1½ cups of cooked, shredded chicken, like rotisserie. That shouldn't be so much that it dries out the dish. You could increase the heavy cream very slightly to ⅓ cup instead of ¼ cup. You can also add an extra ounce or two of cream cheese if you’d like it even richer and creamier, but I have a feeling it will be ok without it. No other changes are needed—just stir the chicken in with the rest of the corn mixture before baking. Let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!
Dorothy Howe says
Can this be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge overnight? If so, should the cooking time be increased a little?
Kelsey Smith says
You can absolutely prep ahead and bake later. I recommend bringing the dish back to room temp on the counter for a little bit, and then you can stick to the original cook time.
David says
Should the canned corn be drained?
Kelsey Smith says
Yes definitely. The recipe card indicates the corn should be drained. I hope you enjoy it!