Every year I look forward to Thanksgiving for so many reasons. I think I can semi-confidently say that it’s my favorite holiday. It’s always so tough to choose a favorite. Things I love about Thanksgiving: family and friends gathering without the pressure and stress of gift giving; fires that warm both the home and the heart; and let’s not forget delicious food cooked to perfection. While I do make new dishes every year, there are some classics that I just can’t seem to shake. One of these is this Easy Corn Bread Casserole. I’ve been making this since I can remember. It is easy, can be made ahead of time and screams Thanksgiving. You and your guests are going to love it!
Corn Bread Mix
Corn bread (or muffin) mix really only has a few ingredients and you probably won’t be able to taste the difference between brands. Some do have lard as an ingredient, so if you’re a strict vegetarian like me watch out! Jiffy sells a vegetarian version which is what I opt for. Trader Joe’s also sells corn bread mix; the one I’ve bought is a 15 oz box, so I use a bit more than half for this recipe. Let me know if you have a favorite brand.
Healthier
While I would love to call this healthy, that would be a misrepresentation. It is the holiday season after all, and a little butter never hurt anyone!!! Plus, calories don’t count if they’re consumed on a holiday:) That is until New Year’s resolution time rolls around…but we have plenty of time until then! When I was younger with higher metabolism and endless time to work out, I used a whole stick of butter and always opted for sour cream when making this. Over the years, I’ve cut back on the butter and subbed the sour cream for Greek yogurt and honestly, it is still as delicious as it used to be! If you’re feeling decadent, you can always use a whole stick of butter and full fat sour cream, but truth be told I don’t think you will miss it.
Make ahead
If you’re planning on making this for a dinner party or Thanksgiving as I do, fell free to make it ahead of time. I am all about recipes that can be made one to two days in advance. Who wants to be cooking all day on a holiday or when you have company enjoying libations in the other room? I want to be imbibing with them! If you make this beforehand, reheat it in the oven before serving because warm corn bread is way better than cold corn bread.
Get baking!
Thanksgiving in my house is not complete without this dish. Of course, it is good all year long, but my mouth starts watering every year when I see the cornbread mix out on display. If you are looking for some other baking ideas, I love both this Banana (Pea)nut Bread and this Carrot Ginger Bread. These Loaded Veggie Biscuits would also make a great holiday dinner choice. This year for the big day I’m also making Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad, Cauliflower Cheese Pie, Spaghetti Squash Cakes, Stuffed Parmesan Zucchini Boats and Broiled Asparagus. A vegetarian feast! Since I know I’ll wake up starving on Friday morning despite eating enough for five people the night before, I’m planning on having the ingredients to make a Broccoli Cheese Egg Bake on hand. I hope your holiday is filled with love, laugher, family, friends and yummy food. As always, let me know how your Easy Corn Bread Casserole comes out by leaving a comment below. Enjoy! Buen provecho!
Easy Corn Bread Casserole
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- cooking spray of choice
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter, melted
- 1 15.25 oz can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz can creamed corn (do NOT drain)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt OR sour cream (low fat OK)
- 1 8.5 oz package (1 ½ cups) dry corn bread/muffin mix
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 X 12 (or similar size) glass baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine well. Pour mixture into greased baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes or until a knife stuck in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm. Can be made one to two days ahead and gently reheated in oven.
