Cream Cheese Corn (Easy Casserole Recipe!)

Cream cheese corn is a creamy Southern side dish made by melting cream cheese into sweet corn with ranch seasoning and crispy bacon. It comes together with six simple ingredients and works just as well as a Thanksgiving side dish, a Christmas side, or an easy weeknight vegetable your kids will actually eat.

Originally posted July 2025, updated September 2026

Cream Cheese Corn

If you’re looking for the ultimate comfort food side dish, this Cream Cheese Corn hits the spot! It’s creamy, cheesy, loaded with savory ranch flavor, and crispy bacon – everything you want in an easy, crowd pleaser casserole. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep, this is the perfect side dish for holidays, potlucks, or busy weeknights.

We have a corn dish for every holiday meal, without exception. Sometimes it’s the Jiffy Corn Casserole (sometimes called corn pudding), sometimes it’s a big bowl of corn dip as an appetizer before the big holiday meal, and sometimes it’s this Creamy Corn Casserole I’m sharing today.

With our big extended family, sometimes we have all of the above on our holiday table. But this comforting side dish might be the best corn casserole I’ve ever had. I mean corn with cream cheese and bacon? What could be better?!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It only takes six ingredients. Six things, and most of them are probably in your freezer and your fridge right now. There’s no chopping, no roux, and no standing over the stove babysitting anything, which is exactly what I want out of a side dish in November.
• You can make it in the oven or the crockpot. Holiday cooking always comes down to a space problem at my house. Having a side dish that works either way means you can put it wherever you’ve got room, and the slow cooker version will hold on warm until everybody finally sits down.
• It’s the vegetable that actually disappears. I’ve put plenty of vegetable sides on the table that came back to the kitchen barely touched. This one does not do that. The ranch seasoning and the bacon do a lot of heavy lifting, and even the picky eaters go back for seconds.
• It’s a good one to make ahead. You can put the whole thing together a couple of days early and just bake it off when you need it. Getting one more dish crossed off before the big day is worth a lot when you’re cooking for a crowd.

Corn Casserole with Cream Cheese

This Cream Cheese Corn Casserole is a family favorite because it has corn (of course) but it also has bacon and cheddar cheese. Combine those flavors with the Ranch Seasoning mix, and this Cream Cheese Corn Casserole is irresistible. 

My favorite part about this Easy Corn Casserole recipe is that you can make it ahead of time and then bake it at your convenience, or you can prep it and transfer it to a slow cooker dish to free up some oven space if you’re making it for busy holiday dinners.

​If you love this recipe, check out this creamed corn casserole with Jiffy corn muffin mix and sour cream.

Want even more delicious ideas? Click here to browse my full roundup of easy, crowd-pleasing side dishes!

Tools Needed

You only need a few common kitchen tools for this delicious side dish.

• Large Saucepan or Skillet
• 9×13 Casserole Dish (3 quart dish)
• Large Spoon
• Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ingredients

All the ingredients for this Creamy Cheese Corn Casserole are readily available and easy to find.

Butter
Frozen Corn – you could also use canned corn or fresh corn
Ranch Seasoning Mix
Cream Cheese – I prefer full-fat over low-fat cream cheese
Bacon Bits or Fresh Cooked, Crumbled Bacon ⬅️ I have a recipe for how to bake bacon here.
Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese – we prefer mild cheddar but you could also use sharp cheddar cheese.

Find the full recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.​

How to Make Cream Cheese Corn Casserole

This Cheesy Corn Casserole recipe is a great addition to any meal and it’s so easy to put together!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the butter to the pan.
3. When the butter is melted, add the corn and saute until the kernels are softened.
4. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
5. Add the bacon, ranch seasoning and one cup of shredded cheese.
6. Continue stirring until the cream cheese mixture is melted.

7. Transfer the mixture to a prepared baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese on top is melted.

Crock Pot Cheesy Corn Recipe

Thanksgiving is the one day of the year when my oven and my stovetop are both completely full, so being able to move a side dish to the crockpot is a lifesaver.

Start the recipe the same way you would for the oven version, right through melting the cream cheese into the corn. Then, instead of adding the rest of the cheese, transfer everything to your slow cooker.

1. Cook on low for 4 hours.
2. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the top and stir until it’s melted through.
3. Serve right away, or switch the crockpot to WARM and hold it there until dinner.

That last step is my favorite part. You can get this done ahead, set it on warm, and then forget about it entirely while you deal with the turkey.

Variations

If you love this easy Cream Cheese Corn Casserole but want to change it up a bit, here are some ideas for you:

• Swap the cheddar jack for pepper jack when you want some heat running through the whole thing.
• Add a little diced jalapeño peppers for a spicy potluck version, or for family who like some kick.
• Sprinkle parmesan over the top before it goes in the oven for a golden, salty finish.
• Leave the bacon out entirely for a vegetarian side. It’s still really good, and you won’t miss it as much as you’d think.
• Stir in a can of drained diced green chiles for a Southwestern spin.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this great side dish for an easy weeknight meal, Christmas Dinner, Thanksgiving Dinner, Easter lunch, or even the 4th of July. This easy recipe will get rave reviews for special occasions or ordinary days! You cannot go wrong with this Cream Cheese Corn Casserole recipe.

Main Dishes that would go great with this Cream Cheese Corn recipe:

• Grilled Chicken Thighs
• St. Louis Ribs (Oven Recipe)
• Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Cream Cheese & Pepperoncini
• Monica’s Baked Pork Chops & Rice
• Cast Iron Ribeye Steak Recipe (How to Cook Ribeye Steak)
• Cajun Turkey Recipe (Cajun Butter Turkey) for the holidays!
• Best Meatloaf Recipe with Oatmeal

Storage Instructions

Holiday cooking goes so much smoother when a few things are already done, and this one is a great candidate.

To make it ahead: Assemble the whole thing, cover it tightly, and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking. Pull it out about 30 minutes before it goes in the oven so it’s not going in ice cold, and plan on adding 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time.

To store leftovers: We never have leftover corn casserole but if you do, keep it in the fridge in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for 3-4 days.

To reheat: Covered, in a 325°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, brings it right back. You can also microwave individual servings for a minute or so, stirring halfway through. A splash of milk stirred in helps it turn creamy again, since it firms up quite a bit in the fridge.

Can you freeze it? You can, but I don’t love it. Cream cheese tends to separate a little as it thaws and the texture goes grainy on you. It’s still perfectly good to eat, just not as pretty as it was the first time around.

FAQ

Where it goes: New H2, after Storage Instructions. You don’t have an FAQ section right now.

Can I use cream cheese straight from the fridge?

You can, though it melts so much faster and smoother when it’s been sitting out for 20 or 30 minutes. Cubing it helps a bunch too.

Can I make this without the ranch seasoning?

Sure. It’ll be milder and more straightforwardly creamy, which some folks actually prefer. A little garlic powder, salt, and pepper fills the gap nicely.

Can I double this for a crowd?

Absolutely. Double everything and use a 9×13 pan. This is one I almost always double for holidays.

Is this the same as corn casserole made with Jiffy mix?

Nope, and that’s on purpose. That version is more like a cornbread pudding. This one stays creamy and spoonable, with no cornbread mix at all.

More Delicious Side Dishes

Need another easy side dish recipe? Check out these delicious recipes:

• Green Bean Casserole
• Strawberry Feta Spinach Salad
• Crockpot Funeral Potatoes
• Cheesy Broccoli Cornbread
• Crockpot Collard Greens
• Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole