Makes: 6 servings / Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 40 minutes
This cozy, creamy, cheesy corn is built on a homemade gouda + cheddar cheese sauce, lots of sweet corn, and savory mix-ins like crunchy bacon and diced ham. It comes together in about 45 minutes and tastes like Kansas City nostalgia in a casserole dish.
This recipe is inspired by the iconic Jack Stack cheesy corn that every Kansas Citian knows and loves, but with a few of my own twists. Jack Stack sticks to cheese sauce + ham only, but I couldn’t resist adding crispy thick-cut bacon, chopped green onions, and a layer of crunchy French fried onions to take things all the way over the top. And since the cheese sauce is 100% from scratch, you know we’re working with the good stuff!
This version makes 6–8 servings and is honestly perfect anywhere: holiday parties, backyard BBQs, Sunday dinner, or any table that needs a warm, happily bubbling, crowd-pleasing side dish. It’s also part of my Friendsgiving Supper Club series, and think it’s a fun, unexpected side dish to bring to the table!
Also, true story, I partnered with Bud Light a few years back and paired this exact recipe with a sangria recipe from two Instagram-famous girls down in Florida. We had each be filmed making our respective recipes, so I had to make it on air. I may have come across cool and collected at the time, I was soooo nervous when we were filming! 🤣 I stress-ate nearly this entire dish once it was over, lol. But it was so worth it, and if I had to eat a copious amount of any recipe, I’m not mad that it was this one.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 3 tbsp. All-purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. each Salt & Pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 cup Shredded Smoked Gouda (or Smoked Cheddar) Cheese
- 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 20 oz. Frozen Corn or fresh corn!
- 1 cup cubed Smoked Ham
- 1/3 cup crispy Chopped Bacon
- 1/3 cup French Fried Onions
- 1/3 chopped Green Onions
Directions
Step One: Make the Roux. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 2 quart or 8×8 baking dish and set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter. Whisk 3 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour into the melted butter and cook for two minutes, stirring often.
Step Two: Build the Sauce. Slowly whisk in 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk, 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder, 1/4 tsp. Cayenne, 1/2 tsp. Salt, and 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper. Simmer for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Step Three: Add the Cheese. Stir 1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese and 1 cup Shredded Smoked Gouda Cheese in, one handful at a time, until melted and smooth.
Step Four: Add the mix-ins. Stir in 20 ounces Frozen Corn, 1 cup cubed Smoked Ham, and half of the bacon. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. (Corn LOVES salt and pepper, so don’t be shy!)
Step Five: Transfer + Bake. Transfer the cheesy corn into your prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes.
Step Six: Uncover + Bake More. Remove the foil, scatter 1/3 cup chopped French Fried Onions over the top, and bake for another 10-12 minutes.
Step Seven: Garnish + Serve. Top with 1/3 cup chopped Green Onions and the remaining bacon. Serve hot and enjoy!
Tips for Making the Best Cheesy Corn:
- Use thick cut bacon. Thick, crispy pieces of bacon add a crunchy texture to this cheesy corn, and makes it that much better. Don’t use the basic thin strips of bacon, use the thick-cut bacon to make sure the crunchiness spreads throughout the entire dish.
- Use a smoky cheese. The restaurant version of this cheesy corn uses a house-smoked ham, and we want to bring that smoky flavor into our homemade version. Buying a slice of smoked ham from the store (or a BBQ restaurant!) is great, but using a smoky cheese takes this dish to a whole new level.
- Use real milk. I haven’t tested non-dairy substitutes for this cheesy corn, so I can’t recommend them as a substitution. I definitely recommend using the real stuff for this recipe. Whole milk has a higher fat content and is the best option, but 2% milk can also work!
- Use more salt and pepper than you think you need. Corn benefits so much from salt and pepper, so don’t be shy. Taste the cheesy corn before you bake it, and do NOT be afraid to add more of each. It makes a huge difference!
Can I Make this Cheesy Corn Ahead of Time?
Absolutely. You can make this up to two days in advance. Before you’re ready to bake it, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before placing it in the oven.
This applies to reheating it, too. Let it rest at room temperature for a while before baking. The exterior will cook faster than the inside, and the last thing you want is cold cheesy creamed corn. Letting it rest at room temperature first helps the cheesy corn cook evenly.
Can I Substitute the Milk?
You could substitute the whole milk in this recipe with half and half, and the taste will be rich and delicious. The texture will be a bit thicker, too.
As far as plant-based milk substitutes go, I have not personally tested them so I am not confident in the outcome. I imagine any unflavored, unsweetened plant-based milk will work, but I am not certain.
Here are some other cozy recipes that you may enjoy! And some great roll recipes if you’re serving this over the holidays. 🙂
- Easy Date Night Bolognese
- Loaded Potato Soup for Two
- Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup for Two
- Small Batch Everything Seasoning Rolls
- Small Batch Garlic + Herb Rolls
- Small Batch Milk + Yeast Rolls
When I tested this cheesy corn, I invited my parents over to our new house and this was the FIRST recipe that was made in my brand new kitchen. I couldn’t think of a better recipe to share with my family, honestly. A Kansas City-based recipe, full of cheesy milk-based sauce, and so perfect to share with the two people I love the most. I hope you enjoy it, too.
If you make this cheesy corn and love it, a comment and star rating below would be so appreciated! I would also love to see your creations on Instagram, and as always, feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions you may have!
xx Sara
Creamy, Cheesy Corn
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 3 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk
- 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne optional
- 1/2 tsp. Salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper plus more to taste
- 1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese or smoked cheddar cheese
- 1 cup Shredded Smoked Gouda Cheese or any smoked cheese
- 20 ounces Frozen Corn or fresh corn
- 1 cup cubed Smoked Ham cut into small cubes
- 1/3 cup chopped Crispy Bacon
- 1/3 cup chopped French Fried Onions
- 1/3 cup chopped Green Onions
Instructions
- Make the Roux. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 2 quart or 8×8 baking dish and set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter. Whisk 3 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour into the melted butter and cook for two minutes, stirring often.
- Build the Sauce. Slowly whisk in 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk, 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder, 1/4 tsp. Cayenne, 1/2 tsp. Salt, and 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper. Simmer for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Add the Cheese. Stir 1 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese and 1 cup Shredded Smoked Gouda Cheese in, one handful at a time, until melted and smooth.
- Add the mix-ins. Stir in 20 ounces Frozen Corn, 1 cup cubed Smoked Ham, and half of the bacon. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. (Corn LOVES salt and pepper, so don’t be shy!)
- Transfer + Bake. Transfer the cheesy corn into your prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes.
- Uncover + Bake More. Remove the foil, scatter 1/3 cup chopped French Fried Onions over the top, and bake for another 10-12 minutes.
- Garnish + Serve. Top with 1/3 cup chopped Green Onions and the remaining bacon. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
I have never had a dish with corn like this, but I like the step by step process. what would you recommend to substitute for if you were to make it vegan, please?
Unfortunately ,I’m not well-versed on vegan recipes, so I would hate to steer you wrong with a definite opinion on what to change! My initial thought is subbing the dairy products for vegan versions, then omitting the ham and bacon – which I hope is all doable! I hope you love it!
This Creamy , Cheesy and delightful combination of ingredients is definitely a festive treat. Would love it for a Happy Meal.
Wow, this dish looks really delicious and seeing this makes my mouthwatering! YUM!
This corn dish is so creamy and delicious. I love that it can be a whole meal or a delicious side dish for the holidays.
Thank you, Sharon!! It’s definitely a new favorite for us, especially because it’s so versatile!
Wow, I absolutely love this dish and the recipe! It’s not something I’ve tried before, but just looking at your photos makes me hungry for it! Not only it would make a great side dish, I think I will be more than happy to eat it as my main course!
Thank you, Anna! And seriously, it could totally work as a main course!!
Oh, wow! I’ve never had any kind of cheesy corn and I’m wondering WHY?! Because it sounds magical. I can’t wait to try this!
Haha! I hope you love it, Erin! It’s a game changer for side dishes!
Oh, my, I’m so in love with this dish! I couldn’t wait until the holidays and had to make it this weekend because it’s comfort food weather here too. So glad I did! The cream sauce is so decadent. This will definitely make an appearance again!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Amanda! I’m looking forward to making it again this week, too!
Ummm… how is everybody not enjoying corn this way?! Bacon and ham added? Yes please! The cheese really takes it up a notch too… Thank you!
My pleasure, Chandice! I’m so glad you love it!
How creamy and rich does this corn dish look! This would make for such a comfy cozy meal. So need to try this out!
I hope you do soon, Neha! It’s delicious!
For any cheese lover, this recipe is just perfect! I would make this again for moreso for game night – so fun to dip in bread or chips.
I LOVE that idea, Connie! I’ll totally have to try that, too!
We made this for a late thanksgiving with everyone and it was a huge hit. The ham and bacon are so good in it. And smoked cheese isn’t something I usually have but it’s worth getting for this recipe. Thank you
Would you think that it would be posssible to do steps 1-5 the day before you want to eat it and store in the refrigerator until the next day when you want to bake it?
Absolutely! You can store it in the casserole dish you want to bake it in, just add the French fried onions (and other toppings) before baking. So yes – you’re totally fine to do that! I hope you love it!
So this may be a stupid question, but it says to add the frozen corn (I didn’t notice anywhere that it said to thaw the frozen corn first. So I add the frozen corn to the cheese sauce?
Definitely not a stupid question! You are right – just stir in the frozen corn!
Great! Thank you!!
This looks so good! Can you use sweet corn instead of regular?
You can definitely use sweet corn!
I’m from KC too, love our KC BBQ! Which restaurant?! It looks like Jack Stack or maybe RJ’s cheesy corn. Can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow!
I hope you love it!! Jack Stack is the one I always get it from — but now I want to try RJ’s!!
It was YUM!
Being a New England gal, I had never heard of this, but I researched Kansas City food for a Superbowl party (2024) and realized I needed Cheesy Corn in my KC spread – I settled on this recipe, but added a bit of cream cheese, per many other KC-labeled recipes I saw – It was terrific!
3 notes: When I uncovered it, it looked totally curdled, and I worried a bit, but it came out fine in the end. Also, for a family member who doesn’t eat pork, I baked one portion with no meat, and truthfully, I liked that one better. I do agree with a prior reviewer that the small bit of smoked Gouda really elevated the dish!
Thank you SO much for making this and for taking the time to comment, Lori!! I’m so glad you liked it! Leaving out the pork is something I almost did this year, too – I’m so glad that you liked it without. The smoked Gouda is my favorite tweak on this recipe vs. the standard cheesy corn recipes – I’m so glad you enjoyed it, too!