Healthy corn casserole from scratch is easy & the best Thanksgiving side! It’s made without jiffy mix, & uses cornmeal & cream corn instead.

For the first time this year, I’m actually thinking about the holidays. My family and my husband’s family always start thinking about the holidays around September, but this year things are just not the same.

Even though things are different for everyone this year, Thanksgiving is probably what everyone needs right now. Comfort foods and family have never been needed so much!

With that being said, I made a delicious Thanksgiving side dish that’s actually pretty healthy, and I want to share it with you.

Make-ahead corn casserole from scratch is sweet, creamy, cheesy, and savory with just a hint of spice. Plus, it can be made in advance, saving you lots of work on the actual day.

Historically, this dish has never made it to my family’s dinner table on turkey day, but I think it will from now on!

Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Side Dish

One of the great things about this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time, up to 2 days ahead! It’s so creamy that it doesn’t dry out in the fridge and can sit there until you’re ready to re-heat it.

To make this corn casserole from scratch ahead of time, simply bake at 325 degrees for 60-65 minutes, then allow to cool completely. Once it’s cooled, cover it, and refridgerate for up to 2 days.

How do you reheat corn casserole?

You can reheat this corn casserole a couple different ways, both of which are insanely simple.

First, if you’d like to make it ahead of time and serve it 1-2 days later, it can be done really easily! Preheat your oven to 300 degrees, cover the previously cooked corn casserole with shredded cheese, and bake straight from the fridge for 45-50 minutes until it’s heated through. No mess, no fuss, it’s really that easy!

If you’re wanting to reheat it faster, pull it from the fridge about an hour ahead of time, it will heat much faster in the oven that way.

If you’re just reheating one serving of the corn casserole, you can microwave it for about 30 seconds, until it’s hot and steaming and the cheese has melted.

How long does corn casserole last in the fridge?

Like most foods, corn casserole can be stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Note: It’s never a good idea to keep heating and chilling a food, because it passes through the “danger zone” too many times. This can cause foods to go bad much more quickly than if they are only heated once or twice.

So as long as all your guests eat the homemade corn casserole after you’ve reheated it, you should be fine! I wouldn’t keep any leftovers after that, though.

Healthy Corn Casserole from Scratch

This corn casserole recipe uses whole wheat pastry flour, heart healthy avocado oil, and plain Greek yogurt. These are much healthier ingredients than the traditional white flour, butter, and sour cream.

I also used honey instead of white sugar, and cornmeal instead of cornbread and without Jiffy mix. Yay for natural ingredients!

Total nutritional content per serving is:

Calories: 459 calories
Protein: 15 grams
Sodium: 775 mg
Carbohydrates: 58 grams

You can definitely cut the sodium down by using 1.5 cups of frozen corn instead of a 15 oz can of corn and using less cheese. I think this recipe would still be really good if you cut the cheese in half and only used 1/2 cup.

The only way reduce the carbohydrate content in this would be to reduce the corn or the remove the honey. I did try this recipe without honey, and it just wasn’t the same, though.

If you do end up going without the honey, make sure to replace the honey with another liquid, such as water or milk. That will keep the texture consistent but reduce the sweetness and carbohydrate content.

Budget Friendly

One of the best things about this recipe is that even though it doesn’t use that $1 box of Jiffy mix, it’s still so inexpensive! The total for this entire recipe comes out to be about $6.67, or roughly $1.11 per serving!

What a delicious and inexpensive side dish to bring to the holidays!

Other Thanksgiving sides:

Tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comments below! I would really appreciate your feedback!

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5 from 7 votes