Pimento Cheese Corn Pudding
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Pimento Cheese Corn Pudding brings two Southern favorites together in one cheesy side dish that's perfect for holiday dinners! Loaded with sweet corn, sharp cheddar, and pimentos, it's a delicious change from traditional cornbread, and a must-have on your Thanksgiving table.
Recipe at a Glance
- Old Fashioned Flavor: Creamy, savory cornbread pudding with the added flavor of pimento cheese.
- Cinch to Make: Easy to prepare with simple ingredients.
- Perfect Holiday Recipe: A southern holiday side dish with a unique twist!
Notes From My Kitchen
The secret to this cheesy casserole is treating it like a pudding rather than cornbread. The center should still have a slight jiggle when it comes out of the oven. If the top browns before the center is ready, loosely tent with foil and bake a little longer.
For best results, be sure to drain the corn and pimentos well to prevent excess moisture, and let the pudding rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. I promise it will be the highlight of your Thanksgiving meal!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Cornmeal and flour: Create the tender cornbread base.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help the pudding rise.
- Eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk: Add structure, moisture, and richness.
- Butter and honey: Bring buttery flavor and balance the savory ingredients.
- Sharp cheddar and cream cheese: Deliver that creamy pimento cheese flavor.
- Corn and pimentos: Add sweetness and little bursts of pepper flavor.
- Green onions, Dijon, garlic powder, and cayenne: Give the pudding extra flavor without too much heat.
- Salt and black pepper: Season everything perfectly.
How to Make Pimento Cheese Corn Pudding
Prep: Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a 2-quart baking dish.
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne.
- Mix wet ingredients: Whisk the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, melted butter, softened cream cheese, Dijon, and honey until mostly smooth.
- Combine: Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Add the good stuff: Fold in the corn, drained pimentos, cheddar, and green onions, reserving a little cheese and onion for the topping.
- Bake: Spread in the dish, sprinkle with the reserved toppings, and bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove when the top is golden, the edges are set, and the center has a slight jiggle. If needed, tent with foil and bake a little longer.
- Rest After Baking: for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Debi's Top Tips
- Shred cheddar from a block for the smoothest melt.
- Drain the pimentos and corn thoroughly to avoid excess moisture.
- Soften the cream cheese before mixing.
- Don't overmix the batter.
- The center should have a slight jiggle when it comes out of the oven. It will set as it rests.
Variations
This recipe is thicker and denser than Grandma's Southern Corn Pudding. Spice it up or make it sweeter...it's your choice!
- Spicy: Add extra cayenne or chopped pickled jalapeños.
- Extra creamy: Mix sharp cheddar with Monterey Jack.
- No pimentos: Make a delicious cheddar corn pudding instead.
- Jiffy shortcut: You can experiment with 1½ boxes of 8.5-ounce Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix in place of the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Omit the honey. This untested substitution may produce a sweeter, more cake-like texture and require liquid adjustments.
Serving Ideas
- Dutch Oven Turkey Breast: A natural choice for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
- Brown Sugar Spiral Ham: The savory cheddar and sweet corn pair beautifully with a glazed ham.
- Roasted Whole Chicken: Make it part of an easy Sunday supper.
- Pot Roast With Gravy: Serve it alongside tender beef and plenty of gravy.
- Add smothered green beans, collard greens with bacon, or cranberry Brussels sprouts to round off your meal.
Recipe FAQ
This dish can be made ahead in sections. Prepare the wet and dry ingredients separately several hours ahead. Refrigerate the wet mixture, keep the dry mixture covered at room temperature, and combine just before baking for the best rise.
This is important because the baking powder and baking soda begin reacting as soon as they come into contact with the wet ingredients. If the batter is mixed too far in advance, some of the leavening power will be lost, and the cornbread pudding may not rise as well.
Yes, just be sure to drain the canned corn thoroughly before measuring. Thawed frozen corn works well, too. Avoid creamed corn because it adds too much moisture.
This isn't a sweet recipe like the ones that are made with Jiffy cornbread mix.
There is only one tablespoon of honey in the entire cornbread pudding, and it serves primarily to balance the flavors. The finished dish is distinctly savory.
Storage Guide
- Refrigerate: Cover leftovers and store for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Wrap individual portions and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Microwave: Heat individual portions at 50-70% power, checking every 30-45 seconds.
- Oven: Cover with foil and reheat at 325°F for 15-25 minutes, depending on portion size.
More Holiday Sides
Be sure to serve Old Fashioned Pimento Cheese as an appetizer, or Pimento Cheese Grits as a side dish at your holiday gathering! These other sides go great together too...
Thanks for visiting Quiche My Grits! ❤️ I love making recipes for you! Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram!
Recipe Card
Pimento Cheese Corn Pudding
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Equipment
- baking dish (13 x 9 inch)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal (medium grind)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened to the point it can blend)
Additions
- 1 ¾ cups corn thawed if frozen or well-drained if canned
- ½ cup jarred pimentos well drained and chopped
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl.1 cup yellow cornmeal, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Mix wet ingredients: Whisk the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, melted butter, Dijon, honey and softened cream cheese until mostly smooth in a separate mixing bowl.2 large eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup buttermilk, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 Tablespoon honey
- Combine: Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined.
- Additions: Fold in the corn, drained pimentos, cheddar cheese, and green onions, reserving a little cheese and green onions for the topping.1 ¾ cups corn, 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup jarred pimentos, 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
- Bake: Spread in a 13x9 inch baking dish, sprinkle with the reserved toppings, and bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove when the top is golden, the edges are set, and the center has a slight jiggle. If needed, tent with foil and bake a little longer.
- Rest After Baking: for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Don't wait for the center to become completely firm in the oven
- This is cornbread pudding, not conventional cornbread. The center should retain a little movement when you take it from the oven.
- The edges will usually finish first, so don't use the browning of the top and sides alone as your indication of doneness. If the top looks perfect but the center still seems too loose, tent it with foil and give it another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Let it rest. The cornbread pudding will firm considerably as it cools.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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