Shop and Cook: Cornbread Casserole

Turkey always gets the spotlight at Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving dinner, but let’s be honest: It’s really all about the sides.

From macaroni and cheese to marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes, Thanksgiving sides offer up a variety of flavors that’ll satisfy any palate, but only one of them is so easy you don’t even need a recipe. Don’t believe us? Read on to see for yourself just how simple and delicious cornbread casserole can be. Plus, learn how to whip up some herbed compound butter to perfectly complement this dish (and lots of others.)

Shop

Preparing to make your cornbread casserole is almost as easy as making it – the ingredients you’ll need might already be in your cupboard. For the compound butter, pick up salted butter (you’ll need 1-2 sticks, depending on how much you’d like to make), garlic, parsley and green onion or chives.

For the casserole, you’ll need a 15.2-ounce can of corn kernels, a 14.75-ounce can of creamed corn, an 8-ounce container of sour cream, a large egg, melted butter and an 8.5-ounce box of corn muffin mix.

Cook

Start by preparing the compound butter, as this will take some time to solidify in the fridge. If you can, soften your butter on the countertop until it’s at a mixable consistency. Short on time? Use your microwave’s “Soften/Melt” setting to soften, but careful not to let it melt.

Once ready, add the butter to a medium mixing bowl with a tablespoon of each herb (parsley, garlic and green onion), along with salt and pepper to taste. Mix with a silicone spatula until combined, then transfer to a long sheet of plastic wrap. Shape the butter into a rough log, then roll it up into the plastic wrap, twisting the excess ends to secure. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least two hours for everything to firm up.

Now comes the easy part. The reason you won’t need a recipe after you make this for the first time is because it follows the rule of one:

• One can of corn kernels
• One can of creamed corn
• One container of sour cream
• One egg
• One stick of butter, melted
• One box of corn muffin mix
• One bowl

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, dump both cans of corn followed by the sour cream and egg. Mix until combined. Add the melted butter and mix well. Lastly, add the full box of corn muffin mix and stir it up. Once all ingredients are evenly distributed, pour the mixture into a greased 9-inch square baking dish or casserole pan. Bake for an hour or until the top is golden brown.

Keep warm until ready to serve, then top with a pad of the herbed compound butter. Happy Thanksgiving!

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What are your favorite holiday side dishes? Tell us in the comments.