Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole

Let me introduce you to your new favorite comfort food dish – this addictive creamy and cheesy chicken and corn casserole.

Forkful of cheesy chicken and corn casserole.

There are many things to love about this casserole (and casseroles in general, let’s be honest). They’re quick and easy to make, filling, budget-friendly, freeze well, and feed the whole family in one go. This cheesy chicken and corn casserole is one of my favorites and ticks all these boxes as well. In fact, this casserole might even be too easy to make, as there’s minimal prep required. How good does that sound?

Creamy and stuffed with sweet corn, chicken, and cheese, this casserole is total comfort food and a great dish to make for a weeknight dinner. Now, many chicken and corn casseroles use cream cheese instead of cream of chicken soup, but I personally think the canned soup makes the dish more flavorful. Speaking of flavorful… scroll down to the Recipe Notes section to see how you can spice up this corn casserole too. 

Recipe ingredients for cheesy chicken and corn casserole.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Cream of chicken soup
  • Can of whole kernel corn
  • Box of yellow rice (we just love Zatarains but you can use any type of yellow rice you have. Mahatma saffron rice is very good in this, too).
  • Margarine
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Chicken (you can leave the chicken out if you want but I like to have chicken in this so I can call it a meal and be done with it).

Stick of margarine, corn and soup in mixing bowl.

Dump your corn, margarine, and cream of chicken soup into a mixing bowl.

Cheese added to mixing bowl.

Pour cheese over the top of it.

Added cooked rice and chicken to mixing bowl.

Add hot rice, which has been cooking according to box directions. This will melt your butter and such. Add your chicken pieces. This can be canned chicken, leftover chicken, boiled, or shredded chicken – whatever cranks your tractor.

Mixing ingredients together.

Stir that all up and place this chicken mixture in a casserole dish.

Cheese added to top of casserole in baking dish.

Then cover the top with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

Cheesy chicken and corn casserole

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for about half an hour, or until nice and bubbly! Sprinkle with some green onion and you’re set.

This casserole is comfort food like no other!

Storage

  • Store your casserole leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
  • You can also store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. When it’s time to eat, thaw the leftovers in the fridge and then simply reheat in the microwave.

Recipe Notes

  • If you want to add a little spice, add some jalapenos, chili powder, or a can of diced green chiles to your chicken corn casserole.
  • For that extra crunch, you can add vegetables too. I recommend finely chopped red pepper and green onion. Add either, or both, to the batter before you top with cheese. Otherwise, add some green vegetables, like (thawed) frozen peas, cooked broccoli florets, or green beans.
  • You can also substitute chicken for crumbly crispy bacon pieces. Or use both to jazz up your chicken casserole.
  • You can use any kind of chicken in this casserole, including leftover chicken, canned chicken, boiled and pulled chicken breast or chicken thighs, and shredded rotisserie chicken. Whatever’s the most convenient option for you.
  • If you’d prefer to use fresh corn, you will need about 8 ears of corn. Alternatively, if you use frozen corn, make sure you thaw the corn beforehand.
  • Another option is to top your chicken casserole with Ritz crackers, saltines, or even Corn Flakes cereal crumbs. Cheesy, creamy, and crunchy – yum!
  • You can also substitute cheddar cheese for pepper jack cheese or Monterey jack cheese.

Forkful of chicken and corn casserole.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this casserole ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this chicken and corn casserole recipe up to two days before and place the covered baking dish in the fridge. Then let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before following the baking instructions above.

Is this casserole gluten-free?

Yes, this chicken and corn casserole is gluten-free as it’s a rice-based casserole. Just make sure you double-check the can of cream of chicken soup you use to ensure it doesn’t have any small gluten additions.

Do I bake my casserole uncovered?

In this instance, I recommend baking this casserole uncovered, so the cheese melts nicely on top.

What do I serve with chicken and corn casserole?

Now, this chicken casserole is definitely a main dish in itself. But you can also serve it with your favorite Southern side dishes, like cornbread, fresh green beans, mashed potato, or three-bean salad. Another option is pairing your casserole with a simple salad like my tomato, cucumber, and onion salad.

Check out these other easy casseroles:

Crunchy Beef Casserole

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Cornbread Casserole

Sloppy Joes Casserole

Cheesy chicken and corn casserole

Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole

This addictive creamy and cheesy chicken and corn casserole is gluten-free comfort food that makes the perfect weeknight dinner.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheese, chicken, corn

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow rice
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1-2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 can whole kernel corn drained
  • 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Cook rice according to package directions.
    1 box yellow rice
  • Add rice and all other ingredients, except for 1/2 cup of cheese, into a mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
    1 stick butter, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1-2 cups shredded cooked chicken, 1 can whole kernel corn, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1 box yellow rice
  • Spoon into a casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese.
    1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
  • Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly.
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

~Abraham Lincoln

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84 Comments

  1. Whatever cranks your tractor! That had me cracking up and I’ll for sure be using that one.

    Oh dear ugly casserole…you will be mine.

  2. OH MY GRAVY…….another casserole I can add to my roster. I swear to creation, you come up with some of the BEST recipes. Between the Country Casserole and Taco Soup, I have had five of my friends ask me for the recipes. THEY LOVED THEM. Now if there was only a way to to the turkey day dinner without pulling your hair out.

  3. Sounds good! Even way north of the Mason Dixon line here in Minneapolis! Would leftover turkey work? Good idea to make 2 batches-I freeze my hot dishes (yankee for casserole) in gladware for lunches. Awesome site!

    1. I used the fiesta corn with red & green bell pepper in it and it was the bomb & it added a little color. Great tasting, quick & easy.

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