This corn and macaroni casserole recipe has flavor on top of flavor. It combines cheesy macaroni with bacon, sweet corn, and panko breadcrumbs all in one. It's a simple-to-make delicious dish that kids and adults love!
This easy macaroni corn casserole is basically like an elevated mac and cheese. It's such a satisfying and comforting meal that's perfect for a family dinner. It also doubles as an awesome addition to Thanksgiving dinner. I'm not quite sure when we started making it for our Turkey Day feast, but I swear it gets better each year and has become one of my family's favorite Thanksgiving casseroles.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
It has a winning combination. This dish has tender macaroni and corn mixed with crispy bacon, all coated in a delicious cheesy and ultra-creamy sauce. As if it couldn't get any better, it's topped with crunchy panko bread crumbs!
It's versatile. You can either serve this casserole as the main course or on the side with any comfort food meal. It's perfect for any occasion!
It'll be a family favorite. This macaroni and cheese corn casserole was an instant hit the first time I made it. Now I always whip it up if you're hosting our friends and their kids cause it's always a popular meal with everyone!
Ingredients
- Panko breadcrumbs- for the crunchy topping.
- Butter- I used unsalted butter.
- Salt- just a pinch.
- Corn- I used frozen whole-kernel corn that was thawed and drained.
- Elbow macaroni- any other short pasta will work too.
- Bacon- diced into bite-sized pieces.
- Sweet paprika- or smoked paprika.
- Cream-style corn- for a creamier filling.
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Flour- to thicken the sauce.
- Milk- any milk works
How To Make Macaroni Corn Casserole
1. Prep work: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, and set it aside. Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon: In a skillet, you can fry the diced bacon for 5 minutes - just make sure you stir it occasionally. Once the bacon is done cooking, you can remove it from the pan and set aside.
3. Make the sauce: Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the same pan you cooked the bacon in, then add the flour, and slowly add the milk. Whisk constantly, then add ½ teaspoon of paprika, salt and pepper. Mix again, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the sauce until it's thickened for about 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.
4. Make the topping: Place the panko breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Then, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, pour it over the breadcrumbs, and mix well. Add the shredded cheese and ½ a teaspoon of sweet paprika and toss it well to combine everything.
5. Assemble and bake: Mix the bacon, sauce, corn, and cooked pasta together in a large bowl. Pour it into your prepared baking dish and top evenly with the panko-cheese mixture. Bake it for about 30 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown. When it is, set your oven to broil and let the casserole cook for about 2 minutes on that setting. Finally, serve warm and enjoy.
How To Store and Reheat Leftovers
In the fridge: Store any leftovers in an airtight container or in the dish with a lid on top in the fridge for about 4 days.
In the freezer: To keep for longer, transfer the leftovers to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: To reheat the leftovers, I like to bake them at 350°F for 15 minutes. The more leftovers you have, the more time you'll need. Alternatively, to reheat your leftovers even quicker, you can cook them in 30-second intervals in your microwave until warm.
More Casserole Recipes To Try Next
- Chicken broccoli stuffing casserole
- Boston Market sweet potato casserole
- Hamburger potato casserole
- Chicken cauliflower casserole
- Mixed vegetable casserole
- Veg-All casserole
Macaroni Corn Casserole
This corn and macaroni casserole recipe has flavor on top of flavor. It combines cheesy macaroni with bacon, sweet corn, and panko breadcrumbs all in one. It's a simple-to-make delicious dish that kids and adults love!
Ingredients
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 6 tbsp. butter
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup canned or frozen whole kernel corn
- 8oz. elbow macaroni
- ½ cup bacon, diced
- 1 tsp. sweet paprika
- 1 cup cream-style corn
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 2 cups milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the macaroni in a saucepan according to the package directions.
- In a skillet, fry the diced bacon for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.
- Add 4 tablespoons butter to the same pan, fry the flour for a minute, and slowly add the milk. Whisk constantly, and then add ½ teaspoon of sweet paprika, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat.
- Place the panko breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the melted butter into the panko breadcrumbs and mix well. Then add the shredded cheese with ½ teaspoon sweet paprika, toss well, and set aside.
- Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the bacon, corn sauce, and macaroni in a large bowl and pour it into the prepared casserole dish.
- Top evenly with panko-cheese mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the filling is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to broil, and let it preheat for 3 minutes. Return the casserole to the oven, and broil until golden brown on top, for about 2 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
If you're using frozen corn, thaw and drain the excess water. If using canned corn, drain it completely.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 479Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 594mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 18g
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