This 94-Year-Old Pantry Staple Is the Secret to My Family’s Favorite Easy Thanksgiving Side (It’s Only $1!)

Although my family doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving for what it was initially intended for — a modeling of the dinner by English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people in 1621 — we never miss out on an opportunity to cook together and feast. As such, this day has become our unofficial (but kind of official) opportunity to showcase all sorts of culinary skills in the kitchen. There are three to four main dishes in addition to turkey, and dozens (yes, dozens) of sides. 

We don’t have that much counter space, so to make sure we have all of the heavy-hitting Thanksgiving sides we do a handful of shortcuts on things like mashed potatoes and corn casserole (my personal favorite). Corn casserole is like a way more moist, texture-filled version of the best boxed cornbread — and our Thanksgiving spread isn’t complete without it. And better yet, the way we make it only takes a handful of ingredients (four, to be exact). Here’s how we do it. 

This recipe hinges entirely on a box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. It’s under a dollar, and you really can’t beat it. You can swap out brands of the butter, sour cream, and cream corn, but for the measurements to be just right out of the box you should use Jiffy. 

This is a dump-and-bake recipe, and if you’re cooking for a crowd you can easily double it like we typically do. 

• 1 (8.5-ounce) box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• 1 stick of salted butter, melted 
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1 (14.75-ounce) of cream corn (such as Green Giant)

1. Mix all of the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a mixing bowl, combine all of your ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine. (Note: You do not need eggs or milk, as the instructions on the Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix suggest; use only the ingredients listed above). 
2. Bake the casserole. In a greased 8×8-inch baking dish (ceramic, metal, or glass), pour your mixture and bake for 40 to 45 minutes; the top will be noticeably golden and sides slightly browned. If you’re using a glass dish, bake for 45 to 48 minutes. Let cool and dig in.

As much as I love homemade cornbread, I have to admit it can end up kind of dry. With this cornbread casserole, that’s not a fear at all because it’s SO moist. Although we have so many dishes that take days to prepare, this recipe requires mere minutes and is still consistently one of the first to go each and every year. 

We call it homemade-ish, because you’re still doing a bit of the arm work — but the ingredients take on most of the heavy lifting. If you want, you can add some drained sweet corn kernels, jalapeños, cheese, or anything else your heart desires.

Buy: Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, $0.55 for 8.5 ounces at Instacart

Would you try these homemade-ish corn casserole? Tell us about it in the comments below.