25 Frozen Corn Recipes For An Easy Dinner Tonight

No fresh corn? No problem.

By

Updated on June 10, 2024

Southern Living Chicken Tortilla Soup in bowls to serve — Photo:
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Corn is one vegetable that actually freezes very well. While we'd always opt for fresh corn in salsa or for a raw garnish, frozen corn certainly has a place on your dinner table. Frozen corn can be an excellent option for cooked dishes like stews or hot dips.

Since the kernels are frozen, they retain their shape and integrity, whereas fresh or canned corn could quickly boil down to a mushy mess. Plus, studies show frozen fruits and vegetables can be healthier than fresh ones. Yes, you read that right. So if you've got a bag of corn lurking in the depths of your freezer, break it out for these family-friendly recipes. Channel the feeling of summer cookouts by adding corn in these delicious dishes year-round, from Smoky Mountain Brunswick Stew to creative casseroles like Cornbread Cowboy Casserole.

01 of 25

Cornbread Cowboy Casserole

Southern Living Cornbread Cowboy Casserole in the skillet with a serving scooped out — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Cornbread meets classic Cowboy Casserole—this Cowboy Casserole Cornbread is easily a on-dish meal. If you're familiar with tamale casserole, this recipe is similar: a simple beef and onion mixture forms a cozy, comforting base. Layered with cheese, it's topped off and baked with a tender crown of cornbread.

02 of 25

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Southern Living Chicken Tortilla Soup in bowls to serve — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Did you know that Chicken Tortilla Soup is most searched soup in the South? It's a classic Mexican-inspired, hearty soup filled with favorite flavors of tomato, corn, black beans, and of course juicy, tender chicken. Top it with crispy tortilla chips, avocado, and cilantro.

03 of 25

Corn Salad

Southern Living Corn Salad in a bowl to serve with glasses of water beside — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

While the recipe calls for fresh corn, our test kitchen says that frozen corn will work just fine for this Corn Salad Recipe—just make sure to thaw it well before adding other ingredients.

04 of 25

Harry Young's Burgoo

Harry Young’s Burgoo — Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Burgoo is a classic Southern stew made in extra-large batches, so this recipe is ideal for church potlucks or community gatherings. It incorporates a few different frozen foods—corn, lima beans, and peas—alongside fresh produce and meat to create a multi-dimensional stew.

05 of 25

Scalloped Corn Casserole

Scalloped Corn Casserole - Southern Living — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This buttery, cracker-topped casserole contains absolutely no scallops. You will find a rich blend of softened cream cheese, Monterey Jack, eggs, half-and-half, and seasonings. Mix in corn until combined, pour it into a greased baking dish, and bake. Top with a crunchy topping mixture of butter, cheese, crackers, panko, and thyme, and enjoy.

06 of 25

Cowboy Casserole

Cowboy Casserole in a dish with a single serving on a plate — Robby Lozano; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Stuffed with taco-flavored beef and topped with a layer of golden-brown tater tots, this Cowboy Casserole will be a new dinnertime staple. A combination of black beans, pinto beans, diced fire-roasted tomatoes, and diced green chiles adds heartiness to this casserole. Hot sauce adds some spice.

07 of 25

Maque Choux

Southern Living Maque Choux in a skillet to serve — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Easily swap frozen for fresh corn kernels in this spicy medley of corn, peppers, and onion tossed with tasso ham. Maque Choux is most attributed to Louisiana and Cajun influence, but likely originated much earlier with Native Americans in the Louisiana Gulf region. The name, pronounced "mock shoe," could be from the Cajun French term maigrchou or "thin child," referring to the addition of cream to thin out the dish.

08 of 25

Creamed Corn

Creamed Corn — Photographer: Alison Miksch / Food Stylist: Melissa Gray / Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

What's better than an easy creamed corn recipe that takes just 15 minutes to prepare? How about one that can use fresh or frozen corn kernels? If you are using frozen, we recommend adding a tablespoon of honey to sweeten the dish.

09 of 25

Honey-Butter Skillet Corn

Southern Living Honey Butter Skillet Corn in the pan ready to serve — Alison Miksch

Yes, frozen corn can be every bit as sweet as fresh corn! The secret to this corn side dish is cream cheese that amps up the flavor by adding just a bit of tang and extra creaminess. Lightly sweetened with honey and using salted butter, this recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Top it with fresh chives.

10 of 25

Crab-And-Corn Chowder

Crab And Corn Chowder — Will Dickey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Loaded with delicious seasonal flavors and plenty of sweet lump crabmeat, you can swap frozen corn in place of fresh in this cozy Crab-And-Corn Chowder recipe. Old Bay seasoning, black pepper, and touch of jalapeño chile pepper give this creamy classic a nice bit of heat.

11 of 25

Corn And Jalapeño Dip

Corn and Jalapeño Dip — Hector Manuel Sanchez

This slightly spicy corn and jalapeño dip will be the star of any tailgate or backyard cookout. This recipe is ideal when you are short on time. Stir the first seven ingredients in a slow cooker to heat until it's creamy and bubbling. When ready, crumble bacon slices and garnish with extra scallions if desired.

12 of 25

Best-Ever Succotash

Southern Living Best Ever Succotash in the pan ready to serve — Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Our favorite Southern succotash is heightened by the addition of bacon and basil. And yes—frozen corn is perfectly acceptable in this summery dish in other seasons. Fresh tomatoes, okra, and basil are sold in Southern grocery stores throughout the year, and they are what really make this dish sing.

13 of 25

Corn Pudding Casserole

Corn Pudding Casserole — Courtney West

Do you like your corn pudding sweet or savory? This creamy, cheesy casserole will be your new go-to if you're team savory. Fresh chives and thyme add a bit more brightness. This dish is all about using the freshest-tasting corn, and at the holidays, we find that frozen beats the flavor of out-of-season ears.

14 of 25

Smoky Mountain Brunswick Stew

Smoky Mountain Brunswick Stew — Southern Living

Brunswick stew might have disputed origins, but this stick-to-your-bones recipe is delicious. We blended two traditions by using chicken, barbecued pork, and vegetables (including frozen corn) to cook up an amazing main dish for the colder months. Feel free to modify the ingredient list based on your family's tastes.

15 of 25

Easy Taco Soup

Southern Living Easy Taco Soup — Jennifer Davick

Warm up this winter with an easy taco soup with just 20 minutes of hands-on time. Your family will love this creative twist on taco night. Offer corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese as toppings, or follow our instructions for serving pepper Jack quesadillas on the side.

16 of 25

Martina McBride's Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Southern Living Martina McBride Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup in bowls to serve — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

You'll be making this Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup all fall long. Use fresh or frozen corn and lots of toppings for each creamy bowl, laden with whole milk, heavy cream, and sour cream. Make it spicier by adding more jalapeño or smokier with chipotle chili powder.

17 of 25

Cheesy Ham, Corn, And Grits Bake

Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake — Hector Manuel Sanchez

Two types of Cheddar cheese make this casserole a creamy and cozy blend of flavors. Corn and cubed ham combine with stone-ground grits for an easy twist on a soufflé. This dish is excellent for breakfast or dinner any time of year.

18 of 25

Creamy Fried Confetti Corn

Creamy Fried Confetti Corn

This Creamy Fried Confetti Corn recipe is one of our most popular corn side dishes, and it does not disappoint. A generous sprinkle of bacon adds some extra smoky flavors to the creamy richness of the dish, and it pairs with just about everything. Fresh corn isn't always in season, and that's why this recipe—which works well with frozen corn swapped for fresh—fits the bill.

19 of 25

Macaroni Corn Casserole

Macaroni Corn Casserole — Will Dickey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

This recipe is the combination we never knew we needed. Combine mac-and-cheese with corn casserole for a decadent, cheese-laden dish full of flavor. Dry mustard, garlic, scallions, and cayenne pepper add some spice. Let this macaroni corn casserole sit for 15 minutes before serving.

20 of 25

Savory Corn Pudding

Savory Corn Pudding — Emily Laurae / Southern Living

Corn, onions, cream, and butter combine to create a fluffy and savory pudding. Make this savory corn pudding up to two days in advance, cover, and chill. Sprinkle with thyme before serving.

21 of 25

Hearty Beef And Freezer Veggie Soup

Hearty Beef and Freezer Veggie Soup — Greg DuPree

Use the frozen veggies in your freezer to stir up a batch of satisfying soup. Season and brown cubed stew meat, and then add vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, and frozen corn, beans, and okra. In just 40 minutes, you can have bowls of steaming soup on the table.

22 of 25

Easy Brunswick Stew

Easy Brunswick Stew

Don't have all day to mind the stove? Let the slow cooker take care of dinner tonight with our easiest Brunswick stew recipe. Dump a pork shoulder, frozen corn, and other ingredients into the slow cooker and set it on LOW. Come back at the end of the day to shred the extremely tender meat.

23 of 25

Any-Season Succotash

Any-Season Succotash — Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

The name says it all: Canned tomatoes, frozen okra, and frozen corn can stand in for this vibrant vegetable side any time of year. White wine vinegar, garlic, and habanero pepper liven up the succotash. Use a cast-iron skillet to sear in the flavors.

24 of 25

Corn Fritters

Southern Living Corn Fritters on a plate to serve — Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Rebecca Cummins

Whether you're hosting brunch, a fish fry, or a barbecue dinner, these crispy fried bits of doughy corn will be more than welcome at the table. The corn-studded fritters fall somewhere between hush puppies and funnel cake, two of our very favorite things. At breakfast, you can serve them with warm maple syrup for dipping.

25 of 25

Black Bean And Corn Salsa

Southern Living Black Bean Corn Salsa in a bowl to serve with tortilla chips, lime wedges, and glasses of beer — Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

While we do prefer using fresh corn in the summer, this salsa is delicious with thawed corn kernels too. The corn and bell peppers get a nice sear in a cast-iron skillet before you mix in black beans and other fresh ingredients, including fresh-squeezed lime juice to give the salsa more zing.

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