The Marie Callender's Frozen Side Dish Everyone Seems To Hate, According To Reviews

Despite Marie Callender's stellar reputation as our favorite frozen pie brand, the frozen side dish that customers unanimously revile is the sweet corn casserole. The photo on the box depicts a luxurious hybrid between cornbread and corn pudding, but disappointed and disgusted reviews routinely declare "false advertising!" Customers on Reddit even felt that the corn casserole was an affront to all the senses. As one wrote, "The smell is gross. The taste is worse and the texture isn't good either." Even on Marie Callender's official website, the corn casserole has a whopping 130 one-star reviews out of 141 total reviews, at the time of writing. As one baffled customer reasoned, "I'm not the least bit picky, but this had such a foul taste that I had to get it off my plate," adding that it was "bland at best." 

Most described it as atrocious because they were unable to put into words exactly what it resembled. Many noted odd aromas, with one review stating, "First thing you notice is the horrible chemical smell," which they likened to paraffin. This was also the most common term used to describe the taste. That is, if it didn't taste spoiled or rancid. Some Redditors thought that using a microwave was the culprit, but, as one pointed out, "I tried it in the oven. It took over an hour and tasted like something was sour." The consistency was described as "cream of wheat," "mashed potato," and "like pancake batter on corn."

We've ranked many different Marie Callender's frozen dessert pies and frozen meals over the years. And, like many restaurant brand frozen foods, certain options should be avoided at all costs. These include, but aren't limited to, Marie Callender's beef pot roast bowl, the sweet and citrusy orange chicken bowl, and the Italiano meat lasagna. Still, Marie Callender's hasn't been a major contender in the frozen food industry because all of its products are bad. So, you can avoid the corn casserole, et al, but the chicken pot pie, turkey breast and stuffing, and chicken and dumplings bowl are all winners that you should definitely stock your freezer with.

If you're really in the mood for a corn casserole, you're better off making one from scratch. We have a delicious and unique miso and charred corn pudding recipe that's bursting with umami and toasted notes to complement the sweetness of fresh corn on the cob. An even easier recipe for creamy corn pudding swaps corn on the cob for frozen corn, sautéing it with green onions before adding it to a bowl with various types of cheese, eggs, milk, and cornmeal (this recipe is also similar to Marie Callender's casserole too). Cornbread is a dish that's just as easy to make and we have numerous cornbread recipes to choose from, including this loaded corn casserole.