The Pioneer Woman's 4-Ingredient Corn Casserole Couldn't Be Easier (It's The Perfect Side Dish)

In 2006, Ree Drummond started The Pioneer Woman, a blog devoted to documenting her life on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma. On the website, she's shared stories, photos, and recipes like her fresh corn casserole we can't get enough of. Made with what she described as "four ingredients," this is the kind of recipe you can confidently cart to the summer barbecue or set out on the dinner table during cold weekdays in January. 

Drummond's recipe calls for corn, heavy cream, butter, and salt and pepper (the latter two of which she considered as one ingredient) to taste. The subtle sweetness of the corn and the gentle bite of corn kernels make for a dish that is sure to satisfy. When you simply need to mix ingredients into a dish and bake until warm, even the aspiring chef can take a break. "This was super duper awesome! Made it as a side for a family BBQ and now will have it in permanent rotation," remarked one of Drummond's fans on her blog. Some people may see this dish and think of corn pudding, but Drummond's recipe doesn't include eggs.

Drummond warns cooks not to bake the dish too long to ensure the cream doesn't dry out and the corn doesn't turn into a mushy mess. The idea is to keep the corn crunchy with a tempting bite. Those with aspiring culinary inclinations can doctor up her recipe with extra ingredients, like adding crumbles of maple-smoked bacon bits or slivers of fresh scallions. Drummond's recipe can also be repackaged into individual portions by using a muffin tray and pouring the casserole mixture into compartments that have been lined with store-bought crust.

Use fresh corn or corn out of a can if you can't be bothered cutting kernels. Scoops of this casserole can fill plates next to portions of brisket, steak, or cuddle up next to your favorite sandwiches. To push the dish into a more substantial recipe, add a box of cornbread mix to make a moist corn casserole. Corn casserole might be considered retro, but one bite of this tasty recipe will prove that this is a recipe worth a comeback. To lean into sweeter flavors, a honey glaze can bend your recipe into an even more tempting lane, and you can play up your dishes with smoked paprika, cinnamon, or nutmeg, or choose to turn up the volume of added freshness with ground sage, parsley, or zest from lemon.