Jalapeño, Pepper Jack & Bacon Corn Pudding

The Thanksgiving Side Dish Guaranteed to Steal the Show

Thanksgiving is six weeks out, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about holiday tables, it’s this: the turkey gets the attention, but the sides are what people remember. And the side that disappears fastest is never the plain one. It’s the one with bacon and cheese and a little kick — the one with the most personality on the table.

This corn pudding is that side. It’s built on the Jiffy corn muffin mix shortcut, which means the base is foolproof — sweet corn, creamed corn, sour cream, butter, eggs — baked into something between a pudding and a cornbread. Then it gets the loaded treatment: crispy bacon, diced jalapeños, green chiles, and a blanket of pepper jack cheese that goes golden and bubbly on top. Sweet, savory, spicy, creamy. It hits every note.

I’ve made this for holiday tables and for regular weeknight dinners when I wanted the side dish to be the main event. It reheats beautifully, it feeds a crowd, and the hot honey drizzle at the end is the move that makes people ask for the recipe.

The Secret to Unforgettable Corn Pudding

Corn pudding fails when it’s dry or bland, and this version avoids both. The creamed corn and sour cream keep it custardy and moist, the Jiffy mix gives it structure without any measuring, and the mix-ins — bacon, jalapeños, green chiles, pepper jack — mean every bite has something going on. The hot honey goes on at the end, not baked in, so it stays bright and sweet against the savory pudding. One bowl, one baking dish, and it’s the side dish people talk about.

• The holiday side with the most personality — sweet, savory, spicy, creamy
• Jiffy mix base means foolproof, no measuring flour or leavening
• Feeds a crowd and reheats beautifully for the big day
• The hot honey drizzle is the secret-weapon finish

What You’ll Need (and Why It Works)

What Each Ingredient Does

• Jiffy corn muffin mix — One box. The foolproof base. It’s got the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and leavening already balanced — this is the shortcut that makes the recipe weeknight-possible.
• Butter, melted — One stick. Richness and moisture. Melted so it mixes evenly through the batter.
• Eggs, beaten — Two large. They bind the pudding and give it that custardy, set texture instead of crumbly cornbread.
• Whole kernel corn, drained — One can. Pops of sweet corn texture throughout the pudding.
• Cream-style corn — One can. The moisture and creaminess. This is what makes it a pudding instead of a bread — don’t drain it.
• Full-fat sour cream — One cup. Tang and richness. Full-fat only — the low-fat version will make the pudding watery.
• Hot honey — One to two tablespoons. Mixed into the batter for a background warmth, with more for drizzling at the end. The sweet-heat that makes people ask what’s in it.
• Salt & black pepper — To taste. The batter needs salt to balance all that sweetness — taste the mix before it goes in the oven.
• Bacon, cooked & crumbled — One pound. Crispy, salty, smoky. Folded through the batter so every bite has some, with extra on top.
• Jalapeños, seeded & diced — Two. The fresh heat. Seeding keeps it flavorful without being punishing — leave some seeds in if your crowd likes it hot.
• Mild diced green chiles — One can. Roasted, earthy, gentle heat. They add chile flavor without the jalapeño’s bite.
• Shredded Pepper Jack cheese — One and a half to two cups. The blanket on top. Pepper jack melts beautifully and adds creamy heat — the golden, bubbly top is half the appeal.
• Chives — Chopped, for garnish. Fresh, sharp, green — the finishing touch over the rich, cheesy top.

Shop This Recipe

A few tools that make this one easy: a 9×13 baking dish (for the pudding — feeds a crowd), a large mixing bowl (for the one-bowl batter), a box grater (for shredding the pepper jack fresh), and oven mitts (it comes out bubbling and golden). (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

More kitchen favorites I use all the time — find my full list of kitchen must-haves on my Amazon Storefront. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Print Recipe

Comfort Food

Jalapeño, Pepper Jack & Bacon Corn Pudding

Author: Nady Benyamine Courses: Appetizer, Side Dish

Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 45 mins Total Time 55 mins

Description

A sweet-savory Thanksgiving corn pudding upgraded with jalapeños, crispy bacon, Pepper Jack cheese, and a hot honey finish — the holiday side dish nobody forgets.

Ingredients

Cook Mode Cooking Mode Disabled

Servings

• 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix (8.5 oz)
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can cream-style corn
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
• 1 tbsp 1–2 hot honey
• Salt & black pepper to taste
• 1 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled (reserve some)
• 2 jalapeños, seeded & diced
• 1 can mild diced green chiles (4 oz)
• 1 cups 1½–2 shredded Pepper Jack cheese (reserve some)
• Chives (optional)

Instructions

2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a baking dish.
3. In a large bowl, mix together Jiffy mix, melted butter, eggs, both corns, sour cream, hot honey, salt, and pepper.
4. Fold in crumbled bacon, diced jalapeños, green chiles, and most of the Pepper Jack (save some for topping).
5. Pour into the baking dish and top with remaining cheese and a few extra slices or rings of jalapeños if you like heat.
6. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until golden around the edges and set in the center.
7. Remove from oven and finish with flaky salt, extra bacon, a drizzle of hot honey, and chives.

Note

For extra spice, leave some jalapeño seeds in or add a second can of green chiles.

If you like a looser, scoopable pudding, bake slightly less; for a firmer sliceable version, bake until the center springs back.

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