Are you searching for the ultimate savory breakfast or brunch centerpiece? A cozy, comforting, and completely satisfying one-dish meal that will have the whole family raving? This incredible, from-scratch-tasting Savory Cornbread Casserole with Ham and Kale is that perfect recipe! We’re talking a rich, luscious, and creamy corn and ham filling, all baked under a beautiful, golden-brown, and cheesy cornbread cobbler topping.
This isn’t just another breakfast casserole recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a truly unforgettable weekend brunch or holiday morning feast. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to a flawless, from-scratch creamed corn base and a perfectly tender, biscuit-style cornbread topping. This is a show-stopping, one-dish wonder that is perfect for any special occasion.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Savory Breakfast Casserole
What makes this Cornbread Breakfast Casserole so spectacularly delicious is its incredible combination of textures and its wonderfully rich and savory flavor. This recipe is a masterpiece of comfort food genius. The base of the casserole is a luscious, from-scratch creamed corn filling, made extra creamy with a brilliant pureeing technique. This savory base is absolutely loaded with salty, diced ham and hearty, healthy kale. The real magic, however, is the topping. It’s not a traditional, pourable cornbread batter, but rather a cheesy, biscuit-style cornbread topping, which is dropped in dollops over the filling and bakes up into a beautiful, golden-brown, and tender crust.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 25 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Baker’s & The Chef’s Secrets: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients and smart techniques to create its signature comforting and cheesy flavor.
- The Creamy Corn Filling:
- The Puree Hack: This is the brilliant and healthy secret to an unbelievably creamy filling without any flour or a traditional roux! By pureeing about a third of your cooked corn and cream mixture, you are naturally thickening the sauce and creating an incredibly rich and velvety consistency.
- The Savory Add-ins: A classic and delicious combination of salty, smoky, thick-cut deli ham and nutrient-dense kale makes this a hearty, all-in-one meal.
- The Biscuit-Style Cornbread Topping:
- Cold Butter is KEY!: The secret to a wonderfully tender and flaky, not dense, cornbread topping is to use the classic “biscuit method.” By pulsing very cold butter into your dry ingredients until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, you are creating small pockets of butter. When these pockets melt in the hot oven, they create steam, which is the key that results in a beautifully light and tender texture.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: For the best, most robust, and tangiest flavor, it is essential to use a good quality, sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese.
Step-by-Step to the Best Cornbread Breakfast Casserole
This delicious, one-dish meal is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Art of the Creamy Corn Filling
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously butter a 2-quart oval or a 9×9-inch baking dish.
Step 2: In a large skillet, melt the 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter over a medium heat. Add your 1 finely chopped medium onion, the 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.
Step 3: Add your two 16-ounce bags of thawed frozen corn and the 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream. Bring this to a simmer and let it cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the mixture has reduced and thickened slightly.
Step 4 (The Secret to Creaminess!): Transfer about 2 cups of this corn mixture to a food processor and puree it until it is smooth. Then, stir this puree back into the skillet with the remaining corn.
Step 5: Fold in your 1/2 pound of diced ham and the 5 ounces of frozen kale. Transfer this entire creamed corn mixture to your prepared baking dish.
Part 2: The Perfect, Cheesy Cornbread Topping
Step 1: In a clean food processor, pulse your dry ingredients to combine: the 3/4 cup each of yellow cornmeal and all-purpose flour, the 2 teaspoons of baking powder, the 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Step 2 (The Biscuit Method!): Add your 1 1/2 sticks of cold, cubed butter to the food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Step 3: Add the 3/4 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and pulse just until the batter comes together. Do not overmix!
Part 3: Assemble and Bake to Golden, Bubbly Perfection
Step 1: Sprinkle the cornmeal batter in dollops over the top of your creamed corn filling. Don’t worry if the corn isn’t completely covered; the batter will puff up and spread as it bakes. Step 2: Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese over the top of the batter. Step 3: Place your casserole on a baking sheet to catch any potential drips, and bake for about 35 minutes. You will know it is perfectly done when the corn filling is hot and bubbling and the cornbread crust is beautifully puffed up and a deep golden brown.
Let the casserole cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. This crucial resting period is the key that will allow the creamy filling to set up. Serve with a dash of your favorite hot sauce.
Cornbread Breakfast Casserole (with Ham & Kale!)
A festive and elegant recipe for a Gingerbread Roulade Cake, perfect for a holiday dessert. This dish features a light, spiced gingerbread sponge cake that is baked in a thin layer and then rolled up while still warm to ‘train’ it. Once cooled, the cake is unrolled and filled with a sweet and tangy cream cheese filling. The finished roulade, or Swiss roll, is dusted with confectioners’ sugar and decorated with gumdrops for a classic Christmas look.
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon plus a pinch of fine salt
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- For the Filling & Decoration:
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine salt
- 8 gumdrops, for decorating
Instructions
- Make the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter, line with parchment, and then butter and flour a 10.5×15.5-inch rimmed baking sheet.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the egg yolks and 3/4 cup of sugar with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes until thick. Beat in the melted butter, molasses, and vanilla. Gently fold in the spiced flour mixture.
- In another large, clean bowl, beat the egg whites and a pinch of salt until frothy. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter in thirds until just combined.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed.
- Roll the Cake: While the cake is still hot, dust it with confectioners’ sugar. Place a large, clean kitchen towel over the cake and quickly invert the baking sheet. Carefully peel away the parchment paper.
- Starting from a long side, roll the warm cake up tightly, taking the towel with it. Let the cake cool completely in this rolled-up shape for about 30 minutes.
- Make the Filling: Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt, and beat until thick and smooth.
- Assemble the Roulade: Gently unroll the cooled cake. Spread the filling evenly over the top. Reroll the cake (without the towel this time) and place it seam-side down on a serving platter.
- Decorate the top of the roulade with the gumdrops and dust with more confectioners’ sugar before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Special Equipment: The recipe requires a 10.5×15.5-inch rimmed baking sheet and a large, clean kitchen towel.
- ‘Training’ the cake by rolling it in a towel while it’s still warm is a crucial step that prevents it from cracking when you roll it with the filling later.
- It is important that the cake is completely cool before you spread the cream cheese filling, otherwise the filling will melt.
- The article references a ‘Cook’s Note’ that is not provided in the text.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This Breakfast Casserole is the ultimate make-ahead and freezer-friendly meal.
- Make-Ahead: You can fully assemble the entire, unbaked casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Simply cover it tightly with foil and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, you may need to add 15-20 minutes to the total baking time.
- Storage: Store any leftover casserole, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: This casserole freezes beautifully! You can freeze the unbaked casserole for the best result. Assemble it completely in a freezer-safe dish, then wrap the pan very well in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a creamy corn filling without using a can of soup?
The secret is the brilliant “puree” hack! By taking a portion of your cooked corn and cream mixture and pureeing it until it is smooth, you are naturally releasing all the starches from the corn, which is the key that will beautifully and naturally thicken your sauce into an incredibly rich and velvety consistency.
Q2: Can I make this breakfast casserole ahead of time for a holiday brunch?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead brunch centerpiece! You can fully assemble the entire unbaked casserole a day in advance, cover it, and keep it in the refrigerator. On the morning of your brunch, you can simply pop it in the oven to bake.
Q3: Can I make this recipe vegetarian?
Yes, absolutely! To make a delicious and hearty vegetarian version, simply omit the diced ham. To make up for the bulk and savory flavor, you can add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of sautéed mushrooms to your creamed corn filling.
Q4: What is the best kind of ham to use?
For the best flavor and texture, it is a great idea to ask your local deli to slice you a single, thick (about 1/2-inch) piece of a good-quality, smoked ham, which you can then dice yourself at home.
Q5: Can I use a different kind of green instead of kale?
Of course! A few large handfuls of fresh baby spinach would be a fantastic substitute for the frozen kale. Simply stir it into your hot creamed corn filling at the very end and let it wilt for just a minute or two.