Name: Southwest Casserole – Cheesy Corn and Green Chile with 5 Ingredients
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups frozen or canned sweet corn ( drained if canned); 1 can (4 oz / 113 g) chopped green chiles (mild or hot); 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (or cream of celery); 2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese; 1 sleeve buttery crackers (e.g., Ritz), (crushed)

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This Southwest Casserole is going to hit the spot If you’ve been craving a simple, cozy meal that brings a little Southwest flair into your kitchen. It’s cheesy, a little spicy, and unbelievably easy to throw together with only five ingredients.

It’s a complete meal with roasted green chiles, sweet corn, melted cheese, and a creamy base all baked until beautiful and a golden color.

This is the kind of dish that makes you feel like you worked hard in the kitchen, but in all reality, you spent less than 10 minutes prepping it. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, family, or want something to portion out for the week, this casserole delivers on flavor and convenience.

Table Of Contents

🛒 Ingredients (5 Simple Items)

One of the best parts of this recipe is the short ingredient list. Here’s what you will need:

2 cups frozen or canned sweet corn
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles (mild or hot depending on your spice preference)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom (or cream of celery for variation)
2 cups shredded cheddar or a Mexican blend cheese
1 sleeve buttery crackers (like Ritz), crushed (not whole).

That’s it! Just five ingredients for a satisfying, flavorful Southwest casserole.

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large bowl, combine the corn, green chiles, and cream soup until well mixed.
Pour into a greased 9×9 casserole dish.
Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the top.
Mix crushed crackers with 2 tbsp melted butter (optional) and spread as the topping.
Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes until hot and bubbly with a golden crust.

Serve hot and enjoy the creamy, cheesy, Southwest inspired flavor!

🥘 Why You’ll Love This Southwest Casserole

Minimal ingredients – just five pantry items.
Family friendly – kids love the cheesy corn.
Flexible – add beans, tofu, or bell peppers if you want.
Perfect for meal prep – reheats beautifully throughout the week.

This makes it more than just a quick dinner, it’s also a base for different variations.

🥗 Turn It Into Southwest Bowl Meal Prep

Here’s where this recipe really shines. Instead of serving it straight from the baking dish, you can portion it into meal prep containers to make your own Southwest Bowl Meal Prep.

Add a scoop of rice or quinoa as the base.
Top with a square of cheesy casserole.
Garnish with fresh cilantro, avocado slices, or a squeeze of lime.

This way, you’ve got balanced meals, and you’re prepared and ready to grab for lunches or dinners throughout the week. It’s cost effective, and keeps you satisfied.

🍴 More Southwest Dinner Ideas

If you love the flavors of roasted chiles, sweet corn, and creamy cheese, you’ll probably want more Southwest dinner ideas to rotate through. Here are some simple ones:

Southwest black bean and rice bowls
Roasted sweet potato tacos with lime crema
Creamy enchilada style casseroles
Corn and poblano pepper soup

Linking these ideas together can help you build a meal rotation around budget friendly, flavorful recipes.

🚚 Not in the Mood to Cook? Try A Vegetarian Food Delivery Option

Even the best recipes sometimes take more energy than we’ve got. On those nights, vegetarian food delivery can save the day. You pick and choose what you want, and they will send ready to eat meals straight to your door.

Here’s why Vegetarian food delivery matters:

No grocery shopping.
Portion controlled, healthy options.
Still keeps you on track with vegetarian eating.

This Southwest casserole is budget friendly when you cook it yourself, but if you want to mix convenience with variety, vegetarian meal delivery is a strong option.

Short On Time, or Don’t Feel Like Cooking?
Get Vegetarian meals delivered to your door.

See Meal Plans

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through my links at no additional cost to you. .

📅 Planning Ahead with Custom Meal Plans

If you’re the type of person who likes structure, you can take recipes like this casserole and slot them into a custom meal plan. That way, you know exactly what you’ll eat during the week and won’t fall back on random snacking.

For example, a 3 day custom plan might look like this:

Day 1: Breakfast smoothie, lunch = Southwest casserole bowl, dinner = veggie stir fry.
Day 2: Overnight oats, lunch = leftover casserole with a salad, dinner = lentil tacos.
Day 3: Greek yogurt with fruit, lunch = enchilada-style wrap, dinner = casserole + roasted veggies.

Whether you build your own meal plans or use an online service, it keeps your eating habits balanced and intentional.

🔄 Variations of the Southwest Casserole

One reason casseroles have lasted for generations is their flexibility. Once you master this base recipe, you can adjust it to suit your taste or dietary needs:

Vegetarian Protein Boost: Add black beans or pinto beans.
Spice Lovers: Use hot Hatch green chiles instead of mild.
Healthier Option: Swap out half the cheese for nutritional yeast to cut calories but keep the flavor.
Gluten Free Alternative: Replace buttery crackers with crushed corn chips.

💡 Final Thoughts

The Southwest Casserole is the kind of dish you’ll want to make again and again. It’s easy, comforting, and works for busy weeknights, potlucks, or lazy Sundays.

Even better, it’s versatile: you can eat it fresh out of the oven, portion it for Southwest bowl meal prep, or work it into custom meal plans for better weekly structure.

Also, if life gets too hectic, you always have the option of checking out vegetarian food delivery to stay on track.

So, next time you’re searching for Southwest dinner ideas, start here. This casserole isn’t just dinner, it’s a foundation for a lifestyle of flavorful, flexible, and satisfying meals.

For another great Southwest recipe, try our “Spanish Rice With Salsa Recipe”.

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