I mocked corn casserole when I first heard about it. I grew up on either corn pudding or corn bread, so when I learned about this funky hybrid casserole, I dismissed it as Midwestern nonsense, adjacent to Jell-O salads and certainly unworthy of a last meal. But after developing our highly-rated recipe for corn casserole and testing countless iterations, I can confirm that Benny Blanco was on to something when he said he would have fiancée Selena Gomez’s corn casserole for his last meal on an episode of the podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware. When I discovered just how special this dish is, I was happy to eat my words (and several bowls full of corn casserole) and declare this a last-meal-worthy dish.

So, how is corn casserole different from more familiar staples like cornbread and corn pudding? As Blanco describes on the podcast, "[Corn casserole] doesn't have the same density [as cornbread], it's much looser." But not as loose as corn pudding. Although they're made with mostly the same ingredients and technique, corn casserole is slightly denser and typically leans a bit more savory.

Corn casserole has become a staple on every holiday menu, and that’s not only because it’s a crowd pleaser, but also because it’s ridiculously easy to make. These ingredients are the stars of the show.

So, what makes corn casserole so last-meal worthy? With the perfect balance of savory and slightly sweet, corn casserole is the goldilocks side dish that sits right at the crossroads of all the tastes and textures you want from a big holiday meal. And the best part about corn casserole? It is insanely easy to make a delicious one.