Spicy, Cheesy, Corn Casserole (Or Dip!)
I love fresh corn. Unfortunately, corn is not a popular food here in Switzerland, and even during the summer, I only rarely saw it in the grocery store. Still, I was craving a tasty corn dish, so when I saw this Tasty.co recipe for Spicy Southern Corn made with canned corn (always available and, oddly, popular here on salads), I decided to give it a try. With just a few tweaks, this recipe was everything I wanted it to be and it is now in my regular rotation. So much so, here I am making and posting this recipe in the middle of December!
I start by melting some butter in a pan over medium-high heat, and sautéing the diced peppers and onions. As always, I season the peppers and onions with salt and pepper. For the peppers, use a red pepper or a mix of red and green peppers. The pops of red and green, really do make this dish more appealing. I made it once with a yellow pepper, and while it tasted the same, it just looked wrong. After about 5 minutes, when the peppers have softened and the onions have become slightly translucent, I lower the heat to medium and add the cream cheese. After a minute or two, the cream cheese has completely softened, and I add the pickled jalapeños, jalapeño brine, and paprika.
I mix everything to make sure it is fully combined, then I drain the corn and add it to the pan. I sauté the mixture for about five minutes until it is heated through. I then stir in half the grated cheese. At this point, I give it a taste and add more salt and pepper if it needs it. Using the back of the spoon, I smooth the mixture over and then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Next, I pop the pan under the broiler and let the cheese become melty, bubbly, and slightly browned – about 5 minutes or so.
To serve, I like to drizzle it with some make-shift Mexican crema (crème fraîche mixed with enough lime juice to make a drizzleable consistency) and garnish it with chopped fresh cilantro or green onions (or both!)
This corn casserole is a terrific side with garlic, lime, cilantro chicken thighs, and it also makes a great dip served with corn chips.
Spicy, Cheesy, Corn Casserole (or Dip!)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 200 g cream cheese
- 3 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeños
- 1 tbsp jalapeño brine
- 100 g diced red or green bell pepper
- 2 cans (340 g) corn
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt and Pepper to taste
- 100 g shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp Mexican crema A good substitute is crème fraîche mixed with enough lime juice to get it to consistency that is easy to drizzle.
- fresh chopped cilantro or green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the diced peppers and onions and sauté until the peppers are soft and the onions just translucent. About 5 minutes. Season the peppers and onions with salt and pepper.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the cream cheese. Cook for a minute or two until the cream cheese has completely softened.
- Add the pickled jalapeños, jalapeño brine, and paprika. Give everything a good mix to make sure it is fully combined.
- Add the corn and sauté the mixture for abut five minutes until it is heated through.
- Stir in half of the grated cheese. Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper if it needs it.
- If you are using a pan that can go under the broiler, simply smooth out the top of the corn mixture and sprinkle it with the remaining cheese. Otherwise, transfer the mixture to an oven-proof dish, before smoothing it out and topping with the cheese.
- Put the pan under the broiler until the cheese is melty, bubbly, and slightly browned – about 5 minutes.
- To serve, drizzle the casserole with Mexican crema (a good substitute is crème fraîche mixed with enough lime juice to make a drizzleable consistency) and garnish it with chopped fresh cilantro or green onions (or both!)
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