Hot Corn Dip

CATEGORIES: Dips and Spreads, Sara
author photo BY
Sara Wells


So last year around this time we got loads of emails requesting ideas for Superbowl parties.  We have a pretty decent appetizer section, and you can see many of them pictured in this post. However, you might notice what Kate and I noticed.  A great number of our appetizers are, well… pretty.  Looks like we do way more baby showers, wedding celebrations and womens’ luncheons than we do jeans and t-shirt wearing beer/rootbeer guzzling sports gatherings.  So this week we’re determined to bring you some good football-appropriate fare!  And even if you’re not a football fan, think of an excuse to make this stuff because it’s good anytime food!  Today’s recipe is a hot corn dip.  I’ve had it bookmarked for a while now, mostly because I’ve seen so many great reviews for it and I was curious to see if it lived up to the hype.  I’ll be honest, it took a lot for me to not give in to my instincts and add more stuff to it like lime juice, cumin, fresh cilantro, etc.  I followed the recipe with some very minor changes and what do you know…Emeril actually knew what he was doing.  This was a big hit, we gobbled it right up!  Perfect for a casual gathering like a game day party or a summer bbq.

Let’s get cookin’!

I can’t wait to make this in the summer time with fresh corn from the cob.  Since that’s not available to me right now, I used frozen corn.  (Please oh please don’t use canned corn.)  You pop it in a hot skillet with a little butter and salt and pepper to roast it up. See this beautiful pan I’m using?


The folks at All-Clad sent Kate and me each a pan from the brand new Stainless collection with D5 Technology.  Yes, it’s beautiful.  You can read all about it here.  The collection is sold exclusively at Williams-Sonoma and it’s considered one of the best brands of cookware on the market (which is why you’ll notice it’s a little pricey!)  The pan I’m using in this picture is the 6 quart saute pan and I’ve been using it a lot, it’s a great size to have.  The new D5 technology is pretty amazing and the cookware performs beautifully.  Check out those links, even if it’s just to drool!  Okay, back to the recipe…

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You’ll remove the corn from the pan and pop it in a bowl.  Then add a little more butter.  Next, you’ll add in some diced onions and the red pepper.  I used a jarred roasted red pepper (or check out this tutorial to make your own) and I loved the smokiness they added to the dip.  Saute those for a few minutes


And then add in green onions, garlic, and jalapenos.  By the way, check out this post if you’re scared of jalapenos!

Remove the onion mixture and pop it in the bowl with the corn and stir it all up

Add in the cheeses, mayo, and cayenne pepper.  The recipe says to put half the cheese in and use the other half on top, but I’d say I added more like 2/3 of the cheese in the dip and 1/3 on top.  Add enough mayo for it to all come together.  1/2 C was perfect for me.

Stir it all up to combine and then pop it in a dish.  Something about 8×8 or similar will be perfect, I used a pretty pie plate.  Top with additional shredded cheese and pop it in your preheated oven.  When it comes out all hot and bubbly you’ll want to dig right in.


I was amazed at how sweet the dip was because of the corn.  It’s a nice mix with the spice of the red pepper and jalapeno, however it wasn’t *spicy* at all. I did cut the red pepper down by half because I’m a scaredy-cat but next time I’ll put the full amount in.  The cheese and little bit of mayo make it super creamy.

Serve with either tortilla chips, or my guilty little secret, Fritos.  Seriously folks, this stuff is YuMmY!

 

Hot Corn Dip
Recipe by Emeril Lagasse

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 4 ears fresh white or yellow corn, or frozen fresh corn)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell peppers – I used roasted red bell peppers from a jar.
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise – 1/2 C was plenty for mine
  • 4 ounces monterey jack or cheddar, shredded- I used monterey jack
  • 4 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • Tortilla chips, for dipping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels turn deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Note that if you’re using frozen corn it probably won’t get golden brown.  Just cook for about 5 minutes as the recipe states.  Transfer to a bowl.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, until the onions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the green onions, jalapeno, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Transfer to the bowl with the corn.
Add 1/2 C mayo, cayenne pepper, half of the Monterrey jack and half of the cheddar and mix well. If you need more mayo to hold the mixture together then add it, but I found that 1/2 C was plenty, and I even added a little extra cheese.
Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish, or something equivalent and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips or Fritos.

56 comments

  5. Brooke- yes, you could totally make it ahead of time! You'll just want to store in the fridge until you're ready to bake it and then since it will be chilled you'll need to cook it for longer than 12-15 minutes. Probably more like 15-20 or so.

    Reply

  6. I've made this exact recipe several times and it is DELICIOUS, especially if you've saved frozen corn on the cob from the summertime!

    Reply

  8. Looks delicious!
    I usually end up putting my hot dips in a mini crockpot (like the roasted red pepper one you guys have)to keep warm and gooey during the game

    – Do you think this one would work also?
    thanks!

    Reply

  11. I should have eaten before I read this – this sounds FANTASTIC! Even though it's only 10 a.m. I'm ready to whip some up…just to check it out of course…

    Reply

  13. Sara- yes you could totally keep it warm in a crock pot.

    Jen- embrace the mayo! lol. For the record it doesn't *taste* like mayo. You could try a little sour cream instead but I'm not sure how it would effect the flavor.

    Reply

  22. I couldn't wait to try out this recipe so we had it last night with dinner. So tasty and a huge success! I am sensitive to spicy things so was a little weary about adding a whole jalapeño but did it anyway. I could hardly taste it! (And neither could my kids. :)) Next time, for my husband's sake, I may add a little more or try to find a hotter jalapeño. This recipe is definitely going into my recipe book! Thank you so much!!

    And I am not really a football fan…I attend my parent's Superbowl party for the food and to watch the commercials. 🙂

    Reply

  23. I don't make dips enough (besides guacamole), I'm going to have to change that! And my mom and I have found that Emeril recipes are VERY reliable and delicious.

    Reply

  30. This looked so good! I'm not a fan of mayo so I substituted the mayo for a 1/2 cup of cream cheese. It. Is. Amazing! So yummy! I wish I would have used a bit more jalapeno then I did. I used the one jalapeno and it just leaves a little hint of heat at the end. Like this it would be really good for kids. I think next time I'll put in 2 jalapenos. Thanks for sharing! =)

    Reply

  31. Hey Ladies! I love your website! Last year, I made a yummy jalapeno popper dip from your website. Can you report this recipe? I don't see it and didn't write it down ;-(

    Reply

  34. This is one of mine and my husband's favorite Sunday afternoon snacks! But I've never made it using the frozen corn before. Do you thaw it before putting it in the pan or just cut it frozen?

    Reply

  38. I made this for Super Bowl and it was fantastic! I didn't have any problem getting the frozen corn to brown/carmelize. Maybe it depends on the brand (I used Freshlike). I also didn't bake it, I put it in my little dip crock pot. I started it about a 1/2 hour before the party and stirred it every once in a while during the party.
    This is definitely one of my new favorite dips!!
    BTW..I found that it's even better warmed up the next day!

    Reply

  41. You can get your corn to turn brown like this (this is from Cook’s Illustrated):

    Pour the frozen corn into a non-stick skillet set over high heat. Toast the corn by shaking frequently for about five minutes until the corn is spotty brown.

    It was too hot on high, but I did this on medium-high and it worked great. Gives it a nice flavor, too.

    Reply

  43. I know you’ve mentioned multiple times, NO CANNED CORN, butttt what if I have just inherited a tray of canned corn (among other odd canned items) from a mother in law? I really just want to find some sort of way to use it! Is there any other recipes you could suggest??

    Reply

    1. Haha, Caroline you’re welcome to use canned corn. I just really hate the flavor of canned so I always tell people to avoid it in our recipes!

      Reply

  44. I made this last night for the neighbors and it was a hit. So nice to have a quick and easy dip that’s something different. Loved it, thanks for sharing!!! Love the site : )

    Reply

  45. I made this last night and loved it! I didn’t include the jalapeno, though, because my husband doesn’t like spicy foods. You could still taste a tiny bit of heat just because of the cayenne powder. It was a good thing I made it the way I did, because my husband loved it and wolfed it down! I’ll be baking this again the next time I need to bring something to a party. Thank you!

    Reply

  46. Im going to try this recipe because it differs a little from the one i make. My family has been making this dip for years. I’m a coache’s wife and it’s brought to nearly all our after football game dinners. I double it and it’s still not enough because it’s always devoured. My recipe is really quick, no chopping 🙂 I use 1 11oz can mexicorn drained, 1/2 cup mayo or just enough to hold all together, 1 1/2 cup jack cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese and 2-3 tbsp of jar or canned diced jalepenos. Mix it up and bake 25 min at 350. Super quick and I keep all ingredients on hand all the time.

    Reply

  47. I made this today it was good but needed something else so I added cranks hot sauce and it made it amazing! And not too spicy the sweetness of the corn takes over most of it

    Reply

  49. This was yummy, but it was even better the next day, especially after i stirred in fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice- it really brightened up the flavor!

    Reply

  50. Just wanted to let you know I have made this recipe about 3 bazillion times since I first pinned it- parties, showers, family gatherings, everyone loves it! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  51. Way too heavy on the onion (even after cooked). Half the onion (or leave out one kind maybe) and it’s a keeper! I used the Kraft cheese with a touch of cream cheese and it was yum!

    Reply

  52. Made this for our dinner club last night and they loved it. I will be making this many more times and you’re right…. Fritos go best! The one change in the future will be to use two jalapeños.

    Reply

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