Use up the rest of that summer corn with this delicious side! This spicy creamed corn is savory and smooth and is topped with salty cotija cheese and fresh cilantro.
I know we just kicked off the fall season with Monday’s pumpkin lasagna rolls, but let’s bring summer back for just a minute. Here in Texas it doesn’t quite feel like Fall yet. Once we reach temps lower than 85 degrees it just may feel like fall…
Anyway, today I’m sharing a delicious side dish that goes great with any Mexican inspired meal. Or, you can just eat it by itself which I have no shame in admitting I ate this for lunch several times last week, it’s so delicious.
I used baby corn kernels that I found in the frozen section. You could use fresh corn if you wanted, but my local grocery store didn’t have the best looking corn (hint: it’s because it’s going out of season). If you can find good looking fresh corn, by all means use it!
The trick to making this really creamy and smooth is pureeing one cup of the corn/jalapeno/shallot mixture with half and half. I love using half and half in recipes that would typically use heavy cream – I feel it tastes almost exactly the same but you save some grams of saturated fat this way.
I had actually never tried cotija cheese before this recipe! It’s a hard cow’s milk cheese that originated from Mexico. It’s dry and firm and is saltier than other cheeses, which makes it a great choice to top this creamy sweet and spicy corn dish!
Use up the last of that summer corn! Here’s the recipe for Spicy Creamed Corn with Cotija Cheese and Cilantro:
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 16oz frozen baby or niblet corn
- 1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 shallot, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
- fresh cilantro
- In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat and add the corn, jalapeno and shallot. Saute until the corn is golden and the shallot is translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
- Take 1 cup of the corn mixture and add to a food processor along with the one cup of half and half. Blend until smooth. Add the pureed corn back into the saucepan.
- Turn the heat on low and let simmer until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Top with Cotija cheese and the fresh cilantro.
Hi! I’m Emily, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and self-taught intuitive chef. I firmly believe that cooking is the simplest and most important step we can take to improve our minds and bodies and build healthier communities. Join me and let’s bring food back to the kitchen!
This looks incredible. I love cotija cheese and cilantro!
This looks and sounds amazing!