Ah, football season – admittedly, not my favorite. Of all the wonderful things about fall, Sundays spent yelling at the TV just doesn’t make the cut for me. The best consolation prize, however, is the excuse to make all the yummy game day snacks that feel too indulgent for a normal Sunday afternoon.
My current favorite game day treat is this elote dip. Inspired by the classic Mexican street corn staple, this dip combines sweet corn with creamy elements like mayonnaise and cheese, and bright zings of citrus and pepper (yes I said it). This elote dip is perfect for sharing with a crowd, but I can’t promise it will last through halftime.
The elote dip is so easy to throw together, and can be cooked and served in the skillet, if you want. Simply saute some onion and jalapeno in butter until softened, and then toss in a bag of frozen corn. We used fire-roasted corn, but if you can’t find it, regular sweet corn kernels are fine. Let the corn defrost and soften a little, then stir in the mayonnaise, salt, lime juice, cotija cheese and hot sauce and let everything get warm and melty. The cotija won’t get stringy like other cheeses, but it should soften a bit. Remove from the heat and top with additional cotija, an extra drizzle of hot sauce, and cilantro. Let cool slightly and serve the elote dip with your favorite tortilla chips. Best enjoyed while ignoring sports.
Elote Dip (Mexican street corn inspired)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ red onion diced
- ½ to 1 jalapeno deseeded and diced, optional
- 1 16 oz bag frozen corn
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lime juice (approx. one lime)
- 4 oz cotija cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp vinegar based hot sauce plus more for topping. We prefer Valentina. Frank's Red Hot or Cholula are also great.
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped and packed
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp butter into a medium skillet. Add diced red onion and allow to cook for 5 minutes or until translucent and soft. Optionally, dice ½ – 1 jalapeno (depending on heat level) and add to the skillet, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the entire bag of frozen corn to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes or until the corn is totally defrosted and warmed throughout.
- Once you are satisfied that the corn is cooked, add in mayonnaise, lime juice, salt, hot sauce, and cotija cheese (keeping some extra aside for the topping). Stir to combine and let cook for another 2-3 minutes. Everything should be warm but be careful not to burn the cheese.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Drizzle with additional hot sauce, and sprinkle on leftover cotija cheese and cilantro. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
