When’s the last time you got excited about corn? Chances are it’s been too long. And today we’re going to change that with this flavor-packed Mexican sweet corn bake.

Every time a holiday rolls around, I find myself looking for new baked corn recipes. Every family gathering involves a baked corn recipe, but I’ve always made it the same old way.

Not anymore.

Enter the most flavorful, creative baked corn recipe I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.

Mexican sweet corn bake.

This creative dish is inspired by – you guessed it – Mexican sweet corn, or elote. Elote is a popular Mexican street food consisting of a cob of corn slathered with mayonnaise, sprinkled with cotija cheese and chili powder, finished with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

All the flavors of elote are present in this Mexican sweet corn bake. And if you like elote, I think you’re going to like this dish.

What You’ll Need To Make Mexican Sweet Corn Bake

The ingredients for this dish are easy to find and available at most grocery stores. You’ll need:

• Frozen sweet corn: I buy super sweet corn because I like my sweet corn to be very sweet! 
• Cream cheese: The cream cheese holds this dish together and gives it some decadence and creaminess. 
• Cheddar cheese: For maximum flavor, look for extra sharp cheddar cheese.
• Mayonnaise: Mayo is a key ingredient in elote, and it’s a key ingredient in this Mexican sweet corn bake. It adds creaminess and flavor to the dish.
• Red onion: The onion is sauteed in butter before adding it to the dish to be baked. 
• Jalapeno: This adds some heat to the recipe. If you’re not fond of spiciness, feel free to omit.
• Poblano peppers (optional): This ingredient is optional, as it’s not essential to the success of the recipe but adds great smoky flavor. The poblano pepper is roasted before added. Learn how to roast a poblano pepper.
• Spices: This dish features many great spices: Garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and Tajin Clasico seasoning (a blend of chili peppers, lime, and sea salt). 
• Lime: Fresh lime juice is added to the recipe and lime segments garnish the finished dish.

This Recipe Doubles As An Appetizer

When I made this recipe I totally intended it to be a side dish. 

And it is. A really solid side dish.

But then something delicious happened.

I took a tortilla chip and used it to scoop up some of the corn. And it totally worked as a super hearty, decadent dip.

So the next time you need a side dish OR an appetizer for game day a party, consider this versatile dish.

Serving Ideas

This Mexican sweet corn bake is ideal as a side dish:

• Bring as a creative side to a potluck dinner
• Serve as a unique side dish at Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter dinner
• Serve as a BBQ side
• Serve as a side dish to Mexican ground beef skillet or Mexican ground turkey skillet or ground turkey tacos
• Serve with tortilla chips on the side – this dish doubles as an appetizer!

The Garnish

While this recipe holds its own without any garnishes, they add great flavor to make this dish shine with even more Mexican flavors. Consider topping with:

• Chopped green onion
• Torn cilantro leaves
• Lime segments
• Cotija cheese or queso fresco

Since this is Cheap Recipe Blog, we’re all about making adjustments to recipes to help save you money while still making delicious food. 

So get your elote fix without messing with fresh corn on the cob. This dish is reminiscent of Mexican street corn – and I think whoever you serve it to is going to love it!

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Mexican Sweet Corn Bake

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

The roasted poblano pepper is an optional ingredient. Serve as a side dish or as a hearty appetizer dip.

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Ingredients

• 3 10-ounce bags frozen sweet corn
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
• 1 poblano pepper (optional)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon Tajin Classico seasoning
• Juice from 1/2 lime

Optional toppings

• Lime segments
• Fresh cilantro
• Chopped green onion
• Cotija cheese or queso fresco

Instructions

1. Thaw sweet corn: Place frozen sweet corn in a strainer over a large bowl. Allow to thaw and discard water. Alternatively, run cool water over frozen sweet corn to expedite the thawing process.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Place cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, jalapeno pepper, spices, and lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine. Mix in sweet corn.
3. Place sweet corn mixture into a casserole dish or cast iron skillet. Bake for 40 minutes, until bubbling hot and browned on top.
4. Garnish with lime segments and cilantro, if desired.

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