Mexican Street Corn Casserole Recipe

This Mexican street corn casserole was originally developed and inspired by elote, a traditional Mexican street food. Elote is made by cooking grilled corn on the cob and then slathering it with mayonnaise, Cotija cheese, chili powder, and lime juice.

However instead of making traditional elotes, those classic flavors are transformed into a creamy and delicious casserole recipe. It is the perfect dish to share with your family and it is the perfect side dish to take to a potluck when gathering with friends.

The combination of sweet corn, creamy cheese, and spices creates a flavorful and satisfying dish that everyone will love. Best of all, it is super easy to make.

Ingredients Required

1. Frozen Corn – Although you could take the time to cut corn kernels fresh off the cob, it is much easier to grab a bag of frozen corn to make Mexican street corn casserole. Best of all, there is no need to thaw it out!

2. Mayonnaise – When using mayonnaise in any baking recipe it is best to use full-fat because using anything else can separate and cause the dish to become greasy. However, unlike other baking dishes, you can stir the casserole before serving. Therefore feel free to use reduced fat if you prefer.

3. Sour cream – Full fat or reduced fat sour cream is added to the casserole to give it a slight tangy flavor.

4. Spices – Keeping with the elotes tradition the spices in this recipe include chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. However if you like a little heat to your dishes, feel free to add in a little cayenne pepper as well.

5. Cheese – Although traditional elotes uses Cotija cheese, I prefer Queso Fresco because it adds a creamier texture to the casserole.

6. Optional Garnish Ingredients – Once the casserole comes out of the oven sprinkle cilantro and lime zest and juice on top for added color and flavor.

Where To Find Queso Fresco Cheese At The Grocery

If you haven’t had a lot of experience cooking Mexican dishes you may find yourself wandering around the grocery story looking for queso fresco cheese. Although it can typically be found in the dairy section of most grocery stores, you may have to look in a few places to find it.

Queso fresco is often located in the speciality cheese section of the store. Some groceries have a separate display section located near the produce section.

However, if you don’t find it there or your store doesn’t have a specialty cheese section you may find queso fresco located in the dairy aisle. This is where you will find other types of cheese and unique dairy products.

Depending on where you live some grocery stores have a huge sections dedicated to Hispanic foods. You can almost guarantee that if there is a refrigerated section you will find the cheese here.

However if you still haven’t found it on your own ask a store employee for assistance. They will be able to direct you to the right aisle or section of the store.

What To Serve With Mexican Street Corn Casserole

Depending on the occasion, you can serve a variety of food items with this casserole. In fact, this recipe is so versatile that you can serve it not only as a side dish recipe but also as an appetizer and even as a main dish if you prefer.

If you are serving it as a side dish, pair the casserole with Mexican rice, refried beans, enchiladas, tacos and burritos. It also makes for a great potluck addition to any type of gathering.

However, don’t just think of serving it as a side dish to compliment other dishes. Instead let the casserole be the star of the show and serve it as an appetizer.

When it is served with tortilla chips and it becomes an interesting and delicious dip that your friends will love. However you can take this corn casserole one step further and make it become the main dish.

You can choose to eat it as a vegetarian meal served with rice and beans. Or add cooked and shredded beef or chicken to the casserole for a complete and satisfying meal.

Mexican Street Corn Casserole

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 40 oz bag frozen corn
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 oz Queso Fresco, crumbled and divided
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set it aside.

In a large mixing bowl add the frozen corn. If the corn is frozen in large clumps break the clumps up with your hands.

Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and 2/3rds of the queso fresco to the bowl and mix well. *The remaining chili powder and queso fresco will be used later as a topping.

Pour the mixture evenly in the baking dish and sprinkle the remaining chili powder on top. Place the remaining queso fresco in the refrigerator.

Bake Time Required

Place the Mexican street street corn casserole in the preheated oven. The bake for 40-45 mins or until the casserole is hot and bubbly on the edges.

NOTE – If your corn was thawed the casserole will cook in less time. Be sure to check the casserole for doneness after 30-35 minutes of baking.

Remove the casserole from the oven and then sprinkle the remaining queso freso cheese, chili powder and chopped cilantro on top.

Zest the lime and then garnish the top of the casserole with lime zest. Then cut the lime in half and squeeze half of the lime juice on top, if desired.

Although it is best to enjoy the casserole warm, however you can also keep it at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

Enjoy! Mary

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