This is one of those recipes that is so much more than it seems. I found this recipe in my most recent issue of Eating Well magazine. I’d received the magazine the week we were getting ready to go camping, and the recipe really jumped off the page at me. I didn’t see why Andy couldn’t roast the corn in a cast iron skillet over a fire, and I thought it would make a great munchie while sitting around the fire.
I wasn’t disappointed.
There were really only two changes I made to the recipe. One was that I used canned corn. We were going camping in the middle of nowhere, taking a few fresh cobs of corn really wasn’t practical. And two, I had to add salt. I find that happens almost all the time with Eating Well recipes. There just isn’t quite enough salt for my taste. This recipe was no exception- even using salted chips to scoop up the dip.
The most difficult part of this dip was roasting the corn. You really want to be patient with the kernels, and let them get dark and toasty- almost burnt. I imagine this could be made even easier by roasting whole cobs of corn on the fire and then cutting the kernels off. But the canned corn did eventually start to darken and added a delicious layer of flavor to this dip. Simple enough, once the corn was roasted, we added the cheeses, chili powder and a pinch of salt, and stirred until it all came together. It was that easy.
I have no doubt it would be delicious baked in an oven as well, as indicated in the recipe, but it could also easily be done over a grill. We did put it together over an open fire, after all.
Roasted Corn Cheese Dip
from Eating Well magazine
3 cups corn kernels8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (2 cups)
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), cut into small pieces
1/8 teaspoon cayenne or chili powder
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Coat a medium (10-inch) cast-iron skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add corn; cook, stirring occasionally, until mostly golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. (Corn kernels may “pop” as they brown.)
Remove from heat; stir in Cheddar and cream cheese. Transfer to the oven.
Bake until golden and bubbling, 18 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese dip with cayenne (or chili powder) and serve.
That dip would be a hit around here! It’s good to know that even canned corn will work, because that makes it even easier to enjoy once the really good, fresh corn is no longer available.
Canned corn worked beautifully. I can’t wait to try it with fresh corn, but this is definitely one of those dips that can be enjoyed year round. I’m excited to have a new dip to add to my repertoir!
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