20 Ways To Enjoy Sweet Corn
Of all the food summer brings, corn on the cob is definitely one of the best. Even when it's simply steamed and slathered with butter, it feels like the perfect treat to enjoy in the sun. But that's not to say that eating it straight off the cob is the only way to enjoy it.
Corn is super versatile and can be used in everything from salads and pastas to baked goods and soups. Swing by our produce department and pick up a few ears and try out one of our favorite ways to enjoy peak-season sweet corn.
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Grilled Corn Salad with Honey-lime Dressing
Sweet corn takes on a slightly smoky quality after a few turns on a hot grill. Add a tangy, sweet dressing and tender cubes of avocado, and you have a feast of flavors, colors and textures with minimal effort.
Ingredients
4 ears sweet corn
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 large jalapeños, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 avocado, diced
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions
Preheat the grill to high. Shuck the corn and place in a large bowl. Brush the corn with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the corn on the grill, and turn with tongs every couple of minutes. When the corn is tender and browned in spots on all sides — after about 10 minutes — remove from the grill to the bowl.
Let the corn set until cool enough to handle. Use a chef's knife to cut the kernels off the corn and put back in the bowl.
In a cup, stir the lime juice and honey together, then stir in the jalapeños and garlic. Pour over the corn.
Add the avocado, tomato and cilantro. Stir to mix well. Serve immediately.
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Roasted Sweet Corn Bread
Save an ear or two of sweet corn for this tasty cornbread. Perfect alongside beans, soups, and greens.
Ingredients
1 ear sweet corn (2 if small)
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 large eggs
Directions
To roast the corn, heat the oven to 400°F., and place the husked corn on an oiled sheet pan. Roast, turning every 5 minutes until the corn is browned and soft. Let cool and then cut the kernels from the cob. You should get about 1 cup.
For the cornbread, heat the oven to 400°F. Butter or grease an 8-inch square metal pan. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt, and whisk to combine.
Place the yogurt, melted butter and eggs in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture over the cornmeal mixture and stir until almost mixed, then add the roasted corn and stir just until the ingredients are combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out with no wet batter attached. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving. Cut 3 by 3 to make 9 squares.
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Chipotle Corn Chowder
Nothing says comfort like homemade soup. This delicious chipotle corn chowder will warm and delight the whole family! Don’t forget the salty cotija and a crumble of tortilla chips on top.
Ingredients
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, diced
2 cups button mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
2 russet potatoes, diced in 1/2" cubes
3 cups fresh roasted or cooked corn kernels
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon chipotle chili pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground cumin
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cups heavy cream
Directions
In a large sauce pot on medium-high heat, melt the butter.
Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add carrots, celery and poblano pepper and saute for 3-5 minutes until the vegetable begin to soften. Add in garlic and mushrooms and saute briefly, then add the flour and stir well. Add the stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add in potatoes and simmer for an additional 7-10 minutes. Add corn, herbs and spices and stir well. Add heavy cream, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Garnish and serve hot.
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Elotes
Classic street food made at home! These elotes are zesty, limey, and cheesy, perfectly balancing the sweet flavor of local corn.
Ingredients
4 large ears of corn, shucked
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 medium lime, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1/4 cup crumbled cotija or grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
To grill corn, heat a gas grill on high for 20 minutes, or build a fire in a charcoal grill and wait for the coals to be covered with ash. While the grill heats, place the mayonnaise in a medium bowl and stir 1/4 teaspoon of the lime zest and 1/2 teaspoon of the juice. Reserve.
When the grill is hot, place the ears of corn over the hot side of the grill and cook, turning with tongs occasionally, until cooked and charred in spots. Coat each ear with mayonnaise and sprinkle with chili powder and cheese. Serve immediately.
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Chorizo and Avocado Salsa
Spice up your party (or just an afternoon snack!) with chorizo sausage and avocado salsa. The combination of salty-spicy chorizo, creamy avo, and sweet corn makes for a well-balanced salsa that’s best served with your favorite tortilla chips.
Ingredients
6 ounces chorizo sausage, diced small
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 tomato, diced
2 avocadoes, peeled and diced
1 cup corn kernels
1 tablespoon minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 lime, zest and juice
Salt to taste
Directions
Saute the diced chorizo in a skillet until lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and set on a paper towel to drain and cool.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the garlic, jalapeño, tomato, avocado, corn, chipotle peppers and lime zest and juice. Add the chorizo and salt to taste.
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Black Bean and Corn Salad
This Tex-Mex favorite is delicious with grilled fish or burgers, or add diced cooked chicken to create a whole meal.
Ingredients
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed)
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Directions
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the garlic, chili powder, cumin, lime juice, Dijon mustard and olive oil to make the dressing.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, corn, tomato, green pepper, green onions, and jalapeno pepper. Add the dressing, mix well and season with salt and pepper. Top salad with crumbled feta cheese.
Warm Grilled Tomato, Corn and Bacon Salad
Celebrate some of the best flavors of August with this warm salad from Edible Seattle.
In-season corn, grape tomatoes, and basil are the stars of the show, and a quick grill of the corn and tomatoes adds a nice summery char to the dish.
Serve this warm salad as a side dish to grilled chicken, or add it atop our housemade pasta for a light and delicious summer dinner.
Sheet Pan Chipotle Cheddar Corn Chicken Enchiladas
Enchiladas are such a tasty feel-good food. They're also a total crowd-pleaser!
This recipe calls for you to cook the chicken and then shred it with forks, but swapping it out with our rotisserie chicken that's available in the Deli to-go case would really help to speed up the process.
Top your enchiladas off with broiled corn and refreshing avocado slices.
One-Skillet Corn Chilaquiles
The best part of this meal? Obviously the flavor, but the fact that it only requires one pan is definitely a major plus.
Calling for just 11 ingredients and spices, this corn chilaquiles recipe includes directions to make your own salsa verde from scratch.
Avocados and sour cream add a nice cooling element, and in-season cherry tomatoes would add an extra level of sweet flavor.
Roasted Sweet Corn Taco Salad
Vegan-friendly and packed full of fresh flavor, this taco salad from Thrive Magazine includes directions for how to make your own quinoa taco "meat".
The sweet corn in this recipe is roasted in the oven, but feel free to char it on the grill if you want a little smoky flavor.
If you have a meat alternative that you prefer to quinoa, feel free to sub that in!
Photo Courtesy of Feasting at Home
Spicy Corn Fritters with Cilantro Cream
Spicy corn fritters are paired with cooling cilantro cream to create a zippy appetizer or side dish for grilled chicken and salad.
This recipe call for jalapeño to add a kick of heat. Discard the seeds if you want it a little milder, or keep the seeds in for extra spicy fritters.
Serve these fritters with a side of cooling guacamole or salsa for dipping.
Browned Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Cheese Ravioli
You might not think of corn when you picture a creamy pasta dish, but you should consider it!
This recipe calls for you to make the ravioli from scratch, but if you're short on time you can always sub in some of fresh ravioli from the dairy cooler.
What really makes this ravioli special is the browned garlic butter that's sautéd with sweet corn to create a salty-sweet topping for delectable pasta.
No-Brainer Corn Salad
If you've got a whole bunch of corn on hand without any idea of how you'll use it, consider this simple salad that you can toss together in just a few minutes.
Charring the corn is the main task-at-hand, but once you've done that, the salad practically makes itself.
You'll need just a few simple ingredients like nuts, corn, chile, cotija, and other common pantry staples.
Photo Courtesy of Feasting at Home
Zucchini Cornbread
A corn recipe blog post wouldn't be complete without at least one cornbread recipe. And this cornbread is a perfect summer recipe that incorporates in-season zucchini, too!
Serve this cornbread with your favorite chili or butter it up and top it with honey for a simple sweet treat.
Roasted Corn Cheese Dip
If you're the type that just can't get enough of sweet, fresh corn, this dip recipe is going to be right up your alley.
It's sweet, cheesy, and a little spicy, and is a perfect appetizer to serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
You could also incorporate this dip into a spicy chicken burrito or tostada.
Creamy Corn Chowder
Corn chowder is another one of those must-have recipes when you put together a corn recipe blog post.
This corn chowder in particular calls for a whole bunch of pantry-staple items including corn, mushrooms, bacon, potatoes, shallows, and leeks.
This recipe requires a little TLC, but it's loaded with veggies and flavor, making it totally worth it.
Prosciutto Pizza with Corn & Arugula
Yes, corn can be a pizza topping! It adds a sweet flavor and a crunchy texture.
This recipe calls for you to grill the pizza, which we highly recommend. But if you don't have a grill, you can always toss your pizza in the oven and bake it.
You can make your own dough from scratch, or pick up some of our housemade dough for just $1.99.
Sopes with Beans and Corn
Here's a vegan-friendly recipe that comes together in just around 30 minutes.
Traditionally, sopes are topped with beef or chicken, but here, they're topped with beans for a healthy plant-based protein substitution.
Polenta is used instead of homemade corn dough, but if you wanted to keep it more traditional you could always make your own dough from scratch.
Bacon-Wrapped Cheddar Corn Jalapeño Poppers
Bacon, cheese, corn, and jalapeño? This salty, spicy, and subtly sweet appetizer has it all!
Corn and cheese are combined to create a filling for the jalapeños, while bacon is wrapped around it all to keep everything in place.
This recipe also includes directions for how to make a cilantro lime ranch that works to cool down some of the heat from the jalapeños.
Skillet Creamy Cajun Chicken Lazone with Herby Corn
If you aren't familiar with lazone, it's a chicken meal that's cooked in a creamy sauce with cajun seasonings.
Here, it's paired with herby roasted corn that adds a simple touch of sweetness and texture to this creamy, melt-in-your-mouth dish.
This dish requires just one skillet and comes together in just 30 minutes.