The corn dish in the recipe below is everything you want in a side dish. It has sweet, crunchy corn, lots of gooey cheese and a touch of peppers – both sweet and hot. And it comes together so easily. If you like your peppers a bit softer, you can always saute them beforehand. Leaving them as is, however, adds even more texture and, of course, shaves off several minutes of dinner prep.
But let's take a second to talk about those jalapeño peppers. Pickled jalapeños take a long time to go bad and will always be there when you reach for them. In addition, the pickled variety are a tiny bit milder than the raw stuff, so that helps some folks around the table who might not be able to handle spice. That means you can have spice while others can still enjoy the corn. And everyone will enjoy this corn.
Spicy Southern Hot Corn
6
5 minutes
35 minutes
40 minutes
4 ounces cream cheese
2-1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 large bell pepper (any color), diced
1/4 cup pickled jalapeño peppers, diced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
3-1/2 cups frozen corn
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt cream cheese and butter together in a microwave until both are melted and soft. Stir together to incorporate.
Add all other ingredients to a large bowl. Add the cream cheese/butter mixture and stir to combine all ingredients well.
Pour the mixture into a large oven-proof skillet, such as cast iron, and place into the oven.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until dish is hot and bubbly throughout.
