Mexican Street Corn Dip

I had a four-day stretch at home this week, which almost never happens in summer because freight demand goes up when the temperature does. But my dispatcher owed me a favor, so I parked the truck and became a full-time mom for four straight days, which reminded me that trucking is physically harder but parenting is harder in every other way.

Tuesday we went to the pool. Grand Island has a public pool that costs three dollars per person, which for a family of six means eighteen dollars, which is not cheap when you are watching every dollar. But the kids need to move, and the pool tires them out in a way that nothing else does, and tired kids are quiet kids, and quiet kids are what I need by seven p.m. Amber swam laps. Tyler cannonballed off the diving board until the lifeguard told him to stop. Justin did flips underwater. Josie clung to my arm in the shallow end and said she was swimming, which she was not, but I let her believe it.

I packed the cooler for the pool: turkey sandwiches, grapes, string cheese, juice boxes, and a bag of those cheddar crackers that all four of them would sell their souls for. We ate on the pool deck, dripping wet, and Josie got grape juice on her swimsuit and did not care, because she is six and caring about stains is an adult problem she has not yet inherited.

Wednesday I made a big pot of chili, which I know sounds insane in June, but the kids wanted it and I had ground beef that needed using. I made it in the morning before the kitchen heated up, and we ate it for lunch and dinner. The leftovers went into the fridge for Thursday. Chili is the meal that keeps giving, and I am never not grateful for it.

Thursday night Dave got home early and we sat on the back porch after the kids were in bed. The fireflies were out, which in Nebraska means summer has officially arrived. We did not talk much. Dave handed me a beer. I handed him the leftover cornbread I had made to go with the chili. We sat in the dark and listened to the trucks on I-80 a mile south, and the fireflies blinked, and the cornbread was good, and the beer was cold, and Dave was next to me, and the world was, for one evening, exactly as simple as it should be.

That Tuesday at the pool reminded me that the food you pack matters just as much as the food you make at home—it sets the whole tone of the day. Those cheddar crackers were gone before Josie’s grape juice even had time to dry, and I kept thinking I should have brought something with a little more staying power. Next time, I’m bringing a big container of this Mexican Street Corn Dip, because it travels well, it scoops onto anything, and every single one of my kids will eat it without complaint, which is the highest compliment I know how to give a recipe.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

4 cups corn kernels (fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned and drained)
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cotija cheese, divided (or feta as a substitute)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced (optional)
Tortilla chips, crackers, or sliced vegetables for serving

Instructions

Char the corn. Heat olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn kernels in a single layer and cook without stirring for 3–4 minutes until the corn develops some char. Stir, then cook another 2–3 minutes. Season with chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Mix the base. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, mayonnaise, and lime juice and stir until fully combined.
Combine. Fold the charred corn into the cream cheese mixture. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cotija cheese, the cilantro, green onions, and jalapeño if using. Taste and adjust salt or lime juice as needed.
Top and serve. Transfer to a serving bowl or shallow dish. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup cotija cheese, a sprinkle of chili powder, and extra cilantro. Serve immediately with tortilla chips, or refrigerate up to 2 days and serve cold or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mexican Street Corn Dip — The Snack That Belongs on Every Pool Deck