A warm, delicious cheesy dip with corn and jalapenos. This dip makes the perfect appetizer or movie snack. You can make it as mild or spicy as you like so it’s fit for the whole family.
There is nothing better than a hot dip at a party and this cheesy corn and jalapeno dip is the perfect one to serve. It has four different kinds of cheese and can be as spicy or mild as you like.
You can bake it in the oven or in a small crockpot. There is no wrong way to serve this dip.
This dip is not just great for parties though. At our house, this dip is also the perfect afternoon snack for the whole family.
In just 30 minutes you can have this delicious dish on the table. But be careful! You might want to give it a few minutes to cool off before serving it to the kids.
Preparing Cheesy Corn Jalapeno Dip
IngredientsÂ
Cheese
Ricotta cheese: Ricotta cheese is made from whey from sheep, cow, goat or buffalo milk. The most commonly found ricotta in most grocery stores is made from cow’s milk. It’s a soft, spreadable cheese that is slightly grainy. Though at first glance it may resemble cottage cheese, it is much lighter, fluffier and sweeter.
Cream cheese: Cream cheese is a soft and mild cheese that is made from cow’s milk and cream. It’s smooth and spreadable when brought to room temperature, although refrigerated spreadable varieties are also available. You can buy cream cheese in many different flavours as well but we will just use plain for this recipe.
Mozzarella: Mozzarella is a stretched curd cheese. Though there are many varieties, for this recipe I use pizza mozzarella. It has a mild flavour and melts into a stringy texture.Â
Cheddar: I like to use old cheddar in this recipe to add a bold flavour. The longer the cheese is aged the sharper the flavour will be. Medium cheddar will work as well.
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Produce
Corn: Corn is a cereal grain that has been domesticated for thousands of years. It is a starchy vegetable that grows on stalks which produce ears covered in light yellow kernels.
Jalapenos: A jalapeno is a type of chili pepper. It is medium in size, usually green, though it does turn a bright red when very ripe, and has a Scoville scale heat rating of 4,000-8,500. Removing the seeds makes the pepper much milder and makes it easier to control the heat level.
Yellow onion: Onion is a very common vegetable that is used both raw and cooked in food preparation. It has a sharp flavour raw that often sweetens once cooked. There are many varieties of onions, some that are milder than others. We use the common onion or yellow onion in this recipe.
Cilantro: Cilantro is also known as coriander. They are in fact the same however the naming conventions vary between the Americas and other parts of the world. In America, cilantro often references the plant’s fresh stem and leaf while coriander refers to the plant’s dried seeds. You will note that this is how I use these two terms. Other parts of the world refer to this plant as coriander and to its dried version as coriander seeds.
Lime: Lime fruit is a green citrus fruit that is very sour. It has a very refreshing flavour but is often used in small quantities as that sour, sometimes almost bitter, flavour is very strong.
Spices
Paprika: Â I use sweet paprika for this recipe. It is not sweet in the sugary sense, but compared to its spicy and smoked siblings it is definitely the sweetest of them all.
Cumin powder: Cumin is a seed from a plant that is part of the parsley family. Though the plant is native to Asia and the Mediterranean, the spice is used in cuisines all over the world. I would describe the flavour as pungent and earthy. It is definitely a unique taste and as such should be used carefully as it can easily overpower a dish.Â
How to Make Corn Jalapeno Dip
If you are baking your dip in the oven, preheat the oven to 350°F. Otherwise, move on to the next step.
First, you have to prep all the ingredients. Peel and dice the onion and set it aside.
Wash and dice 3 jalapenos into small pieces. If you remove the seeds from the jalapenos this dip will be very mild. You will just get the jalapeno flavour and none of the spice. I like to leave one jalapeno for the topping because I love the fresh jalapeno taste and sharpness but also because it’s easier to control the heat that way.
If you prefer more spice, keep the seeds in and add all 4 jalapenos right into the dip mixture before baking.
If you are using frozen corn, add it to a small pot with water and cook it on the stove.
Grate the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and set aside about 2 tablespoons of each. We will use some to top the dip before we bake it.
Now add all of the cheese and spices into a medium bowl. Add the cream cheese, ricotta, mozzarella (less the 2 tablespoons set aside), cheddar (less the 2 tablespoons set aside), paprika, cumin, salt and pepper to the bowl and stir everything to combine.
By this point, the corn should be cooked, drain and rinse under cold water.
If you are using canned corn, open and drain the corn now.
Add the jalapenos, corn and onions to the cheese mixture and stir gently just until combined. You don’t want o to smush the corn in this process.
Oven-baked Method
Move the dip into an oven-safe baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella and cheddar.
Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes. If you like a crusty top, broil it for a couple more minutes on high. Just pay close attention to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Once the dip is hot and bubbly take it out of the oven.
Mini Crockpot Method
If you have a mini crockpot (or slow cooker) for dips, move the mixture into the crockpot, top with the remaining cheese and turn on the appliance. The dip should be ready in about 20 minutes.
You can add fresh jalapeno, cilantro and a squeeze of lime at this time but if you leave the crockpot on these ingredients will love freshness as they will start to cook.
Serving Cheesy Corn Jalapeno Dip
This dip is best served hot but not right out of the oven. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with freshly sliced jalapeno and cilantro, and a squeeze of lime when serving.
This corn jalapeno dip is best served with corn tortilla chips. You may want to crisp up the chips in the oven, next to the dip, for a few minutes for extra crispness.
If you want a nacho feel, don’t top the dip with the cheddar and mozzarella before baking. Bake for 15 minutes then spread (or pour) the dip over a bed of tortilla chips, top with the mozzarella and cheddar cheese at that point and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Serve these nachos with some sour cream, salsa or guacamole.
Or all of the above! Enjoy.
Let us know in the comments if you have any questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.Â
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Corn Jalapeno Dip Recipe
Equipment
- Knife
- small bowl
- Small pot (if using frozen corn)
- Small oven-safe baking dish or mini crockpot (note 2)
Ingredients
Toppings (optional):
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 tbsp cilantro
- Squeeze of lime
Instructions
- If using oven, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- First, you have to prep all the ingredients. Peel and dice the onion and 3 jalapenos into small pieces. If you remove the seeds from the jalapenos this dip will be very mild. You will just get the jalapeno flavour and none of the spice. I like to leave one jalapeno for the topping because I love the fresh jalapeno taste and sharpness. If you prefer not to do this you can dice all 4 jalapenos into the dip.2 tbsp onion, ¼ cup jalapenos
- If you are using frozen corn, add it to a small pot with water and cook it on the stove.½ cup corn
- Grate the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and set aside about 2 tablespoons of each. We will use some to top the dip before we bake it.½ cup mozzarella, ½ cup cheddar
- Now add all of the cheese and spices into a medium bowl. Add the cream cheese, ricotta, mozzarella (less 2 tablespoons), cheddar (less 2 tablespoons), paprika, cumin, salt and pepper to the bowl and stir everything to combine.1/3 cup ricotta cheese, 125 g cream cheese, ¾ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp cumin, ½ cup mozzarella, ½ cup cheddar
- The corn should be cooked now. Drain and rinse it under cold water. If you are using canned corn, open and drain the corn now.½ cup corn
- Add the jalapenos, corn and onions to the cheese mixture and stir gently.½ cup corn, ¼ cup jalapenos, 2 tbsp onion
Oven-Baked Method:
- Move the dip into an oven-safe baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella and cheddar. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes. If you like a crusty top, broil it for a couple more minutes on high. Just pay close attention to make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Once the dip is hot and bubbly take it out of the oven. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with freshly sliced jalapeno and cilantro, and a squeeze of lime when serving.1 jalapeno, 1 tbsp cilantro, Squeeze of lime
Mini Crockpot Method
- If you have a mini crockpot for dips, move the mixture into the crockpot, top with the remaining cheese and turn on the appliance. The dip should be ready in about 20 minutes.
- You can add fresh jalapeno, cilantro and a squeeze of lime at this time but if you leave the crockpot on these ingredients will love freshness as they will start to cook.1 jalapeno, 1 tbsp cilantro, Squeeze of lime
