From the Cottage: Dirty Corn Recipe

Recipe first, life story later.

Prep Time: 10min Cook Time: 15min Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

16oz frozen corn

1 jalapeno

1 bell pepper

1/2 lime

2 TBS butter

1/2 cup taco seasoning

1 cup Mexican blend cheese

2 TBS adobo seasoning

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp chipotle chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne

Steps:

1. Begin by placing the frozen corn in a saucepan and adding enough water to fully cover the corn. Heat the saucepan over medium-high heat until the corn is completely cooked, which should take approximately 10 minutes. You'll know the corn is ready when it becomes warm and soft.
   

2. After cooking, drain the corn and transfer it to a medium-sized bowl. Proceed to trim, core, and dice the jalapeno and bell pepper before adding them to the bowl with the corn. Stir the ingredients thoroughly to ensure an even distribution.

3. Next, introduce butter and cheese into the bowl with the corn and peppers. Stir the mixture until the butter and cheese have completely melted and blended with the other ingredients.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the taco seasoning, adobo, salt, pepper, chipotle chili powder, paprika, and cayenne. Once mixed, add the seasoning blend to the corn and stir until the corn, jalapeno, and bell pepper are fully coated. For those who enjoy extra heat, feel free to incorporate more chipotle powder and cayenne at this point.

5. To add a zesty touch, cut a lime into two wedges (or four, if using a whole lime) and squeeze the juice from two wedges into the corn mixture. Stir until the lime juice thoroughly covers the dish.

6. Finally, serve the flavorsome corn dish warm and enjoy!

I came up with this recipe out of pure desperation! We love hosting BBQs every Sunday, weather permitting, but I was getting tired of the same old side dishes. After having pasta salad too many times, I decided to start experimenting with new recipes. Since we're into spicy food, I wanted to create a flavorful dish with a kick, while sneaking in some veggies. I found some frozen corn in the freezer and had freshly picked peppers from my garden, and that's when the experimenting began. The result? Dirty Corn has become a go-to side dish for our BBQs and Taco Tuesdays! I really hope you enjoy it as much as we do!