Mexican Street Corn Casserole is creamy, cheesy and a little tangy, with sweet corn in every spoonful. It’s a side dish for a potluck or a holiday table, especially when you want something warm that you can serve straight from the baking dish.
How to make Mexican Street Corn Casserole: Mix frozen corn with the creamy ingredients, cheese and seasonings, then bake it uncovered at 350°F for 45 minutes. Check the center with a food thermometer before you serve it.
Why You’ll Love It
- Frozen corn goes straight in. You can mix the casserole without waiting for the corn to thaw.
- Quick hands-on work. Prep takes 10 minutes; the oven handles the 45-minute bake.
- Creamy with distinct kernels. Mayonnaise, sour cream and Monterey Jack coat the corn, while cotija adds a crumbly finish.
- Made for sharing. The 2-quart dish serves 15, and you can bring it to the table in the dish you baked it in.
Ingredient Notes
Corn: Buy 2 pounds of frozen corn. I like the convenience here: you can measure it from the freezer and move straight into mixing, with no pot of water or separate cooking step.
Cotija: You’ll use 10 ounces altogether, divided between the mixture and the finish.
Mayonnaise, sour cream and Monterey Jack: These give the corn its creamy coating and melted cheese throughout. Use shredded Monterey Jack so you can distribute it through the mixture.
Seasonings and lime: Garlic powder, chili powder and paprika go into the mixture with salt and a small amount of lime juice. I like to measure them before I start stirring; it’s easier to get them through the corn while you’re combining everything else.
Egg and butter: The egg belongs in the corn mixture, and the butter is for greasing the casserole dish. Keep the butter out of the bowl so the amounts end up where the directions call for them.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled in a food processor; reserve half for serving
- 2 pounds frozen corn
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons butter, for greasing the dish
How to Make Mexican Street Corn Casserole
1. Heat the oven and prepare the cheese. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Pulse the cotija in a food processor until crumbled, then set aside half to add when you serve the casserole.
2. Mix the casserole. In a medium bowl, combine the frozen corn, mayonnaise, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, salt, lime juice, egg and the cotija you didn’t reserve. Whisk until the ingredients are combined and the corn is coated.
3. Fill the dish. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with the butter. Pour in the corn mixture, bringing along the creamy mixture left in the bowl so it ends up in the dish rather than on your spoon.
4. Bake and check doneness. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Insert a food thermometer into the center; the casserole needs to reach 165°F. If the center is below that temperature, continue cooking until it reaches 165°F.
5. Finish. Sprinkle the reserved cotija over the casserole just before serving. Spoon down into the corn so each portion gets some of the creamy mixture beneath the topping.
Creamy Street Corn, Not Corn Cake
If you’re searching for Mexican corn casserole, it helps to decide which texture you want before you shop. This one is a creamy street-corn-style side: individual corn kernels sit in a rich coating of mayonnaise, sour cream and melted cheese, with crumbly cotija on top. It’s made for a spoon, not sliced like a cake.
The frozen corn goes into the bowl without thawing. After baking, don’t let a golden patch or melted cheese make the decision for you: put a thermometer into the center and check for 165°F. I trust that reading more than the look of the top, which can’t tell you the temperature in the middle.
Tips for Success
Why is the cotija in large clumps?
Large pieces can leave one spoonful with a lot of cheese and another with very little. Pulse the cotija until it’s crumbled, then spread the finishing portion across the surface rather than dropping it in one spot. You want bits of cheese throughout and a little on each serving.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days. Frozen leftovers keep for 3 to 4 months, though the mayonnaise-and-cream coating may separate; thaw in the refrigerator, cold water or microwave, not on the counter. Reheat leftovers to 165°F, checking with a food thermometer.
What to Serve With It
For a casserole-centered meal, serve this corn beside Mexican tortilla casserole, one-pot Mexican rice casserole or tamale casserole. If you’re browsing for a different main dish, consider stuffed pepper casserole or slow cooker beef and corn casserole; for another corn side, see easy creamy corn casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best recipe for Mexican street corn casserole?
For a creamy, spoonable side, this one: frozen corn baked in mayonnaise, sour cream and Monterey Jack with chili powder and lime, then finished with crumbled cotija.
Can you make Mexican corn cake with Jiffy cornbread mix?
Yes, but that is a different dish: a cornbread-style bake made with Jiffy mix, creamed corn, whole-kernel corn and salsa. This casserole has no cornbread mix, so it stays creamy and spoonable.
Can I use queso fresco instead of cotija?
Yes. Crumble it and use it the same way, in the mixture and on top. It is milder and less salty than cotija.
Final Notes
Set the serving spoon beside the dish so you can scoop through the corn and creamy coating together. If you have a question or make it for your table, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Mexican Street Corn Casserole
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces cotija cheese Crumble in a food processor; reserve half for serving.
- 2 pounds corn Frozen.
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese Shredded.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons butter For greasing the dish.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pulse the cotija in a food processor until crumbled, then reserve half.
- In a medium bowl, combine the frozen corn, mayonnaise, sour cream, Monterey Jack, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, salt, lime juice, egg and the unreserved cotija. Whisk until combined.
- Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with the butter and pour in the corn mixture.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Check the center with a food thermometer for 165°F; if it has not reached that temperature, continue cooking until it does.
- Sprinkle the reserved cotija over the casserole to serve.
