.hot corn dip.

hot. corn. dip. besides that vegetable word in the middle, there's not a thing i dislike about hot and dip. but let me tell you- the vegetables don't even ruin this rich, creamy concoction. when i was told there would be a going away party for a friend of mine at work, i jumped at the opportunity to try out this recipe. because it would be served to a fair amount of people, i made enough to take to the party and still had some left over to slumber in my freezer until i NEED it. and trust me, i go through moments where i NEED hot and dip.



here we go, mix 2 blocks of room temperature cream cheese, 2 tablespoons minced jalapenos, one and a half teaspoons of garlic salt (feel free to mix garlic powder and salt), 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon chili powder in a large mixing bowl.



now, make sure you use room temperature cream cheese. i started stirring it up with just maybe less than fridge cold cream cheese and it was not happening. i'm pretty sure i pulled a muscle in impatience and in my arm. alas, i gave it some time and it was so much easier to combine the ingredients.



go ahead and mix in 3 cups of beautiful, bright yellow corn. that is essentially 2 small, drained cans. (preheat your oven to 350 degrees)



remember what i told you about this 'hot' and 'dip' having corn in the middle? trust me, it still tastes delicious and you can tell everyone you made a healthy, vegetable dish.



do you see that pile of glorious cheese? go ahead and mix in four delicious cups of a mexican blend. you'll need some more reserved for later.



press the creamy, corny blend into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. sprinkle an additional cup of mexican cheese all over the top. you should have enough dip left over to freeze some more and make a couple "sample sizes" for yourself. listen, you don't want to present a dish for the first time without testing it our first. right? right.



while your corn dip is getting hot in the oven for twenty to twenty five minutes, quarter cherry tomatoes, dice up some green onions and cilantro that you will toss on top of the finished product. after the dip is finished baking, broil on low until golden and bubbly (about five minutes).



oh, my great cheesy and corny goodness! (and no i'm not talking about a bad movie) this substantial dip hits all the right spots. it is best served with a mild chip, tortilla or pita. you don't want to take away any of the bang from the dip itself.



oh, and i'm so glad i still have some waiting in my freezer.

hot corn dip
adapted from baked bree

**half of the recipe below is plenty for a party!

what you need
2 blocks cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tbs diced jalapeno
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups (2 cans) corn kernels
6 cups shredded mexican cheese blend
handful cherry tomatoes
palmful of diced green onion
palmful of diced cilantro

what you do
mix the cream cheese, jalapeno, garlic salt, chili powder and pepper in a large bowl. then, blend in your drained corn. preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

stir in 4 cups of your mexican cheese blend. grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and press the mixture in. you will have enough left over to make another dish worth or freeze it. just use one of your other 2 cups of cheese to sprinkle on top. the remaining cup can be used on the second dish or saved until you're ready to make that one.

bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. then, broil on low for approximately five minutes, watching for it to get golden and bubbly.

while baking, quarter your tomatoes and dice up your green onion and cilantro. when the dish is finished, garnish with tomato, green onion and cilantro.

serve with chips, pita points or tortillas. who am i kidding? get out a big spoon and have at it.

enjoy!