Name: Mexican Street Corn Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 lb macaroni pasta; 12 oz bag frozen fire roasted corn; 14.75 oz can creamed corn; 14 oz Velveeta cheese (cubed); 1 cup fontina cheese (shredded); 1/2 cup cotija cheese (crumbled ); 1 1/2 cups milk; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; salt and pepper (to taste); 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs; 1/3 cup cotija cheese; 1/2 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp garlic powder

Once again…two wonderful dishes become one. Last time it was my Sloppy Joe Mac and Cheese, and now this beautiful marriage of mac and cheese and Mexican street corn. Cheesy, gooey, creamy mac and cheese is always great all on it’s own, and will forever be one of my favorite comfort dishes. But…it’s almost like a blank canvas to dress up however you want. Pasta and cheese can take on many other flavors to turn mac and cheese into a whole new dish. Enter Mexican Street Corn Mac and Cheese.

I use some mild cheeses in this dish, but will definitely be trying it with some pepper jack next time for added kick! It’s super simple to throw together, you don’t even have to grill your own corn (unless you want to, yum) because you can buy fire roasted corn in the freezer section of your local grocery store. Side bar though…fresh grilled corn is amazing all on it’s own and we love to grill corn late in the summer when it is super fresh locally!

The fire roasted corn just gets tossed in with the mac and cheese, and then that savory cheesy topping gets sprinkled all over the top. It consists of panko breadcrumbs, cotija cheese, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic. YUM!

This dish has minimal prep and clean-up, and is ready in under an hour! Such a delicious side, or meatless main! A comfort food classic with a summer twist! Everyone will love it at your next BBQ.

Try my other favorite corn recipes!

Chicken Corn Chowder with Fire Roasted Bell Peppers and Onion

Grilled Corn Salad with Cucumbers and Feta

Mexican Street Corn Mac and Cheese

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 8

Author Laura Doerr

Ingredients

1 lb macaroni pasta
12 oz bag frozen fire roasted corn
14.75 oz can creamed corn
14 oz Velveeta cheese cubed
1 cup fontina cheese shredded
1/2 cup cotija cheese crumbled
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Topping

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup cotija cheese
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Be careful not to over cook, noodles will continue to cook and absorb liquid while baking. Drain pasta and return to pot.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir in milk, creamed corn, and cubed Velveeta into the pasta, stir over med-low heat. Once Velveeta is almost all melted, slowly stir in grated Fontina and Cotija. Stir in garlic powder, salt and pepper, and fire roasted corn. Taste for seasoning. Add more milk if it seems too thick since liquid will continue to adsorb as it bakes.
In a small bowl combine the topping ingredients. Spray an oven safe baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mac and cheese into baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumb topping. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Turn broiler on low for about 5 minutes to brown the breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.