My Mother-in-Law’s Corn Dip (The One She Has to Bring to Everything)

The Dip That Gets Requested by Name

There are recipes you make, and then there are recipes you are assigned.

This corn dip belongs to my mother in law, and she does not get a vote anymore. Family function? She is bringing the corn dip. Thanksgiving? Corn dip. Backyard BBQ? Corn dip. It is creamy, a little sweet, a little spicy, and it disappears in a way that honestly should be studied.

It is also the easiest thing in the world to make. Six ingredients, one bowl, no cooking. You mix it the night before if you are a planner, and if you are not, and I say this with love because I live this life, you stick it in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes before you walk out the door and it still works.

Fair warning: it is addictive. Make it once and you will understand why she is not allowed to show up without it.

The Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus chilling Yield: about 4 cups Best with: Fritos Scoops or sturdy tortilla chips

Ingredients

• 1 can shoepeg corn, drained
• 1 can Mexicorn, drained (some stores carry this as Fiesta corn now, same thing)
• 1 can green chiles, drained
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar or a Mexican blend both work)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Drain all three cans well. This matters. Extra liquid is the difference between a thick, scoopable dip and a sad corn soup.
2. Stir everything together in a medium bowl until the cheese is spread through it all.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The flavors settle in and it thickens up into the good stuff.
4. Running behind? Put it in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes before you go. It comes out cold, thick, and ready.
5. Give it one stir, taste for salt, and take all the credit. Or give it to your mother in law. She has earned it.

Taco Kick Variation

Want it with a little kick? This is the version I make when the crowd likes some heat.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning with everything else. That is it, that is the whole change, and it turns the whole bowl toward taco night. From there you can take it further if you want: a squeeze of lime, a handful of chopped cilantro, a diced jalapeno if your people are brave, or a can of black beans, drained and rinsed, which also sneaks in more protein and makes it hearty enough to be a side dish.

Want More Protein? Three Easy Tweaks

The classic recipe is a snack, and it knows it. But if you want it to pull a little more weight, these tweaks work without ruining what makes it good:

1. Swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt. Use 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream. It stays tangy and creamy, cuts about 175 calories from the bowl, and adds roughly 8 more grams of protein. Nobody at the BBQ will know.

2. Blend in cottage cheese. Replace the sour cream with 1/2 cup of blended cottage cheese. Blended is the key word, it goes in smooth like sour cream, and it adds even a bit more protein than the yogurt swap.

3. Add a can of black beans. Drained and rinsed, they add about 22 grams of protein and a lot of fiber to the whole bowl, and they were practically made to go with the taco seasoning version. A cup of shredded chicken stirred in works too if you want it to eat like a meal.

My favorite combo: Greek yogurt swap plus the black beans plus the taco seasoning. That is the one I make for us at home.

The Numbers (Because I Am a CPA and I Cannot Help Myself)

Macros are estimates from standard ingredient labels, for the dip only, chips not included. My mother in law did not provide nutrition facts with her recipe, imagine that.

The classic recipe, whole batch (about 4 cups): roughly 1,600 calories, 34 g protein, 96 g carbs, 125 g fat

• Per 1/2 cup serving (8 servings): about 200 calories, 4 g protein, 12 g carbs, 16 g fat
• Per 1/4 cup serving (16 snack size servings): about 100 calories, 2 g protein, 6 g carbs, 8 g fat

The protein version (Greek yogurt swap plus black beans, taco seasoning optional), whole batch (about 5 1/2 cups): roughly 1,760 calories, 63 g protein, 155 g carbs, 107 g fat

• Per 1/2 cup serving (11 servings): about 160 calories, 6 g protein, 14 g carbs, 10 g fat
• Per 1/4 cup serving (22 servings): about 80 calories, 3 g protein, 7 g carbs, 5 g fat

Nearly double the protein for fewer calories a serving and less fat. But listen, Thanksgiving is Thanksgiving. Make the classic for the holiday, make the protein version for your own fridge, and do not tell my mother in law I said any of this.

So tell me, what is the dish somebody in your family is assigned to bring to everything? Every family has one, and I want to hear yours.