Best Bites: Corn Dip
By Donna Erickson
"Students' Choice" Corn Dip Is a Snack-Attack Hit
When college kids return home for the summer, they spend the first few days catching up on sleep, seeing friends, and eventually dumping out a semester's worth of laundry from bulging duffel bags. But 21-year-old Tommy Bennett had an extra thought on his mind when he landed in Minnesota after his junior year at Pepperdine University in California. Within moments of arriving, he made a dash to the neighborhood market to pick up ingredients for a corn dip recipe that he and four roommates -- Sean, Mack, John and Erik -- made famous with their classmates. Corn dip!
PHOTO CREDIT: Donna Erickson
"I can't live a day without it," he said as he stirred up a taste test for me in his mom's biggest serving bowl. "It's a perfect snack with tortilla chips when friends come by and a good spread on toast and crackers when you need something to tide you over after studying late at night. We always doubled the recipe at school to have plenty to go around. When we ran out after four or five days, we rotated who bought the ingredients. And it only takes 10 minutes to make!" he added.
Not only was I impressed by the simple steps and taste (it gets its kick from the jalapenos), but I was also happily reminded of the pleasure that we adults can experience when learning something new from our kids and their friends.
Here is their easy recipe, which you can make famous in your household this spring and summer. Experiment with it and use it as a dip for raw vegetables or as a tasty filling with coarsely shredded carrots and sliced sugar snap peas in flour tortilla wraps.
CORN DIP
Yields 4 cups
2 (15-ounce) cans Southwest Mexicorn with sweet peppers, drained
1 (4-ounce) can diced roasted green chilies, drained
1 (4-ounce) can diced jalapenos, drained
2 green onions (scallions), finely chopped
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
2/3 cup light sour cream
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill, covered, for several hours or overnight to allow flavors to intensify. Serve with corn chips in scoop shapes.
Keeps well in the refrigerator (covered) for four to five days. Stir before serving.
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Donna Erickson creates relationships and community through food and fun. Find more to nourish and delight you at www.donnaerickson.com.
(c) 2025 Donna Erickson
Distributed by King Features Synd.