Queso Verde Corn Dip

Make Queso Verde Corn Dip, a creamy, cheesy corn dip ready in about 40 minutes, perfect for parties.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 3 ½ cups fresh corn cut from 4 ears
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 cup salsa verde
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese cubed
• ⅓ cup real mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (divided)
• 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese (divided)
• hot sauce to taste
• Tortilla chips
• Fresh cilantro
• Diced tomatoes

Instructions

Step 1: Sauté the aromatics and corn

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sweat the chopped small onion until translucent and slightly glossy. Add the freshly cut corn kernels (from about 4 ears), the diced red bell pepper and the minced garlic and sauté briefly until the corn is warmed through and the pepper softens — you want bright, slightly blistered kernels and softened pepper pieces that still hold texture. Season lightly with salt, pepper, a pinch of smoked paprika and ground cumin so the vegetables smell warm and fragrant and the corn develops tiny caramel flecks without losing its sweet snap.

Step 2: Fold in the creamy base and cheeses

Remove the pan from high heat and stir in the salsa verde, cubed cream cheese, sour cream, and real mayonnaise until the cream cheese melts into a silky, speckled sauce; fold in 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack and 1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar until evenly distributed, creating a thick, spoonable mixture with whole kernels and flecks of green salsa. Taste and adjust hot sauce, salt and pepper — the texture should be lumpy and creamy, with melted pockets of white cream cheese and shredded strings just beginning to coalesce. Spread this mixture into an even layer in the oven-proof skillet and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Monterey Jack and 1/4 cup cheddar on top so there's a visible cheese crown ready to brown.

Step 3: Bake until bubbly and finish under the broiler

Place the prepared skillet onto a safe surface (no stove shown) and bake until the dip is deeply bubbly and the interior is glossy and heated through; finish briefly under the broiler so the cheese topping puffs, forms golden-brown blisters and develops slightly toasted edges. The result should be a surface that reads as molten and stretchy in places, with tiny browned islands of cheddar and pale melted Monterey Jack, and edges caramelized where the corn juices met the hot pan.

Step 4: Garnish and serve warm with chips

Transfer the hot skillet back to the painted pine wood surface and garnish with a scattering of finely chopped fresh cilantro and diced bright red tomatoes. Arrange a small pile of tortilla chips nearby and nest one crisp chip into the dip for an inviting scoop. Optionally transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm, but either way serve immediately so the dip is creamy, bubbling and stringy — hot, glossy and studded with corn kernels and charred flecks.

Notes

• Use fresh corn for best texture; frozen corn works if thawed and dried.
• Taste and adjust salt and hot sauce after folding in the cheeses.
• If the dip firms up too much after refrigeration, stir in a little sour cream when reheating.
• Char the corn briefly for a smoky note.
• Transfer to a slow cooker to keep warm for parties.