Mexican Street Corn Casserole

Get ready to fall head over heels for the easiest way to bring those addictive Mexican street corn flavors to your dinner table!

This casserole takes everything you love about elote – that perfect combo of sweet corn, creamy mayo, tangy lime, and salty cheese – and transforms it into a crowd-pleasing dish that’ll have everyone coming back for thirds.

We’re talking about pure comfort food magic here. Imagine tender corn kernels swimming in a luscious, spiced cream sauce, topped with crumbled queso fresco and fresh cilantro.

The best part?

You can literally throw frozen corn straight into the mix without thawing – talk about a weeknight win! This feeds a crowd and tastes like you spent hours perfecting it, but secretly takes just minutes to prep.

Ingredients

For the Casserole:

• 40 oz bag frozen corn – thawed or straight from freezer
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup sour cream – full fat or light works perfectly
• 2 teaspoons chili powder – divided
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 oz queso fresco – crumbled and divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro – chopped

For Serving:

• Fresh limes – optional, for spritzing at the end

Equipment:

• 13″x9″ glass baking pan

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Make sure to get the corners and sides well-coated to prevent any stubborn sticking later.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the corn (frozen or thawed – both work perfectly), mayonnaise, sour cream, 1½ teaspoons of the chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and 4 oz of the crumbled queso fresco. Stir everything together until the corn is completely coated in the creamy mixture – this should look like the most delicious corn salad you’ve ever seen.
3. Pour the entire mixture into your prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon chili powder evenly over the top for that beautiful color and extra flavor punch.
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes, checking at the 35-minute mark. You’re looking for the casserole to be heated through completely and bubbling enthusiastically around the edges. The top should look slightly golden and the mixture should be steaming hot when you insert a knife into the center.
5. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the remaining 2 oz queso fresco and all the chopped cilantro over the hot surface. The residual heat will slightly soften the cheese while keeping its crumbly texture. Serve warm with lime wedges on the side for that authentic street corn experience.

Smart Swaps

• Greek yogurt instead of sour cream (1:1 ratio) – adds protein and tang without changing the creamy texture
• Cotija cheese instead of queso fresco – more traditional and slightly saltier
• Smoked paprika for half the chili powder – adds deeper, smokier flavor

Make It Diabetes-Friendly

Replace the regular corn with frozen cauliflower rice (same 40 oz amount) to slash carbs from 28g to 8g per serving. Use light mayonnaise and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to cut calories by 35%. This modification reduces the glycemic impact significantly while maintaining the creamy, satisfying texture. Serve ½ cup portions instead of larger servings and pair with grilled protein to further stabilize blood sugar. The fiber from added vegetables helps slow glucose absorption.

Pro Tips

• Let frozen corn sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before mixing – prevents the dairy from seizing up
• Save some cilantro stems and chop them finely into the mix for extra flavor depth
• Double the recipe and freeze half before baking – future dinner sorted!