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Elote Mexican Street Corn is a take on traditional Mexican Street Corn but this is cut off the cob and served in a casserole dish.

What is Elote?

Elote is Mexican Street Corn that is usually served on the cob on a stick so it can be carried and eaten while on the go. It’s roasted and then covered in a mixture of mayonnaise and Mexican Crema and covered with butter and chili powder and topped with cotija cheese.

I discovered Elote on a recent trip to Sedona, where we had the most amazing Street Corn as a creamy dip called Elote…the same name as the restaurant.

My version of Elote Mexican Street Corn is a side dish that goes great with Street Tacos and even a baked ham. I use just enough mayonnaise to make it creamy but not as loose as a dip.

What is Cotija cheese?

Cotija Cheese is a Mexican Cheese that is salty and firm. It actually doesn’t melt so you get nice soft pieces of the cotija cheese when you bit into a spoonful of Elote.

Cotija Cheese reminds me of feta but it’s more firm. They also call it Mexican crumbling cheese so you might expect that it crumbles just like feta. But because of its firmness, I find that you almost have to cut it into small pieces.

Other ways to use Cotija cheese:

It’s the perfect cheese to use in a taco salad.
You can use it as a garnish in tomato soup or vegetable soup.
It’s perfect inside a quesadilla.
Add it to your Thanksgiving Corn Casserole.
Add it to a traditional cheese platter.

What do you serve with Elote?

Tacos of course.
It’s a great side for a summer cookout with burgers and hotdogs.
Serve it as a side to grilled chicken, beef, or fish.
Add cut up grilled chicken to the recipe and bake it right in – now you have a one-pan meal.

Do I have to use grilled corn on the cob for this recipe?

While I think that the char-grilled flavor of grilled corn adds to the authenticity and rich flavor of this dish, you can certainly use frozen corn. Just use 1 full bag of frozen corn thawed and cooked part-way in the microwave. I would NOT recommend using canned corn.

other recipe ideas for your Cinco de Mayo celebration