“My personal opinion on street corn is this: Nine out of 10 times, the corn tastes better off the cob,” cookbook author Dan Whalen says of these Street Corn Nachos. “When you have a nice big bowl of perfectly balanced street corn, there is nothing getting in the way of shoveling it into your face.”
3 cups (24 ounces) fresh or frozen corn kernels (see Note)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Power Crema (scroll down for recipe), divided
1 bag (12 ounces) tortilla chips (about 90 chips)
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, halved
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Cotija cheese, halved
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges, for serving
Preheat the broiler to low with a rack about 4 inches from the heat.
Place the corn on a sheet pan, drizzle with the olive oil, and toss to coat. Broil until the corn is slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes. (Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.) Remove from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes.
Stir 1/4 cup of the crema into the corn. Arrange the tortilla chips evenly on a sheet pan, overlapping them as little as possible. Top with half of the cheddar cheese, followed by half of the Cotija cheese. Add the corn mixture, distributing it evenly, then the remaining cheddar cheese and Cotija cheese.
Broil on low until the cheddar cheese has melted (the Cotija won’t melt) and the chips are starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. (Watch carefully to make sure they don’t burn.) Remove from the oven.
Top the nachos with the remaining crema, followed by the paprika and cilantro. Serve hot, with lime wedges on the side.
Note: If you’re using fresh corn, you’ll need 5 or 6 shucked ears for this. To cut the kernels off a cob, place a small bowl upside-down inside a large bowl, and set the base of an ear of corn on top of the small bowl. Holding the ear upright with one hand, use a sharp knife to cut down toward the small bowl, slicing off the kernels and collecting them in the large bowl. Repeat with the remaining ears.
Power Crema
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup may
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of kosher salt
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Use a funnel to pour the mixture into a squeeze bottle. The crema will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
“Excerpted from Nachos for Dinner: Surprising Sheet Pan Meals the Whole Family Will Love! by Dan Whalen (Workman Publishing). Copyright © 2021. Photographs by Penny De Los Santos.”
After you feed your face with these Street Corn Nachos, give these Cheesesteak Nachos a go.