I raided the refrigerator at our Lincoln Square store last Sunday in the hopes of coming up with a creative and delicious tasting for all of our guests to enjoy as they shopped. I found a few ears of corn, some jalapenos, bacon, and decided that I’d see if I could honor and retain my “dip queen” title that the retail team has lovingly given me.
Dips are great for parties because they’re generally fast to make, and they get people huddled around one dish, talking. I love making hot dips in cast iron skillets, either Lodge or Le Creuset, because you can cook the ingredients, mix the dip together, bake it, and serve it, all in one pan! I find that 2/3 cream cheese and 1/3 sour cream makes a really good base for most hot, creamy dips. From there, you can go wild – spinach and artichoke, French Onion, or in this case Spicy Corn, Bacon, and Candied Jalapeno Dip!
Spicy Corn, Bacon, and Candied Jalapeno Dip
3 ears corn, stripped from the cob (get a Corn Zipper to make this easy!)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 jalapenos, minced
8 strips of bacon, diced
12 oz, cream cheese
4 oz, sour cream
1 cup cheddar, shredded
2 Tablespoons Spiceologist Black and Bleu
1 jar Jalapeno Gold
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Add diced bacon to cast iron pan and render over medium heat until bacon is crispy, about 5-10 minutes.
3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat (reserve bacon fat for dressings, roasted Brussels sprouts, etc.)
4. Add scallions, jalapenos, and corn. Cook over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.
5. Turn heat to low. Add in cream cheese and stir until melted into corn mixture.
6. Add sour cream and ½ cup cheddar cheese.
7. Add Black and Bleu seasoning, to taste.
8. Top with the other ½ cup cheddar cheese.
9. Bake in oven until hot and bubbly.
10. Top with Jalapeno Gold to taste.
11. Enjoy with crudité and chips of your choice.
This dip is perfect for a Memorial Day cookout, a game day party or get-together of any kind. While you can certainly enjoy on date night, this dip will serve a crowd, so invite your friends! A few things to note, I mentioned using a few of my favorite products that we sell at The Chopping Block - the corn zipper, Jalapeno Gold, and Spiceologist Black and Bleu.
The corn zipper is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets that I think is really useful, especially if you have kids, or are tired of having corn on the cob getting stuck in your teeth. The corn zipper is essentially a peeler for corn! You can forget about getting the kernels off the cob with a knife, which can be tricky and intimidating if you’re new in the kitchen.
Jalapeno Gold is a candied jalapeno product. It’s sweet, it’s spicy, and it’s downright delicious. I enjoy Jalapeno Gold on pizza, on nachos, in cornbread, and often serve it on a softened cream cheese – it’s the hit of every party!
Lastly, Spiceologist makes a variety of delicious rubs that we carry, but I think that the Black and Bleu is my favorite. It’s fantastic on steaks and chicken, oven roasted potatoes, and of course, in my Spicy Corn, Bacon, and Candied Jalapeno Dip!
Corn always makes me think of summer, and summer makes me want to spend nights out on the patio with friends. Speaking of nights on the patio, check out our grilling classes at Lincoln Square. My favorite corn salad is the Hearts of Palm, Grilled Corn, and Roasted Red Pepper Salad with Cilantro and Lime in The Argentine Grill class. This class is coming up on Saturday, May 25, June 7, June 21, and July 2 so don’t miss it! You’ll also get 10% off that corn zipper, Jalapeno Gold, and Black and Bleu when you are a student in class.
