Chili Cheese Corn

Deer season doesn't open until November but September is when I start paying attention. I drove out past Danny's old hunting lease on a Saturday morning—not to do anything official, just to look at the land, to walk the creek bottom and see what kind of sign was moving through. The persimmons were loaded. That's usually a good indicator. Wherever the persimmons are, the deer will be.

I went alone. That was deliberate. I wasn't ready to hunt with someone new in that spot. For the last several years it had been me and Danny and sometimes Caleb, and the three of us had a whole language around it—where we'd park, whose stand was whose, how we handled the drag if someone got lucky. All of that would need to be rebuilt eventually, but not yet. This September I just needed to walk it and be in it.

The creek was low from the summer dry spell but still running. A big cottonwood had come down across it sometime in July, and there were deer tracks all through the soft mud around the new crossing. I stood there for maybe twenty minutes just watching the water move and thinking about nothing particular. Then I thought about everything particular. Then I thought about nothing again.

On the drive home I stopped at a little roadside stand near Kenwood and bought a paper bag of fresh black walnuts still in their green hulls. The old woman running the stand had them priced at five dollars for as many as you could scoop. I filled a bag and then bought a jar of sorghum molasses because it looked like the real thing and it was.

That evening I cracked some of the walnuts and picked out the meat and made a simple corn cake with walnut pieces and a drizzle of the sorghum. Lily came over and we ate it with coffee at the kitchen table while she told me about a road trip she and Ben were planning to take up through the Ozarks. She looked happy. Genuinely, quietly happy in a way I hadn't seen from her in a while. That was good to see.

I thought about telling Danny about the corn cake when I got home, and then caught myself, and then just told him anyway in the way you do when someone is gone but still listening.

That evening with Lily reminded me that the simplest corn dishes—nothing fussy, nothing that requires much more than a skillet and a little attention—have a way of anchoring a moment in time. I didn’t want to lose that feeling, so I kept coming back to corn through the rest of the season. This chili cheese corn became my go-to: warm and creamy, with just enough heat to remind you you’re alive, and simple enough that you can make it while someone you love is telling you about a road trip through the Ozarks and you don’t want to miss a word of it.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
4 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, to taste)
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons sliced green onions, for garnish

Instructions

Cook the corn. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the corn kernels and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the corn is heated through and some kernels develop a light golden edge.
Melt in the cream cheese. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the cream cheese cubes and stir steadily until fully melted and coating the corn evenly, about 3 minutes.
Season the mixture. Stir in the sour cream, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne if using. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir until everything is combined and the sauce is smooth.
Add the cheddar. Fold in 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar and stir over low heat until melted throughout, about 2 minutes.
Finish and serve. Transfer to a warm serving dish or leave in the skillet. Scatter the remaining cheddar over the top and let it melt slightly. Garnish with green onions and serve immediately while hot and creamy.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chili Cheese Corn — The Kind of Simple That Stays With You