Thankfully, we don’t have to bid farewell to our favorite golden grain once its season winds down. The versatility of corn has made it a symbol of abundance after the harvest, with preservation strategies like drying and grinding into cornmeal learned from Native Americans.
These days, of course, canned and frozen corn have compounded our options, which at least partly explains corn’s inclusion in American celebratory meals year-round. (Its easy appeal paints the rest of the picture.)
And once those meals are done, leftover corn delights just as much. Whether you’ve got extras from a summer get-together, Thanksgiving Day or your Sunday dinner, we’ve got plenty of ideas for using it up—starting with a spin on an iconically British dish, bubble and squeak.
This charming name refers to the sound of the leftovers, formed into patties, hissing in the frying pan.
Here, Thanksgiving leftovers (including mashed potatoes, cranberry and stuffing) assemble for an irresistible next-day lunch, paired with a delicious corn mash.
Corn Chowder
This bowlful exemplifies how satisfying corn can be in its wintertime persona. Studded with bacon and potato, this chowder pushes the limits of how chunky you can go and still eat with a spoon. Just how we like it.
Grilled Cheese with Corn
A grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with veggies wins the day, with moisture, texture and a surprising complexity! It will fill you up longer than a plain-old white bread grilled cheese, as well, that’s for sure. Colby jack is a smart inclusion here, mild and perfectly meltworthy, and the ideal cheesy glue for all the savory fillings.
Cachapas
Instead of imagining what these sweet-and-salty Venezuelan corn pancakes are like, you’ll just have to whip up a batch and thank us later. Super light, lacy and delicate, and gorgeous eaten with butter, these cachapas turn corn into a breakfast hero.
Jalapeño Corn Muffins
We love a corn muffin with a little something extra, and these have two something extras: actual corn, and little bits of jalapeño. They make logical sides on chili night or with barbecue, but they are interesting enough to be eaten on their own for breakfast or a snack, hot out of the muffin tin or toasted with butter.
Corn Pudding
This pudding has all the unctuousness of creamed corn, but baking it somehow concentrates all that goodness and holds it together more solidly. It will be a home run at any potluck, going well with brunch, baked ham, grilled steak, roast turkey and so much more.
Enchilada Cups
These enchilada cups would be the hit of the cocktail hour or game day, but the kids would also totally demolish them if you set them out for lunch. Quite frankly, they’re so simple, if you keep the ingredients in the house, your older kids can make them on their own.
Fresh Corn Cakes
It’ll start as a side dish, sure; savory with corn kernels and chives, these cakes, you’ll find, pair well with all sorts of grilled fish and meats, even pulled pork. But don’t be surprised if you start craving them for breakfast, too, and eating them with scrambled eggs, bacon or even on their own with fruit and maple syrup.
Quinoa Corn Chowder
This chowder from Trisha Yearwood takes you in unexpected directions, from the plump, juicy shrimp, whose sweetness complements the corn, to the quinoa, that adds an extra textural and protein boost.
Street Corn Quesadilla
When the street fair is but a distant memory, Ree Drummond recreates all the flavors of street corn, but in quesadilla form, so it works as a complete meal. And the crowd will thank you for it.
Hot Corn Dip
Double down for those real corn lovers, with a hot corn dip served with tortilla chips! Monterey Jack (and some extra umami from Parmesan) keeps things creamy and cheesy, while green chiles spice it up.
Sweet Corn Ice Cream
Here’s the scoop: Fire up your ice cream maker for a sweet-and-savory cold treat that definitely won’t invoke vanilla. Creamed corn jump-starts the custard making, here fortified with egg yolks, and caramel corn provides a fitting crunchy counterpoint.
Chilaquiles with Corn and Black Beans
This cheesy, slightly spicy breakfast skillet, studded with tortilla chips that go soft in some spots and stay crisp in others, is a vegetarian take on a Mexican classic. The recipe calls for a can of fire-roasted corn but your leftovers will work just as well here.
Leftover Mashed Potato Soup with Corn and Poblanos
Leftover corn and mashed potatoes contribute to a comforting bowl akin to a veggie congee, with a simmered-all-day quality that belies its quick cook time. Some chopped fresh chives brighten everything up.
Creamed Corn Tamales
There’s no way around it: homemade tamales are a labor of love. However, this version strips the process down to the most low-key prep imaginable, with few ingredients and the hack of using creamed corn for instant body. Do as smart abuelas have done forever: Invite over a friend, make a bunch of them, and freeze the extras as gifts to your future selves.
Corn Mashed Potatoes
The sheer goldenness of this buttery casserole would already send us over the edge, and then that textural delight of popping kernels amid the mashed potato brings together our favorite childhood bite, when we’d be lucky enough to receive these two all-stars in the same meal and rake a fork through each.
Chicken-Corn Chili
Truly unlike most standard chilis, this white chili gains body from mashed beans and loads of flavor from chicken, corn and jalepeños. A dollop of sour cream tames the fire of the chiles, for a combination of rich, heat and sweet.
Mexican Corn Soup
Ingrid Hoffmann’s creamy, tomatoey soup represents Mexican home cooking at its best. You might not find it on a restaurant menu, but once you’ve made it, we can all but guarantee that it will be your new weeknight staple in the cold months.
Fideos with Corn
If you haven’t ever made fideos, this recipe will knock your socks off with its ease, speed, and deep deliciousness. Pasta is first toasted, then cooked like risotto, although much faster and with less fuss. Fire-roasted corn, Cotija and spices keep things zesty.
