Corn Salad
Gluten Free Living – 2014
Oh, my, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Corn Salad! It is so mouthwatering I would eat the whole bowl if I could get away with it! Corn Salad has corn, (obviously) and while I usually use canned corn, fresh corn would work just as well.
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It’s also loaded with three or four colors of bell peppers, diced red onion, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise (you can also use Miracle Whip), and chili-cheese Fritos corn chips. So you actually get a double whammy of corn! This is also terrific served as a dip! Add some of the Chili-cheese Fritos to the salad and serve with Fritos scoops! Oh, yes!! 🙂
I made a quadruple batch of this amazing salad for a large celebration potluck luncheon at church a couple of weeks ago and this salad got rave reviews from everyone who tried it (which were quite a few). It’s really fairly easy to make.
The trick is not adding the Fritos until just before you’re ready to serve the salad. So for the purposes of pictures I only sprinkled some of the Fritos on top just to show that they were included in the recipe. I made this salad the day before I needed it and then added the Fritos right before we served it to prevent the Fritos from getting mushy.
That way they keep their crisp texture. For a single batch of this recipe you can probably finish the whole salad in one meal, which is necessary for this salad, because it doesn’t keep well after the Fritos have been added. I only make extra batches when we’re having company and I know it will be all eaten up.
The first time I tried this delightful salad recipe was at a potluck for one of our Sunday school classes when we attended Southwest Baptist Church in DeSoto, Texas, back when we first moved to Texas in the mid-nineties. I’m one of those who likes to go from dish to dish sampling and eating a spoonful of each–then collect recipes!!
Once this amazing Corn Salad made it’s way down my throat I knew I would want to eat this tasty recipe again and again. I had to go from person to person to hunt down the gal who made this recipe, but, boy, I sure am glad I did. Because over the years I’ve made Corn Salad frequently since we enjoy it so much.
As I’ve stated in other posts, I love eating different stuff. My palate requires a wide variety of food. I don’t like eating the same foods all the time. And, while I don’t like goofy combinations like you find in some gourmet cookbooks, I do like lots of different tastes and textures, especially since my tastebuds have expanded over the years.
I’m learning to enjoy spicier foods even though I didn’t grow up eating them. Corn Salad gets a little bit of kick from the red onion and the chili-cheese Fritos which adds a wonderful essence to the body of the salad. I also prefer using Miracle Whip over mayonnaise in the recipe because it’s a little sweeter and it’s not as bland as regular mayonnaise. But on this occasion I just went with regular mayonnaise. Either one works.
Chili Cheese Fritos only come in small bags. A single batch of this recipe uses 1/4 bag of Fritos. That’s why I went ahead and made a quadruple batch – so I could use up the whole bag of Fritos and not have leftovers. For the record, while this recipe is gluten free, it is not particularly healthy since it uses both Fritos and Miracle Whip. But you’d be hard pressed to find another salad recipe where corn is the main ingredient that is tastier than this one.
If you’re looking for a great salad to accompany grilled foods, for backyard barbecues and potlucks, or even women’s luncheons and you want a variety (i.e. not just potato salad 🙁 then do consider giving Corn Salad a try. It’s an excellent option for all the summer holidays too. Go ahead…..live dangerously…..treat your family to Corn Salad this week.
Chili-Cheese Fritos add a nice kick to Corn Salad.
I made the recipe a day in advance and then stirred the Fritos into the batter just before serving. That way the Fritos retain their crunch and don’t get mushy.
Here’s a serving of Corn Salad. Prepare yourself for an explosion of wonderful flavors!
Here’s what I did.
These are the ingredients I used. I also ended up using a green pepper. You can use either mayonnaise or Miracle Whip for this recipe.
Place drained corn in a large mixing bowl. I made a quadruple batch so all the amounts are larger than normal.
Add diced red, orange, yellow and green bell peppers, and diced red onion. I really like the multiple colors of the peppers, but if you only had one color of bell pepper, that would work too. Even for a single batch I try to use two different bell peppers.
Add cheddar cheese and mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip). I ran out of cheddar cheese and added some Colby Jack.
Stir ingredients to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Add Chili-Cheese Fritos just before serving so Fritos don’t get mushy. I actually refrigerated this mixture for over 24 hours before I added the Fritos.
Garnish with more Chili-Cheese Fritos on top of the salad if desired.
You can also serve this as an appetizer. Crush some of the chili-cheese fritos into the salad and then serve with Fritos scoops. It’s fantastic either way.
Here’s the recipe.
CORN SALAD
(Recipe adapted from Amy Standifer when we attended Southwest Baptist Church, DeSoto, TX)
Corn Salad
Equipment
- 1 serving bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 can whole kernel corn drained
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
- 1/2 cup red onion diced fine
- 1 cup bell pepper 1/3 cup each of red, orange and yellow
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1/4 7-oz. bag Chili-Cheese Fritos
Instructions
- Mix ingredients (except Fritos) together and refrigerate.
- Add about ¼ bag chili-cheese Fritos just before serving.
- Stir to combine well.
- Garnish with more Fritos if desired.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
- ½ cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
- ½ cup red onion, diced fine
- 1 cup bell pepper (red, orange and yellow)
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1/4 bag [url href=”http://www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/fritos-chili-cheese-corn-chips.html” target=”_blank” title=”chili-cheese fritos”]Chili-Cheese Fritos[/url]
- Mix ingredients (except Fritos) together and refrigerate.
- Add about ¼ bag [url href=”http://www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/fritos-chili-cheese-corn-chips.html” target=”_blank” title=”chili-cheese fritos”]chili-cheese Fritos [/url]just before serving.
- Stir to combine well.
- Garnish with more Fritos if desired.
Corn Salad has always been one of my favorite recipes to bring to potlucks and family gatherings. It’s perfect for summer holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day and even the Fourth of July!
Corn Salad is not too difficult to make and it’s huge on taste. This quadruple batch serves close to 20.
My mouth is watering.
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Corn Salad
Equipment
- 1 serving bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 can whole kernel corn drained
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
- 1/2 cup red onion diced fine
- 1 cup bell pepper 1/3 cup each of red, orange and yellow
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1/4 7-oz. bag Chili-Cheese Fritos
Instructions
- Mix ingredients (except Fritos) together and refrigerate.
- Add about ¼ bag chili-cheese Fritos just before serving.
- Stir to combine well.
- Garnish with more Fritos if desired.
12 Comments
Erin B.
May 30, 2017 at 7:47 am
Funny thing, I also discovered this recipe when living in North Texas in the early 2000’s. Maybe it’s a regional dish? However, I was instructed to include cilantro as well. My hubs or I have made this a gazillion times over the years, for various cookouts or work potlucks, and it seems it is always perceived as a dip. But we’re cool with scooping it onto our plate and spooning it right up! Cheers from Las Vegas, Nevada!
Teresa
May 30, 2017 at 10:30 am
Hi, Erin, so glad you also enjoy the recipe. I love the idea of adding cilantro. I think I’ll try it that way the next time I make it. Thanks for stopping by.
Lisa
August 25, 2016 at 10:54 pm
…Just a heads up… while the chili cheese fritz chips don’t contain gluten ingredients, they aren’t gluten free according to the company. They are made on the same lines as gluten containing products so may be co-mingled. This is listed as a warning for any who are especially sensitive to gluten.
Teresa
August 26, 2016 at 8:00 am
Hi Lisa. It’s a shame that companies don’t pay more attention to making products without cross-contamination especially when it concerns gluten. Thanks for the heads up.
Jade
July 8, 2016 at 1:48 pm
I am wanting to make this for large group, using 4 cans of corn, how much mayo would you suggest? and how much cheese?
Teresa
July 8, 2016 at 2:13 pm
Hi, Jade, I would multiply ALL the ingredients by 4. Hope you enjoy it. It’s always been a crowd pleaser whenever I’ve made it.
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September 13, 2014 at 1:14 pm
Thank you, Margaret. I hope you’re enjoying the recipes!