Chili Cheese Corn

One staple you can always find in my freezer is corn. In particular, Trader Joe's roasted corn. Basically grilled corn, shaved off the cob and frozen. I used to brave the winter months armed only with a couple bags of leftover grilled corn from our summer meals before Trader Joe's came to town, but now I can stock up without sending "A Boy Named Sous" out to the grill or doing all that prep work. Ah, modern convenience. Why do I love it so? The grilling or "fire roasting" adds a little extra smokiness and balances nicely with the corn's natural sweetness. It's a welcome addition to soups and stews, or can serve as the main attraction in a side easily dressed up with a few ingredients. Take today's recipe for example: With a small supporting cast you can elevate and transform a bag of frozen corn into the perfect side dish for taco night. Reminiscent of my favorite side dish for a BBQ meal, this cheesy corn recipe. Cheesy corn on taco night? Si, senorita. It's so easy (no chopping!) and it comes together in about 15 minutes. Three cheers for frozen corn!

Chili Cheese Corn (adapted from julieseatsandtreats.com)

1 (8 oz.) package light cream cheese, cubed
2 T. unsalted butter
4 c. frozen corn, thawed (I used Trader Joe's Fire Roasted Corn)
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilis
1/4 c. skim milk
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Combine cream cheese and butter in a medium saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the cream cheese and butter are melted and smooth. Add the corn, green chilis, milk, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and salt and cook on medium low heat until heated through, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and serve.

6 servings (191 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com