Grilled Corn with Bacon Butter and Cotija Cheese.
This is butter with bacon in it.
If you do one thing in your entire life, I suggest it be this.
I can think of precisely 87 more things you can use this butter on, so make a big bowl. The first things that come to mind are pancakes, potatoes, crusty toasted bread, and… cookies. Bacon butter is a carb’s best friend.
And!
When you put bacon butter on grilled corn (which is a very, very wise choice) all of the calories magically evaporate because corn is a vegetable and all that jazz. You pickin’ up what I’m throwing down? I thought so. No wonder we get along so well.
I love sweet summer corn just as much as the next person – nothing beats a fresh ear rolled in a bit of butter, sparkling with coarse sea salt and freshly grated black pepper. It’s fabulous in it’s purest form and I don’t even mind picking it from my teeth for 36 hours after eating an ear or three. But grilled corn? I am ALLOVERTHAT. Yeah… I know I already blabbered on back in June about my fascination with the caramely kernels, but they are just too delicious to stop. If you are not riding this train yet, you must hop on.
Actually… for the last few months, I never thought I’d eat corn any other way.
But then I crumbled some crispy, fried bacon into soft, pillowy butter… and I really had no choice other than to slather it on a grilled ear. Then roll it in cheese. Absolutely sinful. We ate this on Sunday night with some delicious chicken I will tell you about later this week. I never knew I liked sinning this much.
Grilled Corn with Bacon Butter and Cotija Cheese
makes 6 ears
6 ears of corn
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 slices bacon, fried and crumbled (very small crumbles!)
3-4 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled
fresh cilantro for garnish
black pepper
Preheat your grill on the highest setting. Shuck corn ears and brush each with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Wrap each in a square of aluminum foil – just so there is one layer cover the corn. Grill for about 5 minutes each “side” – rotating corn 4-5 times during grilling. While grilling corn, combine softened butter with crumbled bacon. Crumble cotija cheese on a large plate.
Once corn is finished, let sit for about 5 minutes to cool a bit before serving. The corn will still be very hot. Serve with a brush for the bacon butter, the plate of cotija to roll the corn in, and a bunch of fresh cilantro for garnish.
Note: there are so many ways to grill corn and this is what we have found to work best for us – feel free to grill your corn another way if you’d like. Also, if you can’t find cotija cheese I’m sure you could sub feta or blue – something that crumbles.
Sin with me. I’m like Eve… with bacon.
174 Comments on “Grilled Corn with Bacon Butter and Cotija Cheese.”
Your pictures are simply BEAUTIFUL!
Thank you so much!
I’m SO stoked that you posted this. This is definitely something that I would NEVER ever try to healthify. It’s just TOO good to do that..and if I did it would be a sin! :)
I WILL be making this. For sure.
I have never heard of Cotija cheese..is it pretty common? I will be on the hunt for it..even if it comes down to ordering it online!
I don’t think it is very common on the East coast but you can prob find some in a Whole Foods or Mexican market!
I’ve found it at my Trader Joe’s and I live in Boston. Can’t wait to try this!
Oh my goodness….this looks so good! Love the idea of bacon butter with the cheese too! I know I always say this, and I’m sorry to keep repeating myself, but your pictures looks so fantastic!
Um, I LOVE this! I just made grilled corn with butter/lime juice and smoked paprika and was feeling all delicious, but as usual you blew me out of the water! I can’t wait to make this!!
AND I just made Crazy Feta…and it.rocked.my.world.
Keep up the fabulosity!
Isn’t the crazy feta so good?! Ah!
Have been eating this all week….EVEN better on the third day. Yum!
Drooling now! I love corn and butter and you can’t beat bacon! Now I am starving and its only 8:43am! AHHH!!
Bahaha you are out of control! Bacon butter? Don’t stop now!
That looks simply amazing!! Also, I love your True Blood reference. :) I knew I liked your style, that just confirms it.
I’ve been obsessed since day 1!
Pam has got to be one of my favorite characters. Oh, I made your rainbow cookies those are crack for a pregnant woman!
Pam is amazing. Have you read the books? I am TEAM ERIC all the way!!
I’ve read ALL the books. I kept waiting for him to get his memory wiped as that’s when he and Sookie, really… “connect”. TEAM ERIC, all the way. I can’t wait to see what they do with that relationship development on the show. What ever happened to Quinn?! They haven’t introduced that character on the show.
Absolutely beautiful pictures Jessica!
That does look irresistible! Only you would think to put bacon AND butter together. Sinly for sure.
My oh my! Was thinking bacon butter and cotija would make for an awesome popcorn topping too!
Oooh I think you’re right!
This literally had me LOL’ing the ENTIRE way through. Girl, you crack me up! Can you believe summer is over half way over and I haven’t had one ear of corn yet??
Talk about sin.
LOVE the pics – they look FABULOUS.
I can see how this is a hit! Bacon lovers unite!
I’m not usually one to get all excited about corn being in season, but topped with bacon, butter & cheese?! You may have converted me!
I just died. Seriously.
Bacon butter on grilled corn, OMG OMG
I had grilled corn for the first time ever just a couple weeks ago. It was beyond amazing. I can’t even begin to think how it would taste rolling in bacon, butter, and cheese.
Time to go grocery shopping!
Did someone say bacon butter?? :)
Yummy! This is very much like they serve it in Mexico! Yum yum yum!
I just found your blog a few weeks ago and wanted to let you know I really enjoy your writing… I think you’re hilarious! I’m a girl who loves to exercise to be healthy, but also has a chocolate addiction, and a husband who likes wrestling, so I totally relate!
Love bacon, butter, and corn so definitely doing this. Or I might just dig into my store of bacon grease and slather that all over the corn instead–healthier because there’s no butter :)
Oh my goodness. I think my mouth just started watering during class. Thank you so much for this!
Oh my, I am grilling tonight and you have me inspired. Well you always do actually.
I’m not a huge corn person (althought I might like it this way), can I just eat the bacon butter with a spoon? …..thought so :)
Jessica, thanks for posting the corn recipe again. Could you please post your Tomato and Quinoa Salad recipe. I want to serve these with grilled lamb chops Friday night to three special people- two who also follow your blog. I’ve tried to find it to no avail. Help! My reputation is on the line!!!
Michelle do you mean this one?? http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/07/quick-caprese-quinoa-with-homemade-basil-oil/
I feel like the bacon butter would be a really good way to grease the pan for eggs. Mmmmm
Now that is what I call corn on the cob!
This looks so good, I’ve never heard of Cotija cheese, is it a form of cottage? Do I find it at my local grocer?
It’s a hard, tangy Mexican cheese! I can find it at Whole Foods but you can probably find it at a Mexican market?
reminds me of Mexican corn on the cob….also delicious! here’s a recipe for it: http://www.closetcooking.com/2009/08/mexican-corn-on-cob.html
This is dangerous. I don’t know whether to thank you for introducing this to me or unsubscribe due to the fact that my arteries clogged simply by looking at this.
I’m thinking the former.
Thank you.
OMG, BACON butter. This is my kind of corn on the cob!!
I need a grill!!!!
Oh my. I’m a VEGETARIAN and that sounds delicious.
Ah…so THAT’S what they were slathering on the corn!!!! I was walking in the streets and we have these Mexican street carts, and one guy was slathering something white on grilled corn…I thought it was frosting! Hahaha!
Bacon butter.
And I haven’t already invented this why??
Obviously I am not the pioneer I thought I was. Sigh.
You’ll probably be winning the Nobel Prize for this one.
The corn looks delicious!! I really should try cotija cheese! (I feel like I’m saying the same thing whenever I come visit your blog!!)
This looks ridiculous. As in, ridiculous awesome. Seriously.
We are sweltering here but just for you I will be firing up the grill tonight. Love this idea!
Everything looks so inviting. You’re photos are inspirational to say the least! Just beautiful!
I’m pretty sure my boyfriend wants to marry you. And so do I.
OMG you had me at bacon butter!!!!
MMmmmmmm it is breakfast time but.. mmmmmmmmmmmm how delicious!!!!! For my next barbacue
After already planning on brats & potatoes on the grill today, I had hubby stop by the store for some corn! YUM!
I skipped the cheese, HOWEVER, I added J& D’s BACON SALT into the butter and it really was delicious! And of course my bacon obsessed husband was all for it!
And I just saw J&D’s makes BACON Lip Balm!
http://www.jdfoods.net/products/baconlipbalm.php
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I love it….bacon butter. Holy yum. This could go in so many directions :-)
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WOW these photos just POP, just gorgeous. It’s 10 at night, but now I’m craving corn haha!!
Can you make the bacon butter ahead of time?
Definitely!
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I absolutely love the first photo of this post. It’s just gorgeous. I absolutely love corn! One summer my parents planted some in the backyard and it was the most amazing corn I have ever tasted. The BF loves cilantro, cheese and bacon so this is right up his alley–and mine. We’ll be hitting the gym pretty hard after eating this though–but it’ll be so worth it!
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I made this last night! We had trouble making the bacon bits stick (I think I added too much bacon compared to butter, lol) and then the cheese wouldn’t really stay on because the corn wasn’t wet enough. BUT, it was a little messy but we made it work and it was amazing!! Thanks for the recipe :)
PS – I’ve seen cotija cheese in my regular supermarket as well as Whole Foods (I live on the East Coast).
The first time I made it I had that problem too, but if you try to crumble the bacon REALLY small (I mean really tiny bits) it helps!
Ahha! I will let my people know ;) Here is my post btw, in case you’re interested. http://blog.healthyandsane.com/2011/08/healthy-and-sane-in-the-kitchen-summer-feast/
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