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.”
Bacon & corn.. the only 2 food groups that my boyfriend eats ;)
I like him!
I love grilled corn and have had some delicious ears with cojita cheese…. but your butter bacon combo just took it to the next level!
Sounds absolutely amazing on these hot summer days. Cheese on corn, never tried it, but I bet it is fantastic:)
I love corn and cheese.
The corn is gorgeous!!! And although I have never been a bacon girl, I know you are. And with butter. I bet you were sooo happy about this meal :)
The photography is splendid!
And I love the dish/plate you have the corn on..it’s PERFECTLY suited for the corn. These are the details no one thinks about…til they plate, style, and photograph their own food. Job VERY well done on that one! :)
Bacon butter, amazing! But we really expect nothing less of you. Hey, is cojita cheese easy to find? I always see it listed in more southwestern recipes, so I figure we don’t have it up north…
I used it for the first time 2 years ago when I made a grilled corn salad by Bobby Flay and it was nearly IMPOSSIBLE for me to find! I found it at Whole Foods and it was not with all the other cheeses – it was with the salsa and Mexican food! I haven’t looked at other stores and usually just grab a block when I’m at WF.
I usually find mine in Mexican markets. Here is the brand I use and it’s store locator. http://caciqueusa.com/stores
Thanks Mindy!
This is too fantastic for words. Might we call it gourmet corn?!? lol
Emily http://www.mywordsinterestslife.blogspot.com
Yes……….. we just got a grill last weekend and this will be the next thing made on it. Looks so good!
anything with bacon butter is fine by me ;)
Sin away…
Great idea! I’ve never had cojita cheese… have to try it!
Bacon butter is a genius idea — and I love the last photo where it shows it melting all over the corn. I’m considering calling in sick to work to stay home and make this. Not kidding.
That would be a perfect Wednesday!
Oooh yumm! I grilled my first corn on the cob earlier this summer (and stuck basil in the husks).. it was delicious! PS. speaking of bacon infused things, I found a recipe that called for this the other day and immediately thought of you: http://www.bakonvodka.com/
A few people have sent me that link… I can’t even imagine!
hahah The end of this post totally cracked me up:). That corn looks cooked just right. I have never used cotija cheese- I think its time. YUM. Summmmer
That is genius. How do you come up with this stuff?!
sin indeed…i’m dying over here! it sounds too good to be true…
Guess I know what we’re doing this weekend – corn/butter/bacon/cheese on Saturday, confession on Sunday.
Hahahaha.
Ok, Baconeve…I will be sinning with you this weekend! :-) This looks to die for!
Only you…
this looks fabulous! you can’t go wrong with grilled corn and bacon BUTTER!!! :)
I had grilled corn for the first time on the 4th of July! Fabulous! I will have to start getting creative with my grilled corn!
I will have to hang out with you more–calories seem to magically disappear when you’re around! :P
I usually like my corn on the cob basic with just butter and salt, but this looks pretty darn good.
Ditto on the hard to find…I have looked around for months for Cotija cheese and I cannot find it!
The Latina girl on Food Network Star called it Cojita cheese. Is it double-named, or did I catch her mistake!?
hmmmm! It definitely is spelled “cotija” on the outside of my package (I just checked, haha) but maybe it’s pronounced like co-ji-ta?
Yum yum yum! :)
Corn grilled is THE best!! The pictures are great!
I know what we’re having with dinner!
How about bacon buttercream icing? :-)
Yes please.
Are you getting marriage proposals from random guys for man-made recipes?
These might be the most gorgeous pictures I’ve ever seen.
Nice work!!
Thanks so much Ange!
You’re BETTER than Eve – this recipe is better than a forbidden apple ;)
You had me at “bacon butter.”
Mmmmmmmm… :-D
You are out of control girl with the bacon, and I LOVE IT! So glad you posted this, when you teased us with this picture on Sunday I was drooling!
Bacon Butter? I’m pretty sure we just became best friends. I wouldn’t think to put cheese on corn but can you really go wrong with cheese, butter and bacon? This is so much better than a dinky forbidden apple. I like your style.
I normally wouldn’t think to put cheese on corn either, but I think the fact that it’s small crumbles helps! It doesn’t take over the corn.
Oh my GOODNESS. I really never thought grilled corn could get any better but I LOVE this idea! What an amazing flavor combination this must be…
WHERE did you find cotija??
I had resigned myself to living without Mexican cheese, but you have given me hope.
Whole Foods!
This looks fantastic. Is 8:17 AM too early for grilled corn?
I say never!
Bacon butter! Yes, please!
(BTW, Jessica, I love the new look of your site. It’s gorgeous and your photos really pop out with the white background. Congrats!)
Thanks so much!
I don’t mind picking it out of my teeth either, it’s just that stinkin good! ….THIS, however, puts it over the top. They husband would fall in love with me all over again if I made this!
They sell cotija at GE Market District too. Have you been to Tamari in Lawrenceville? I went there last summer and had grilled corn with chipotle-lime butter rolled in cotija. Yum!!
Good to know! And nope, I haven’t been there but now I think I need to go!
I think they rotate their menu pretty often so they probably don’t have that exact dish, but everything we had was good. :)
Bacon Butter?! Oh, girl, this sounds WAY beyond delicious. Nice combination of flavors.
Will definitely make this weekend with your Tomato Quinoa salad. I was going to make Roasted Potatoes To Die For, but that’s just too much wonderfullness at one time! Will maybe serve with Bacon Bloody Mary’s! :)
I have decided you need your own cooking show. You can be to bacon what Paula Dean is to butter and Rachel Ray is to EVOO. Except prettier. And cooler. And funnier. And straight up awesomer.
I love sinning!!!
Oh, wait – I meant, sinning is pretty cool. Pretty hip. I’m in.
Where can I sign up?
oh my! Looks sinfully delish!
Mmm I love traditional Mexican corn on the cob but this is insanely good looking!
holy moly. this looks UH.MAZING.
Yes please! I would use some bacon butter to make the best frosting ever (eeevverrr).
As today is my birthday I think bacon butter is TOTALLY called for. Yes? I’ve never used cojita cheese, but it looks good to me! And grilled corn? One of my favs. Thanks for the recipe,
Aimee
Happy birthday Aimee!!
Is it weird that I like the burnt / charred kernels of corn best? mmmm
No, I love those ones too!
You continue to make me drool each and every morning :)
This might be the yummiest-looking recipe I’ve ever seen. If I don’t post a comment again, I’ve died from eating bacon and butter. Don’t worry, it was happily.