Canned corn is super affordable even when it isn't on sale. When it gets marked down to less than fifty cents a can, it's time to stock up for the long haul. Here are ten tasty ways to use up those cans you have sitting in the back of your cupboard.

Sex up your salsa.

When I was cruising the aisles at the nearest Super Target the other day, I noticed a particular type of gourmet salsa and nearly picked it up. It was your basic organic tomato salsa with the addition of corn kernels and black beans. Since I had all three of those things back home, I decided to make my own for significantly less money. It was such a hit with the hubster, I'll be doing this more often to be sure.

Side salad ingredient.

I'm sure there are other recipes out there, but I whipped up one last week based on a basic idea from a friend. Quinoa and black bean salad. Since I had extra canned corn and a few other ingredients such as cilantro and jalapenos, I decided to get creative. Those ingredients plus a lime juice, sea salt and olive oil dressing made for a protein rich dish we enjoyed as a side with dinner, and for lunch for a couple of days afterward.

A cheesy, crowd pleasing side dish.

Whether you bake up a batter style casserole or go for the spicy cheese and corn in the crock pot option, cheesy corn side dishes are usually a hit when cooking for kids and adults alike.

Budget friendly shepherd's pie.

Toss it in with some browned ground beef, onions and an additional can of creamed corn and top with seasoned instant potatoes. Bake it off in the oven and serve with a crisp green salad.

Superior soup ingredient.

Not only can canned corn jazz up chowders and bisques effectively, it's also great for broth based soups when you are running short on fresh ingredients and need something else to round it out. Toss on some slamming soup toppers and you'll be dining in style.

Put some in a meal muffin.

They can be made with cornmeal or homemade biscuit mix, but meal muffins are a great way to add pizazz to brown bag lunches or beef up main courses of thinner broths and purees. Add in corn or leftover chopped cooked broccoli, and extra chopped meat from last night's dinner such as chicken or ham.

Pan roasted as a sassy side dish.

Toss in some zippy seasonings and mix in some fresh chopped herbs when you're done to take canned corn from hum drum to hubba hubba. Consider this with a Tex Mex dinner theme, or with fried chicken and a greener vegetable.

Green salad add-in.

I'm big on choosing salad ingredients with oomph. Corn certainly has that and makes for a healthy filling option when trying to transform salads into meals. As with the salsa, black beans pair nicely with this option for a taste of the Southwest that will leave you feeling satisfied.

Jazz up the cornbread.

I like to add in canned corn, jalepenos, crushed dried red pepper and shredded cheese when I'm serving cornbread with a meal. It takes it to the next level flavor wise, and makes an excellent side to crock pot chili. Again, if you're having it with a thinner and less hearty soup, sassing it up with canned corn and other ingredients will ensure your hungry eaters leave the table full.

Fritters.

Not exactly low calorie considering the oil and syrup, but an affordable day time snack or after dinner treat nonetheless. Corn fritters are great way to please company and family alike while keeping the grocery budget on track.

These are my top ten picks for using canned corn on the home front. Other budget ingredients that can go the distance menu wise are canned fruit, surimi, canned salmon, peanuts, frozen spinach, pumpkin and potatoes.  Related Readings: Meals in Ten Minutes or Less, Simple Side Dishes, Healthy Convenience Foods and the Versatility of Peanut Butter.

Do you have any tasty recipe ideas for canned corn you'd like to share?

This post was submitted to Wanderlust and Lipstick's Wanderfood Wednesday. Stop by to see other food related posts and photos.