15 Delicious Ways to Use Canned Corn

ShareThis

Whenever I see canned corn on sale, into my basket the cans go. I think it's a pantry "essential." Besides being versatile, corn is a vegetable that kids and picky eaters like, too. My grandmother raised five "picky eaters" and once told me that corn was the only vegetable my father would willingly eat. (See also: Canned Foods That Go the Distance)

Below are fifteen recipes using corn. In any of the recipes which call for frozen corn, simply substitute drained, canned corn. Another trick I use is that if the recipe calls for less corn than I need from the can, I just put the extra in a ziplock baggie and freeze it. From there, I toss it into soups or, when defrosted, casseroles.

1. Homemade Creamed Corn

Why on earth make your own creamed corn? Doesn't it already come in a can? Well, of course it does, but that stuff cannot compare to home-made. And it's easy — you can even make it in your crock-pot. (See also: Best Slow Cookers)

2. Dip

For watching football, a movie, or a potluck, this Fiesta Corn Dip is great. Just substitute canned corn for frozen.

3. Succotash

Sufferin' Succotash! Am I dating myself with this Sylvester-the-cat reference? Succotash is a dish usually consisting mainly of corn and lima beans. However, I despise lima beans, so I substitute green beans or edamame.

4. Salad

Speaking of edamame, this Edamame and Corn Salad is delicious alongside a grilled pork chop.

5. Three-Can Salad

Didn't everyone's mother make three-can salad? Drain one can of corn, one can of black or white beans, and one can of artichoke hearts, chopped. Add Italian dressing. Done! (See also: Cheap and Healthy Black Bean Recipes)

6. Fritters

Corn fritters, or pancakes, are a kid-friendly favorite. Big kids love them, too!

7. Chowder

Did somebody mention bacon? Well, corn and bacon are great together, particularly in Bacon-Corn Chowder.

8. Corn Pudding

If you are in need of some comfort food, here is an easy recipe for Corn Pudding.

9. Kid Food

Kid food, no recipe required. Make (boxed) macaroni and cheese and add a half cup of drained, canned corn, one sliced hot dog, and stir well. Sprinkle a little grated cheese on top of that. (See also: How to Cut Waste When Feeding Kids)

10. Black Beans and Corn

Have you ever made your own tortilla chips? They are so easy, and so is this delicious Cilantro, Black Bean, and Corn Salad.

11. Ham Casserole

Last year I was determined to make a Christmas ham. I did, and while it was great, I had so many ham leftovers! This Hearty Ham Casserole would have come in very handy. I'm bookmarking it for the next time I bake a ham.

12. Zucchini

I have had this recipe in my arsenal since the days when I lived in California, and needed to do something WITH ALL THAT DARNED ZUCCHINI. Corn and Zucchini Medley goes with anything...chicken, fish, ribs, you name it. It is an easy, effective "use up zucchini" recipe, and inexpensive. (See also: The Produce Worker's Guide to Storing Fruits and Veggies)

13. Tomalito

This takes some time and effort, but wow, is it worth it. Sweet Corn Tomalito is just fantastic alongside fajitas, tacos, and ribs. Because it is rich, you only need a little as a side dish.

14. Tomatoes

I really love it when foods LOOK pretty on a plate. Such is the case with these Corn-Stuffed Tomatoes.

15. Asian Fritters

I know I already gave you a corn fritter recipe — but this one is for ASIAN Corn fritters. I love the addition of the shrimp, which is optional.

Readers, anyone else have canned corn ideas?

Like this article? Pin it!

 

Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.

Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.


Guest's picture
spaces

I include corn in black bean dip / refried beans. Puree together 2 cups cooked black beans, a tomato, an onion, juice of one lime, corn, chili powder, cumin, hot peppers, and a bit of salt if there is none in the beans. Then cook over medium heat to reduce.

Guest's picture
FrugalZen

Is another great dish.

One form is using ground sausage that you cook and drain and mix with cream style and regular corn.

One of my favorites though is to take real spicy Keilbasa style sausage and cut into small rounds...fry it up and then fry chopped onions and peppers in the drippings and then add all of it to a mix of cream and regular style corn. Serve up and sprinkle with grated cheddar or put in a casserole, top with prepared corn muffin mix (instead of making muffins) and bake.

Guest's picture

Wow great ideas, what good ways to save money!What about other canned products, any ideas for grean beans or peas?

Guest's picture
Courtney

It contains BPA. Choose glass jars and bottles instead of cans, especially when buying soda, preserved vegetables, or soup. Or opt for frozen vegetables over canned.

BPA BAD

BPA testing in canned food.
We contracted with a national analytical laboratory to test 97 cans of food we purchased in March 2006 in three major, chain supermarkets in Atlanta, Georgia; Oakland, California; and Clinton, Connecticut. The lab tested 30 brands of food altogether, 27 national brands and 3 store brands. Among the foods we tested are 20 of the 40 canned foods most commonly consumed by women of childbearing age (NHANES, 2002), including soda, canned tuna, peaches, pineapples, green beans, corn, and tomato and chicken noodle soups. We also tested canned infant formula. The lab detected BPA in fifty-seven percent of all cans.

Independent laboratory tests found a toxic food-can lining ingredient associated with birth defects of the male and female reproductive systems in over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda, and other commonly eaten canned goods. The study was spearheaded by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and targeted the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), a plastic and resin ingredient used to line metal food and drink cans. There are no government safety standards limiting the amount of BPA in canned food.

More than 100 peer-reviewed studies have found BPA to be toxic at low doses, some similar to those found in people, yet not a single regulatory agency has updated safety standards to reflect this low-dose toxicity. FDA estimates that 17% of the U.S. diet comprises canned food; they last examined BPA exposures from food in 1996 but failed to set a safety standard.

Guest's picture

I love it with butter and salt.

Guest's picture
Annie G

An easy chowder recipe is leftover diced ham, 1 can regular corn, 1 can creamed corn, and diced potatoes. Throw it in a crockpot in the morning with a bay leaf and lots of freshly ground pepper. (We make a vegetarian version of this with a meat analog.)

Guest's picture
Justin

Great ideas. Some of these sound great. Thanks for sharing.

Guest's picture
Lia Mittelstadt

In bigger cities and in Mexico, street vendors take grilled corn and dunk it in butter and slather in mayo. Then, they roll in parmesan cheese or crumbly queso and top with chili powder. They either serve it like that or they make it "neat"..cut it off the cob and serve in a cup with a spoon. Make Mexican corn like the street vendors do. It's not an every day dish...(butter and mayo) but it's great for company or to jazz up a boring meatloaf. Just drain a few cans of corn and toss in a casserole dish, add a few pats of melted butter and a few tablespoons of mayo. Mix in salt, pepper, chili powder (or paprika for those with less spicy tastes) a few squeezes of lime and pamesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until bubbly! Delicious!
Or make cowboy caviar. Mix different beans, a can or two of corn, a can of tomatoes, diced chilis or jalepenos, a chopped onion and black olives. Pour Italian dressing over the top and let it sit for at least a few hours to overnight. Serve alone or with tortilla chips. Cheap and very tasty.

Guest's picture

Definitely a file-worthy post :) I need to try that zucchini melody thing.

Guest's picture
jack

I love corn and I often tried different recipes with canned corn, Recently I tried the Creamed Corn before going from corning ny to niagara falls and enjoyed it a lot with my whole family. All of them like it and I must say your shared blog give me new ideas..