Summer Corn Salad with Chili Cheese Fritos

If you haven’t attended a church potluck lately, you need to sidle on up to that favorite aunt that is always asking you to come to church! Church potlucks (or carry ins, as some call them) are a treasure trove for delicious recipes. Really, we should all make it easier on ourselves and just bring copies of the recipe we brought so people can swap recipes more efficiently. This summer corn salad with chili cheese Fritos is a favorite at our church potlucks, thanks to my friend, Amy!

Come summer, I dig out this corn salad with chili cheese Fritos recipe because it goes perfectly with all things picnics and cookouts. And it is a favorite of my husband and our oldest son. This chili cheese Fritos salad pairs well with hot dogs and hamburgers or sandwiches. And I love that the recipe ingredients are easy to keep on hand, though you may have to hide the chili cheese Fritos as some have been known to open the bag and help themselves BEFORE they were suppose to!

When I first read over the recipe, the first thing I wanted to do was change the recipe. Altering recipes is a common problem I have. So that in and of itself is not remarkable. What was truly remarkable is that the canned corn the recipe calls for is actually the best. I experimented with frozen corn, thinking that had to be better, but quickly came back to the canned corn. And as canned corn is so easy to keep on hand, it was one experiment I was glad that failed!

Summer Corn Salad with Chili Cheese Fritos calls for chopped raw onions. And while you may be like me and prefer your onions cooked, you will love how the onion flavors blends effortlessly with the salad. So don’t hesitate to add the onions!

You can, however, experiment with the peppers. Personally, I love the flavor of the green peppers for the salad. The green peppers add the perfect flavor and crunch to the summer corn salad. But I have seen the Fritos corn salad prepared with red peppers. While it adds a lovely color and can do in a pinch, I prefer the taste of the green peppers for the corn salad. But feel free to experiment if you love red peppers, or if your garden decided that you love red peppers and gave you an abundance this season!!

Once the salad is made, it does have to be eaten within several hours. So here are a few tips I use to prep ahead, while still keeping the salad fresh. I assemble the chopped onions, green peppers, mayonnaise and corn. You can prep that part a day ahead if you are hosting a party, and just refrigerate with a lid.

Right before my party (or carry in) I take the dish out of the refrigerator. Next, I add the mild shredded cheddar cheese. Don’t forget to add the cheese, as I have shown up with my salad, having forgotten to add the cheese!

And then immediately, before serving, I add the crushed chili cheese Fritos. Just open the bag, remove some of the air, hold the end closed and crush the chips in the bag. This is best done, while people are not looking, as some people get VERY alarmed that you are crushing up perfectly good chips!

One more trick! If I am serving this at home, I will split the corn salad in half. Put half of the salad in the fridge and to the other half of the corn salad, add the Fritos. If the corn salad is gobbled up, I simply add more salad and add the remaining corn chips. This avoids the deep remorse you will feel if you see that there is still a serving or two of the salad, sitting in the bowl, knowing you are too full to take another bite. But if you don’t eat it now, the chips will be soggy the next day. No one should be faced with the terrible choice!

Just a caution, when you take this recipe to your next get together, you may need to make a decision beforehand. Do you want to share the recipe? If you share the recipe, just be aware that some may hijack the recipe, leaving you to have to have to come up with a NEW side dish or loudly announce before the next get together that you plan on bringing corn salad. The corn salad is too good and simple to resist, even among friends! True story!