Want a fun way to get to know your neighbors? Our neighborhood has started dinner groups and they are a blast. All you need are a couple people to host, and several people to attend. The person who hosts plans the main dish and then everyone else coming brings side dishes for the meal. Simple, but a great way to get to know all of your awesome neighbors.
My group had an amazing meal with ribs, cheesy potatoes, cornbread, homemade macaroni and cheese, and everything else delicious and Southern. Not only was the food amazing, but it was so great to get to know some new people.
For those lucky enough to go to Ellen’s house, they got treated to a Mexican feast. She sent me a recipe for this Hot Corn Queso Dip to share with you. Oh my! How scrumptious does this look? My mouth is watering just thinking about how delicious it would be. I’ll be making this asap. Serve this as a side dish or appetizer to make any party or dinner a success! Thanks Ellen for another great recipe.


- 4 cans sweet corn
- 2 cans creamed corn
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced (or 1/2 red 1/2 orange for more color!)
- 3 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced (seeds/veins removed)
- ¼ to ½ cup diced pickled jalapeno peppers
- 6 Tbs. butter
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I like sharp)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro for topping
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large saucepan, saute bell peppers and fresh jalapeño to soften. In the same sauce pan add remaining butter and cream cheese.
- Stir often until smooth and creamy.
- Add your corn, creamed corn and pickled jalapeños.
- Season with paprika, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Stir in 1 ½ cups of cheddar cheese and stir until fully melted.
- Pour into a 9X13 casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray and top with remaining cheddar.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly! Top with cilantro and serve with your favorite tortilla chips or as a side dish for a Mexican fiesta!