StewsEasyFree

Squash with Corn (Calabacitas con Elote)

Name: Squash with Corn (Calabacitas con Elote)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 Sweetcorn kernels; 2 Poblano chilli; 2 Tomato; 1 White onion; 2 cloves Garlic; 150 g Fresh cheese o Oaxaca cheese; 2 sprigs Fresh epazote; 30 ml Vegetable oil; to taste Salt and pepper; 6 Courgettes

40 min (15 prep + 25 cook) Easy 6 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 11 Mar 2026 · Updated: 16 Apr 2026

Sauteed squash with corn kernels, poblano pepper, and fresh cheese.

About this recipe

Calabacitas con elote is a traditional Mexican home-style stew that stands out for its simplicity and comforting flavor. It is made by sauteing cubed squash with fresh corn kernels, tomato, onion, garlic, and poblano pepper in a skillet. The mixture cooks until the vegetables are tender and the flavors meld, creating a juicy and aromatic stew. At the end, crumbled fresh cheese or Oaxaca cheese is added and melts slightly with the heat of the vegetables. This dish represents the Mexican milpa in its purest expression: squash, corn, and chile - the three pillars of Mesoamerican agriculture. It can be served as a side dish, as quesadilla filling, in tacos, or as a vegetarian main course with red rice and beans.

History & Origin

Calabacitas con elote is a direct expression of the milpa, the pre-Hispanic agricultural system where corn, squash, beans, and chile were grown together. These three crops, known as "the three sisters" in Mesoamerican traditions, grew in symbiosis: corn provided structure for climbing beans, beans fixed nitrogen in the soil, and squash covered the ground to retain moisture. This agricultural relationship is directly reflected in the cuisine: calabacitas con elote is the milpa made into a dish. Mexican squash (Cucurbita pepo) was domesticated over 10,000 years ago in Oaxaca, making it one of the first Mesoamerican crops, even predating corn. During the colonial era, this stew was enriched with cheese brought by the Spanish. Today it is an everyday dish in millions of Mexican homes, especially during the rainy season when squash and corn are at their peak. In popular markets, it is sold as an affordable and nutritious side dish.

Estimated cost

£10.00

Total cost

£1.67

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

165

Calories

Protein

18g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

350mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Roast the poblano chillies directamente on the llama of the estufa, turning them until the skin ampolle on all sides. Place them in a bolsa of plastic 10 minutes for that suden. Peel them, remove the seeds and cut in chilli strips.
💡 You can sustituir for pimiento green si not encuentras poblano, aunque the flavour will be diferente.
2
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until translucent (3 minutes). Add the garlic and cook 1 minuto more.
3
Add the tomato chopped and cook 4-5 minutes until it suavice and suelte its jugos.
4
Add the courgettes into cubes and the sweetcorn kernels. Mix well with the sofrito. Cover and cook over medium heat for 12-15 minutes, restirring occasionally, until the courgettes they are tiernas pero not demasiado soft.
💡 No cocines of more the courgettes; deben mantener algo of firmeza.
5
Fold in thes chilli strips of poblano chilli and the ramas of epazote. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes more without cover for that the flavours concentren.
6
Remove from the heat and espolvorea generously with crumbled fresh cheese or tiras of Oaxaca cheese. Cover a momento for that the cheese ablande slightly. Serve hot with corn tortillas.