StewsEasyFree

Mexican Street Corn Mac and Cheese

Name: Mexican Street Corn Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 300 g Macaroni; 150 g Cream cheese; 200 ml Whole milk; 3 cdas Mayonnaise; 30 g Butter; 1 cdita Salt; 2 Lime; 300 g Sweetcorn kernels; 100 g Cotija cheese or aged crumbly cheese; 150 g Grated cheddar; 1 cdita Piquín chilli or chilli powder

40 min (15 prep + 25 cook) Easy 4 servings Fusión

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 12 May 2026

Macaroni in cheese sauce with roasted sweetcorn, cotija, chilli and lime in Mexican style.

About this recipe

Mexican street corn mac and cheese is a creative fusion between American macaroni and cheese and the iconic flavours of Mexican street corn: cotija cheese, mayonnaise, chilli powder and lime. The macaroni is bathed in a creamy cheese sauce into which caramelised roasted sweetcorn is folded, and the whole dish is finished with crumbled cotija, mayonnaise, chilli flakes and a squeeze of lime. Fun, flavourful and perfectly balanced between comfort food and vibrancy.

History & Origin

Macaroni and cheese is a recipe dating to the fourteenth century in Italy ('de lasanis' in the medieval Liber de Coquina), though the modern American version was popularised by Thomas Jefferson who brought it from France and served it at the White House in 1802. In Mexico, the fusion of mac and cheese with the flavours of street corn - one of the most beloved street snacks of Mexico City, popularised from the 1950s by street vendors - is a phenomenon of contemporary fusion cooking that emerged in the 2010s in comfort food restaurants in cities like Los Angeles, Mexico City and New York. Cotija cheese, dubbed 'the Mexican Parmesan' for its hard texture and salty flavour, is the element that anchors the dish in Mexican culinary tradition.

Estimated cost

£4.60

Total cost

£1.15

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

480

Calories

16g

Protein

60g

Carbohydrates

20g

Fat

Fibre

680mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Cook the macaroni in salted water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Reserve 100 ml of the cooking water. Drain.
2
In a dry frying pan over high heat, roast the sweetcorn kernels without oil until they brown and caramelise, 5–7 minutes stirring occasionally. Set aside.
💡 Dry-roasting the sweetcorn develops the caramelised smoky flavour characteristic of street corn.
3
In the same pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the cream cheese and milk, stirring until you have a smooth sauce.
4
Add the grated cheddar a little at a time, stirring until completely melted. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved cooking water.
5
Add the cooked macaroni and roasted sweetcorn to the cheese sauce. Mix well. Add 2 tbsp of mayonnaise, half the cotija and the juice of one lime.
6
Serve in plates or bowls. Finish with the remaining crumbled cotija, extra mayonnaise, piquín chilli to taste and lime zest. Serve immediately.