- Side
- American
- Southern
- Make-ahead
- Smoker
- Stovetop
Ingredients
- 6 slices
thick-cut bacon, chopped
the rest in step 2, 4 slices in step 4, 2 slices in step 6
- 1/2
yellow onion, finely diced
- 2
jalapeños, seeded and finely diced
- 2 cloves
garlic, minced
- 6 cups
corn kernels (fresh, from about 8 ears, or frozen and thawed)
- 8 oz
cream cheese, cut into cubes, softened
- 1 cup
heavy cream
- 2 tbsp
unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp
granulated sugar
- 1 tsp
smoked paprika
- 1 tsp
kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp
black pepper, freshly ground
- 4 oz
sharp cheddar, shredded
- 2 tbsp
chives or green onion tops, thinly sliced (optional)
- Gluten-free
Contains milk (cream cheese, heavy cream, unsalted butter, sharp cheddar).
Not checked: chives or green onion tops.
Diets guessed by AI from the ingredients, not checked.
Steps
- Step 1
Set up your smoker for indirect cooking at 275°F, using a mild fruit wood such as apple, cherry or pecan. Let it come up to temperature and run clean (thin blue smoke, not billowing white) before the corn goes on.
20 min, hands-off · 275°F
- Step 2
Meanwhile, set a 10-inch cast-iron skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring now and then, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Scoop the bacon onto a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the skillet. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat.
10 min
- the rest of the thick-cut bacon
- Step 3
Add the onion and jalapeños to the bacon fat and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
5 min
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2 jalapeños
- 2 cloves garlic
- Step 4
Turn off the heat. Stir in the corn, cream cheese, heavy cream, butter, sugar, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, along with about two-thirds of the cooked bacon. Stir until the cream cheese starts to melt into the cream and everything is evenly coated, then smooth the top flat.
5 min
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 6 cups corn kernels (fresh, from about 8 ears, or frozen and thawed)
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Step 5
Set the uncovered skillet in the smoker and cook for 45 minutes, stirring once at the halfway mark so the edges don't scorch. The corn should be bubbling at the sides and lightly tanned on top.
45 min, hands-off · 275°F
- Step 6
Scatter the cheddar and the remaining bacon over the top and smoke, uncovered, for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the surface is set and browned in spots.
20 min, hands-off · 275°F
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon
- 4 oz sharp cheddar
- Step 7
Let the skillet rest 10 minutes off the heat so the sauce thickens, then scatter with chives and serve straight from the pan.
10 min, hands-off
- 2 tbsp chives or green onion tops
Where it’s from
Written by AI from an idea
Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026