Cinco de Mayo is a week away! A Mexican corn turkey bowl would be a great way to celebrate.
Recipes for Elote corn dip are all over the internet. A creamy dip that features roasted corn with cheese, mayo, and spices. This bowl has a lightened-up version of Elote dip featuring cottage cheese, still creamy and delicious. Instead of being scooped up with chips, the dip serves as a topping for the bowls.
This recipe is highly customizable based on your preferences. Hate bell peppers? Leave them out. Prefer chicken to turkey? Go for it!
Elements
White Rice: You could use brown rice if you prefer. The rice is flavored with lime and cilantro.
Olive Oil: Used to sauté the corn, peppers, and onions.
Corn: Fresh or frozen corn will work. I use frozen at this time of year when fresh isn’t available. If you happen to have frozen roasted corn, better yet. I have always liked the natural sweetness of corn in my Chipotle bowls.
Lean Ground Turkey: I like the texture of ground turkey in this recipe, but I might try chipotle or chicken tinga in the future.
Chili Powder, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Paprika: Used to flavor the ground turkey and can be altered according to taste.
Black Beans: You could also use pinto beans.
Bell Pepper & Onion: I prefer ripe bell peppers and red onions.
Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese is a healthier alternative to heavier cheeses and lots of mayonnaise without compromising on flavor.
Light Mayo: Adds richness and creaminess to the corn dip.
Lime Juice: Used in the rice and the dip. The brightness of lime goes great with the savory flavors.
Black Pepper: Adds flavor to the dip.
Cilantro: Added to the rice and sprinkled over the top. It can certainly be omitted if you aren’t a fan of cilantro.
Preparation
First thing, start your rice.
As I mentioned above, if you happen to have roasted corn, this next step can be skipped. Otherwise, add your corn to a small skillet with a bit of olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is fragrant and starting to brown slightly. Once done, add the corn to a bowl. The corn does not need to be kept warm, as it will be added to the cold dip.
The ground turkey and spices are then added to a skillet. The peppers and onions are added to a second skillet with olive oil. But all means, reuse the corn skillet for either the meat or the onions and peppers. Nobody needs three dirty skillets. 😉
I like to add the black beans to the skillet with the turkey to warm them up. You could also throw them in the microwave for about 30 seconds or leave them cold.
Meanwhile, add the cottage cheese to a bowl. Use a fork to mash up the curds a bit, but it certainly doesn’t need to be totally smooth. Add the corn, lime juice, garlic powder, chili powder, and pepper to the cottage cheese and stir to combine.
As soon as everything is ready, mix the cilantro lime rice and divide it between two bowls. Add turkey, black beans, pepper/onion mixture, and the corn dip. Sprinkle with more cilantro.
Serve your Mexican corn turkey bowls immediately.
Mexican Corn Turkey Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 servings steamed rice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup corn fresh or frozen
- ½ pound lean ground turkey
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ garlic powder
- ½ tsp cayenne powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¾ cup black beans rinsed and drained
- 1½ cup ripe bell peppers and onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- 1 Tbsp light mayonnaise
- 1 tsp lime juice and extra for the rice, if desired
- ½ garlic powder
- ½ chili powder
- black pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Rinse the rice and cook in your preferred method. I use a rice cooker.
- Add the peppers and onions to a skillet heated with olive oil. Sauté the veggies until softened to your liking.
- Drizzle about a tsp of oil in a second small skillet (I use non-stick) over low to medium heat and add the corn. No need to thaw if the corn is frozen. Stir occasionally, sautéing the corn until lightly browned. Remove from the skillet to a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the ground turkey to the now-empty skillet on medium heat. Season with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne powder. Cook the turkey, stirring and breaking it up into small pieces as it browns. Once the turkey is nearly cooked through, add the black beans. Cook until the turkey is done and the beans are heated.
- Add the cottage cheese to the small bowl with the corn. Use a fork to mash the cottage cheese. It does not need to be completely smooth. Add the mayo, lime juice, garlic powder, chili powder, and black pepper.
- Once everything is ready, start creating your bowls. Mix 2 tsp of lime juice and about a Tbsp of chopped cilantro to the rice. Divide into two bowls. Arrange the turkey, black beans, peppers, and onions over the rice. Finally, spoon the corn and cottage cheese evenly over the bowls.
- Sprinkle with additional cilantro and serve.