One Quick Squeeze Of This And Canned Corn Comes To Life

It helps to have some culinary tricks up your sleeve to enhance the flavor of canned corn, which is sometimes bland. One of those approaches involves salad dressing, which comes in a variety of styles and flavors to suit every palate. Thousand island, vinaigrette, ranch, French, blue cheese, and Caesar dressing are a small sampling of the possibilities, and most of these options can be easily found in local grocery stores and markets. 

Dressing is a virtually foolproof way to improve corn's taste, as all the seasonings and flavorings are right there in the bottle. This is especially helpful if you worry about adding too much (or too little) seasoning to recipes. As for the amount of dressing to use, it can vary according to the recipe, type of dressing, and how much corn you're preparing. (Considering that one serving of dressing is typically 2 tablespoons,you could also start with that and incorporate more if desired.)

You don't want the corn swimming in ranch dressing, for example, but you also don't want so little that the dish is lacking in flavor. The trick of adding dressing to the salad bowl first before including veggies can be helpful here, as this method makes it easier to evenly coat your corn without going overboard.

With so many types of salad dressing (and so many ways to use them), you can go in all kinds of directions when upgrading corn. For a quick and tasty dinnertime solution, balsamic vinaigrette offers a balanced sweet and tangy flavor profile that complements corn without overwhelming it. Along with tart balsamic vinegar, ingredients like Dijon mustard and honey lend a bit of warmth and sweetness. On the other hand, sweet chili dressing (featuring Thai sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and rice wine vinegar) provides a bright and spicy kick, which is perfect for fans of bolder flavors.

Dressing can elevate the taste of corn on its own, but why not play around with some fun salads at the same time? When making dressing for Mexican street corn salad, you can't go wrong with mayonnaise, fresh lime juice, and Tajín, a seasoning blend made with dried chiles, lime, and salt. There's also cowboy caviar, a hearty side-slash-tortilla chip dip that contains corn, beans, and black-eyed peas, along with a variety of vegetables. The dressing should play well with the dish's tangy and savory flavors, so apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, sugar, and seasonings typically make an appearance.