Student’s corn dip soothes snack attack

When college kids return home for the summer, they spend the first few days catching up on sleep, seeing friends and eventually dumping out a semester’s worth of laundry from bulging duffel bags.

But this year, 21-year-old Tommy Bennett had an extra thought on his mind when he landed in Minnesota after his junior year at Pepperdine University in California.

Within moments of arriving, he made a dash to the neighborhood market to pick up ingredients for a corn dip recipe that he and his four roommates made famous with classmates.

Corn dip?

“I can’t live a day without it,” he said, as he stirred up a taste test for me in his mom’s biggest serving bowl.

Not only was I impressed by the simple steps and taste (it gets its kick from the jalapenos), but also happily reminded of the pleasure we adults can experience when learning something new from our kids and their friends.

Here is their easy recipe. Experiment with it and use it as a dip for raw vegetables, or as a tasty filling with coarsely shredded carrots and sliced sugar snap peas in flour tortilla wraps.

Corn Dip

2 (15-ounce) cans Southwest Mexicorn with sweet peppers, drained

1 (4-ounce) can diced roasted green chilies, drained

1 (4-ounce) can diced jalapenos, drained

2 green onions (scallions), finely chopped

3/4 cup light mayonnaise

2/3 cup light sour cream

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill, covered, for several hours or overnight to allow flavors to intensify. Serve with corn chips in scoop shapes.

Keeps well in the refrigerator (covered) for four to five days. Stir before serving.

Yield: 4 cups.