I am so excited to share this recipe with Y’All! Did you catch my southern drawl? Well there is good reason. I found a Paula Deen recipe that is absolutely amazing and has become a HUGE favorite in our house. Its just so super yummy. I have Paula Deen to thank for a fantastic new favorite!
This recipe is Paula Deen’s Corn Salad. I like to refer to it as Paula Deen Fritos and Corn salad. It sounds a bit ironic to put “Fritos” and “salad” in the same title – and honestly, this probably isn’t waistline friendly, but then again - I can’t think of many recipes (or any 
) that are “waistline” friendly from Paula Deen.
But before I thank Paula Deen – I first must thank my fellow mystery church member for this delicious introduction. You see, my girls and I were at our church’s annual ladies tea and this salad was there. I was addicted at first bite and determined to duplicate this at home as I knew that the boys would love it. Plus, Fritos are Alex’s secret indulgence (kinda like dark chocolate, brownies and donuts are mine ) and many that know him know that he loves them as he even gets them as gifts.
Well, I enjoyed a few servings of this salad at the Ladies Tea (shhh…) but I was so busy gabbing that I was one of the last to leave and never discovered who brought this salad to get the recipe.
So I came home and Googled “fritos, corn, cheese” as there were the main ingredients that I noted and sure enough, tons and tons of links to the famous Paula Deen Corn Salad and seemingly so popular that I felt like I was living under a recipe rock! So forgive me if I am already sharing this recipe with you and you already know it way to well, but I had to share it as it is a new favorite around here and it is perfect for gatherings, picnics, parties and teas! 
Plus it is really simple to make and so it is perfect for busy moms. Nearly every recipe I have shared on our site has been my own as I admitted that I don’t follow recipes, just get in the kitchen with what I have and make up something. I also have a few baseline recipes that I can build on to make something new. But in this case, it is too perfect to perfect!
I did make a couple of very slight modifications to match whatever it was I had on hand or had recently gotten for cheap! Those modifications are in parentheses and really didn’t affect the taste. So you can use whatever you have on hand and probably have a similar experience! I am not a fan of buying the exact ingredients for a recipe as shopping this way is not budget friendly, but trying to utilize what you already have to make it work!
This exact version is from food.com.
| Paula Deen Frito and Corn Salad: Y’All Gotta Try This |
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- 2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese ( I used marble cheddar)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup green pepper, chopped (I used an orange bell pepper instead that I got for .25 on this week’s shopping trip)
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- 1 (10½ ounce) bag coarsely crushed Fritos chili cheese corn chips
- Mix first 5 ingredients and chill. Stir in corn chips just before serving.
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Enjoy!
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{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
Do you think this would taste good with plain Fritos? There is MSG in the chili cheese ones, so we don’t eat those.
Hi Ruth,
I would imagine that plain Fritos would also taste just as equally awesome! If you wanted, you could probably add a few dashes of chili powder to replicate it even more. Let me know how it turns out!
Have you tried any other veggies in it? *sheepish* we don’t eat onions or bell peppers at our house, but amazingly, substituting with non-dairy, non-egg, etc. ingredients – this is something my son could actually HAVE!!! So excited!! Maybe i could add shredded carrots? Hmmm…. the possibilities!! Thank you!!!
I have only had it twice, once at the tea and once at home. I just discovered it! However, I love the idea of replacements to fit diet, budget, etc.! Please let me know how it turns out! Carrots and possibly celery would be good options!
I’ve had similar dishes with diced tomatoes or a can of drained black beans.
WHAT!!?! It doesn’t call for a stick of butter!! I’m Shocked!! LOL
I have had something like this before. I have to say that when I first looked at the picture, I thought there were fresh, diced tomatoes in it. So, maybe that would be an excellent swap for the peppers! You could add salsa and melted velveeta cheese if you wanted a change as well.
Also, if you added taco seasoning to the mayonaise, the sauce would make it more tex mex. Add a dab of sour cream on the top and a fresh lime and voila, another easy meal!
We make this all the time!!! When in a hurry, we get canned fiesta corn which comes with the peppers already in it!!! Just a twist if you are in a hurry!
Love this salad! The chili Fritos really make it, so would try to add some spice if you use the plain Fritos.
Just made this and it is soooooo good!!!!!!
This was soooo good! We used plain fritos and it was still yummy. Great for a hot day when you don’t want to cook. My husband raved about it as well!
I made this and loved it!
YUM!!! I made this tonight for my childrens birthday party tomorrow and I don’t know if it will make it to the party!! I did make some modifications though. I bought regular fritos, so I mixed a couple tablespoons of taco seasoning in with the mayo, and I used an orange pepper and white onion diced really finely. This recipe is deeeeeelicious!!
Great modifications! It changes slightly for us each time too based on what we have on hand or what’s on sale. But it ALWAYS turns our fabulous! Thanks for sharing!
Heart Attack on a Plate.
This salad was a huge success at our annual Breast Cancer Awareness dinner party….the guests just couldn’t get enough! Being from Dallas, most referred to the salad as comfort food.
The next time I serve this salad, I’ll be doubling the recipe!
I make this all them time. I have added chicken to make a meal out of it and served it on a bed of chopped romain. Yummy!
What?!? No bacon??????
We just had this at a restaurant which prompted me to find the recipe. I took the leftovers and ate it as a dip with the fritos scoops! Makes a great dip and will be serving for New Years party.
I just made this today for a funeral luncheon. It took 10 mins to put together, and was a huge hit. Everyone was asking for the recipe. Will definitely make again. I don’t even want to think about the WeightWatchers points!
Don’t think about the WeightWatcher’s points, but enjoy this on occasion:) We’re glad to hear that it was a big hit! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Was wondering if anyone uses Miracle Whip instead of mayo? We are just a Miracle Whip kinda family? curious. thanks
Don’t use Miracle Whip!! I prefer MW over mayonnaise every other time but this! I actually can’t stand the taste of mayo, but this recipe def needs it!!!
I make this but instead of using onion and green peppers, I use a can of chopped chilies. This adds a great flavor. Half of the time it is gone before I can put the fritoes in it.
I have made this twice, once to take to a church social and once to a gathering at school. It was a big hit both times!!! Everyone wanted the recipe. I plan to make it today to take to church tonight!!! It is sooooo yummy!!!!
Sounds yummy. I like the idea of adding shredded chicken to make a meal of it. Maybe add black beans, too??
I hate mayo…do you think something could replace this..ranch? Or not think enough?
thick not think!
Yea- I definitely think that ranch could be a good replacement. I have also heard Sour Cream is good too! If you try it, let us know!
Thanks! I sure will
Fritos now makes a “50% lower sodium” version, as well.
tried this for the first time yesterday. My husband and I really liked it. I will do this again soon.
I haven’t tried this yet but have an equally awesome salad along the same line. Instead of cornnitnussed bite sized pieces of lettuce and wait for it…cauliflower cut very small. Instead pf frites it uses Doritos. Everyone asks for the recipe and can never figure out the mystery cauliflower.
We love this salad and always double it- one to take and one to keep! It tastes even better the next day. Dont add the fritos until you are ready to serve or they go soggy. We use fiesta corn instead of peppers and onions and then we throw in a can off black beans too. Everyone likes it!
Tasted this recently at a party and it was so good. Was SO disappointed to see how many calories and the percentage of fat it has in a serving. Has anyone made any changes to make it a little healthier? I’m wondering how it would taste if I left the Fritos out and added some chile powder? Any thoughts?
Anybody try this with cream cheese? I can’t see feeding my family a cup of mayonnaise.
I have made this for years and use chili cheese Fritos and always get asked for the recipe