For Corn On The Cob With 10x The Flavor, Add This Seasoning To Your Butter

Corn on the cob is a simple, standby dinner side. It can be found at cookouts, barbecues, and even at your Sunday family dinner. It does, however, have a bit of a reputation for being basic. Sometimes it's pre-buttered, sometimes you have to butter it yourself, sometimes it's a bit charred, and that's about the extent of it for most cobs. But what if you could level up that cut of corn? Rather than just slathering up your cob with plain old butter, add a bit of lemon pepper to the butter first.

Lemon pepper, a seasoning blend that combines lemon zest, black pepper, salt, and occasionally other seasonings, such as garlic and onion powder, adds a bit of zest and a savory, slightly spicy edge to your corn that instantly levels it up. Butter is the perfect vehicle for said lemon pepper because it helps evenly disperse and coat your corn. For this, make a lemon pepper compound butter by adding a bit of lemon pepper seasoning to room temp butter and mixing (feel free to whip for a better, more spreadable texture). Add your lemony butter after cooking so as to not muck up the lemon zest, which can turn bitter if burnt. Slather the butter on your corn while it's still hot, and serve.

Adding a little lemon pepper to butter is a great way to add a pop of flavor, and if you want to make the dish taste a bit more gourmet, you can go so far as to make your own lemon pepper seasoning. Just add fresh lemon zest to freshly cracked black pepper and a bit of salt for an impactful seasoning blend that you can add to butter and, finally, to that beautiful, freshly grilled corn cob.

To go even further on the tang factor, add a bit of goat cheese to your butter along with the lemon pepper. This gives even more brightness and creaminess to your corn. You could also use a dash of mustard for added zip. To boot, giving your corn a bit of a char is a great way to add depth. The char plays exceptionally well with your fresh-cracked black pepper, and can add depth to the bright lemon (or lemon and goat cheese) flavor. If you boil your corn, add a bit of sugar and lemon juice to your water for more flavor. Bring all of these elements together for a side dish that feels anything but basic.