I Can’t Stop Talking About This New Frozen Appetizer (I’m Actually Excited to Watch the Super Bowl So I Can Eat It!)

The Super Bowl is just days away, and I’m most excited for two reasons: the halftime show and the snacks (sorry football fans). When you think of a winning spread, Dr. Praeger’s might not necessarily be the first name that comes to mind. But this season, maybe it should be?

The frozen food brand recently launched Mexican-Style Street Corn Cheesy Bites in the freezer aisle, and after sampling them ahead of the big game day I can already predict they’ll earn crowd-pleaser status at your own viewing party.

After basically perfecting the frozen veggie burger (the brand took first and second place in The Kitchn’s veggie burger taste test), the team at Dr. Praeger’s has been busy cooking up a variety of frozen bites that celebrate how delicious vegetables can be. (The Southwestern Black Bean Crunchy Stars are stellar.)

Now back to the new Mexican-Style Street Corn Cheesy Bites, which, as the names suggests, are loosely inspired by elote. Dr. P’s version takes little medallions of corn, mozzarella, zucchini, and green chili peppers and coats them in a crunchy tortilla chip breading. They take a mere five minutes to heat in the air fryer, and around nine or 10 in the oven. Either way, it’s a pretty quick trip from the freezer to a party platter.

The bites launched in early January exclusively at 100+ Costco locations across the Midwest including in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas (three peat?!), Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, with plans to expand to more states in the coming months. They’re $12.99 for a box of 60 (great for sharing, though you could very easily enjoy them on your own). 

I popped a few of the bites into my air fryer, the brand’s PREFERRED method of cooking (yes, in all caps), and after five minutes, it was time to dig in. The satisfying crunch of the outer breading gives way to a melty interior that exudes flavor. The delicious sweet corn and rich salty mozzarella are perfectly balanced, though it doesn’t have the same sharpness as a cotija. There’s added punch from the green chilis (mild enough for nearly all palates) and subtle softness from the zucchini.

I couldn’t get enough of the mix of crispy-meets-gooey texture and immediately thought about possible dip pairings to bring to the table — maybe an avocado crema or creamy queso for extra-cheesiness?! For the ultimate game day snack, I could also see these being a great base for nachos. Load them up with beans, cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream, and homemade guacamole, and you’ll definitely be the MVP.  

Buy: Dr. Praeger’s Mexican-Style Street Corn Cheesy Bites, $14.59 for 32 ounces at Pronto  

Have you tried Dr. Praeger’s new Mexican-Style Street Corn Cheesy Bites? Let us know in the comments.