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Bringing corn cheese from Korean barbecue restaurants to your kitchen table

How to make delectable Korean corn cheese with two simple methods.

Break open your favorite crackers or chips — my go to are Ritz crackers or tortilla chips — and dig into your corn cheese.
Break open your favorite crackers or chips — my go to are Ritz crackers or tortilla chips — and dig into your corn cheese.

If you’re craving something a little sweet, a little savory and very creamy, look no further. Delicious Korean corn cheese is an appetizer usually served at Korean barbecue restaurants as a side dish, and it pairs perfectly with Korean style meats. 

In my hometown in Northern Virginia, Korean barbecue is a very popular cuisine. All the different Korean barbecue restaurants in the area serve their own versions of corn cheese. While, of course, I go to these restaurants for the barbecued meats, I have to say that the thought of ordering corn cheese makes me equally excited. This creamy yet crunchy and sweet dish perfectly compliments other savory foods and dishes, making it the perfect side dish for Korean barbecue. You may recognize this dish from pictures showing off its infamous cheese pull, and, if that hasn’t enticed you enough to try corn cheese, I don’t know what will.

There are two common ways to make this dish — on the stove or in the oven. Both are very easy and low maintenance, taking only 20 to 30 minutes of cooking and prep time. When prepared in the oven, the cheese will usually come out a little cripsier and a bit browned since it is being fired by the broiler. When cooked on a stovetop, the cheese is not as crispy, but melted and very gooey. Most often you will see corn cheese that has been under the broiler to get that slightly brown and crispy texture, but as a college student, I find myself opting for the stovetop method much more since my oven is a bit unreliable and I don’t have many oven safe dishes to use.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella 
  • 1 ½ cup sweet corn (or 1 can)
  • 1 ½ tsp sugar
  • Pinch of salt 
  • Pinch of pepper 

Instructions for oven:

  1. First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Next, in a mixing bowl, mix your mayonnaise, corn, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are evenly spread throughout the mixture.
  3. Pour this mixture into a lightly-greased oven-safe dish. I usually grease my dish with a little bit of butter, but any other oil will do.
  4. Sprinkle your shredded mozzarella over the top and make sure it’s evenly distributed across the surface.
  5. Once your oven is preheated, bake your dish for 10 minutes. You’ll see that at this point the mozzarella has melted, and the corn should be cooked through.
  6. Although not required, if you have a broiler setting on your oven, leave your dish to broil for two minutes to make it golden and crispy on the top.

Instructions for stovetop:

  1. First, grease your pan with a bit of butter.
  2. Next, in a mixing bowl, mix your mayonnaise, corn, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix until all ingredients are evenly spread throughout the mixture.
  3. Pour this mixture into your pan and saute for two to three minutes over medium heat.
  4. Then, top it off with your mozzarella, which should be evenly spread on the top, and let it cook over low heat for eight minutes, or until the mozzarella has melted.

The most common way to eat Korean Corn while Korean corn cheese is with Korean barbecue but you can also enjoy this dish as a dip. Break open your favorite crackers or chips — my go to are Ritz crackers or tortilla chips — and dig into your corn cheese. This dish can be a great staple at parties or get-together for friends and family to share. I love its versatility and  recommend trying it out with tacos as a creamy yet sweet topping.

Feel free to eat this dish with your own DIY korean barbecue spread at home, chips and crackers or even just by itself. 

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