Kimchi Cornbread Casserole Was Our Test Kitchen’s Sleeper Hit of the Year

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups kimchi, drained, plus 2 tablespoons kimchi brine, divided
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
• 1 (15.25-ounce) can sweet whole-kernel corn, drained
• 1 (14.75-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 ounces), melted
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 (8.5-ounce) package corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
• Sliced scallions, for garnish

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch soufflé dish or a deep 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a large skillet over medium. Add drained kimchi and soy sauce; cook, stirring occasionally, until kimchi softens, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Add cheddar and mozzarella to kimchi; toss together. Set aside until ready to use.
2. While kimchi cools, whisk together corn kernels, cream-style corn, sour cream, melted butter, egg, soy sauce, kimchi brine, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Whisk in garlic powder and onion powder. Whisk in corn muffin mix until combined.
3. Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Bake in preheated oven until top is set enough to hold topping but still jiggly, 40 to 45 minutes. (To test, quickly touch top of casserole with your fingers.) Remove casserole from oven, and top with reserved kimchi-cheese mixture. Return to oven, and bake at 350°F until cheese bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with sliced scallions and serve.