Baked Cheese Corn

It’s the last of summer fresh corn, so rather than serving the same corn on the cob, kick up the flavour and texture with this Baked Cheese Corn! Prepare the whole thing ahead of time – even a day or two in advance! – and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes just before you are ready to eat! It’s easy, it’s cheesy, and it’s delicious!

Baked Cheese Corn just might be a new obsession for me. Well, not so much new, because I’ve been watching people eat it almost nightly for several years now. That sounded strange, but it’s true! Every night in my room I watch random people eat cheesy corn and finally, I just had to have some too.

I’m about to share a little secret with you that not many people know about. I suffer from major bouts of insomnia. These bouts can last a few days or even a few weeks. Either I cannot fall asleep at all, or if I’m able to get to sleep, I can’t seem to sleep for longer than an hour or two without waking up. Sometimes, I take a sleeping aid, but most times, I rely on something that I stumbled upon a few years ago – ASMR!

YouTube is a great place to find your ASMR fix, which is exactly where I watch people eat Baked Cheese Corn! You didn’t think I had random people in my room at night just sitting around eating corn, did you? Ha!

IT MIGHT SOUND CRAZY, BUT IT WORKED!

I remember being a child and sharing a room with my brother. My twin bed was on one wall and his was on the other. I would spend my allowance money to buy a bag of chips for him. The catch? He had to eat them while I was trying to go to sleep. The sound of the crunching and munching, and the rattling of the chip bag would lull me to sleep.

We stopped sharing a room when we were 12 years old. So, I had to find other means. The hum of a tabletop fan would help, but not totally. Music was too distracting because I would want to sing along. Nothing seemed to work, however, I did notice that the sleepy feeling would happen at other times.

If someone was chewing gum, for instance. I loved that sound! The random clicking of a pen would make me drowsy. But, nothing worked as well as the sound a newspaper makes when you turn the page! Oh my God, that is pure heaven! I can’t tell you how many times John.e has read a newspaper or a magazine in bed to help me sleep!

WHAT IS THIS SLEEP-INDUCING SENSATION?

About five years ago, we were having dinner with a couple of our friends. We were talking about this phenomenon and they told me it was ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response. It is a tingling sensation that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine. A relatively new term, YouTube has been the main source for my ASMR fix.

Every single night without fail, I will put on my noise-cancelling headphones and listen to my favourite ASMR YouTubers munch on something crunchy. John.e cannot cope with the sound of someone eating, but it’s music to my ears. My favourites are Boki, SAS, and KyoKwang.

The one food that ASMR and Mukbang channels alike, seem to favour the most is bburinkle chicken. Every time I watch those videos, I crave the chicken. They often pair this chicken with Baked Cheese Corn. I had to find out what it was exactly and how to make it. It seems to be a heavily guarded secret. It certainly wasn’t easy to find a reliable source on the internet.

After a bit of research, I was able to determine what it was and how to make it. The first time, the corn tasted great, but the seasoning seemed a bit off. And the corn was a little overcooked, which meant it was missing that popping texture you get when biting into a corn kernel. But, the next time, I was able to perfect it. Doesn’t it look good!? Let me tell you how to make it!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Corn – I like to use frozen corn because it’s cheap and easy. You can use fresh corn that you have removed from the cob here too.
• Onion
• Mayonnaise – I tend to shy away from fat-free or reduced-fat mayo. Use full-fat, regular mayo to avoid a watery sauce once the corn has finished baking.
• Hot Sauce – The hot sauce is a must for me, but you can omit it if you don’t care for it.
• Honey – For sweetness.
• Ground Black Pepper
• Parsley
• Cheese – Use good mozzarella for the best stretchy, gooey results.
• Green Onions

HOW TO MAKE BAKED CHEESE CORN

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a casserole or baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Measure the corn, onion, mayonnaise, hot sauce, honey, ground black pepper, fresh parsley and 3 cups of shredded cheese into a mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Transfer the corn mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle over the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and slightly browned. Remove the corn from the oven. Garnish and serve immediately.

FROZEN CORN

In most cases, I use frozen corn in my recipes rather than fresh corn that has been removed from the cob. Would I prefer fresh corn in my Baked Cheese Corn? Yes, of course! But, fresh corn is not always available where I live, so frozen corn is the next best thing. Also, whenever I use frozen corn, I know I’m getting the next best thing without the need to shuck and clean it! And, unlike fresh corn, you don’t need to boil or cook frozen corn first. You just heat it through and it’s good to go!

Frozen corn can come in handy at any moment, whether you need an extra side dish or want to incorporate it into a dish you are already cooking. There are many ways to heat and cook frozen corn, from roasting to steaming, that can provide a variety of textures and flavours.

The frozen corn you buy from the grocery store is just like fresh corn. It is harvested at its peak and removed from the cob. From there, it goes into a quick boil to wash the corn and kill any enzymes or bacteria. Next, it is drained and packaged into bags immediately. From there it is flash-frozen and remains in a frozen state until it reaches your home.

In most cases, frozen corn is cheaper than fresh corn when comparing volume. And, if it saves me from having to shuck it, clean it, and cook it, I’m all in! I’m one of those food bloggers that have no problem with telling you to take the easy way out. Save the corn on the cob for your grill!

HOW TO SERVE BAKED CHEESE CORN

To be perfectly honest, Dear Reader, this corn is good enough to eat right from the baking dish as it is. In fact, I may have done just that, but if you’re more refined and prefer a sit-down meal, I would suggest serving this corn with other Asian-inspired recipes. Because I mostly see this corn being served with Korean-style mukbang foods, I’m going to suggest you do the same. And, luckily, I have many of those recipes already published right here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen, so you won’t have to go hunting for inspiration.

First, you cannot go wrong with Korean Bburinkle Chicken! It is a crispy fried chicken with a cheesy, onion, and garlic coating. Another option would be a saucy chicken like this Korean-Style Fried Chicken! My version promises three things – more crunch, more flavour, and more sauce! The crispy batter is light and flaky, while the sauce is sweet, spicy, tangy, and savoury.

If pork or beef is more your preference, you cannot beat these Korean Pork Belly Bites or these Korean Beef Ribs! Alternatively, something a little more budget friendly could be this Korean Ramen with Tteokbokki or Rice Cake and Sausage Skewers.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!