Cheesy Baked Kimchi Dip

Kimchi and cheese is one of my favorite ingredient combinations of all time. The melty cheese mellows the spicy, savory flavors of kimchi in the most magical way. I often sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of my kimchi fried rice or fold kimchi into a grilled cheese to enjoy those spicy, cheesy flavors. So I decided to mash it up in a baked cheesy dip, and the result is as incredible as it sounds! 

The base of this cheesy baked kimchi dip combines three ingredients: mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream. They come together to form a creamy, cheesy base. Then, I simply stir in caramelized kimchi, scallions, garlic, and sprinkles of gochugaru and bake until bubbly. 

I like to serve this with sliced baguette (or this cheesy garlic bread if you want to go all in on the cheese) or I slather it over toast for an easy version of kimchi grilled cheese! It’s truly the crowd-pleasing appetizer that you’ll want to make again and again. 

• Scallions: Fresh scallions are crucial in this cheesy baked kimchi dip. They lighten things up while adding a wonderful savoriness.
• Mozzarella cheese: Makes the dip magically cheesy. Plus, it’s a blank canvas flavorwise, which ensures that all the ingredients work together in harmony. Be sure to use low-moisture mozzarella cheese. 
• Cabbage kimchi: The main ingredient that makes this cheesy dip stand out. The key is to squeeze out the extra kimchi juice as much as possible, and then cook the chopped kimchi until it’s slightly caramelized to maximize the flavors. 
• Toasted sesame oil: Instead of cooking kimchi with regular oil, doing it in toasted sesame oil brings out more flavor while adding a fantastic nutty, toasted taste. 
• Sour cream: A little bit of tang from sour cream makes the dip balanced.
• Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes): Brings another level of heat. It’s not super spicy but rather floral, and the spiciness is tamed by all the creamy, cheesy elements in the recipe. 
• Granulated sugar: It balances all the salty, fermented, and umami-rich ingredients in the recipe while softening the sour flavors of kimchi.  

• Think of it as more than a dip. While this baked dip is delicious with chips and crudités, you can use it as a base for a cheesy baked pasta sauce or as a flavorful spread on your panini. You can even put this over rice to make cheesy rice. The possibilities are endless!
• Caramelize your kimchi when sautéing. It’s important that the kimchi doesn’t add any excess moisture to the dip, so take your time cooking and caramelizing it before folding into the creamy mixture. There should be barely any moisture left in the pan when cooking the kimchi. And look for brown spots on your kimchi to see if it’s caramelized well.