Sep 11, 2019 | Food, Recipes
Cornbread is a quick and easy side dish that goes with pretty much anything. This is a great recipe that you can shelf cook since you probably have all of the ingredients on hand!
Howdy Freebs! As you've probably guessed by now, I'm a big fan of quick and easy recipes, especially those using ingredients you likely already have on-hand. Today's is no exception! All you need is about 5 minutes to make the batter, and 15 minutes to bake and BOOM. Cornbread from scratch, that even I can do.
*Note: When you click the links in this post, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
This quick and easy side goes with so many dishes! I promise you won't be disappointed. Keep reading to get some great tips!
Jump to Recipe
CORNBREAD FROM SCRATCH
This cornbread recipe is seriously so delicious and so easy! I love it because I always have the ingredients to make it on hand and the whole family loves it. One of the great things about cornbread is that you can make it a variety of ways! We usually make ours in a round 9-inch baking pan.
I've also made it in muffin pan for when we have taken it to a potluck dinner. It traveled so easily and I didn't have to worry about cutting it beforehand and having it get stale around the edges. We've even made it in a cast iron skillet when we were at our family's house for the weekend and that's all that they had to use.
TIPS FOR BETTER CORNBREAD
While it is easy, cornbread can be really finicky if you don't make it the right way! So I've got a few ideas for you to be able to make the perfect cornbread.
DON'T OVER-MIX
Over-mixing your cornbread mixture is the leading cause of crumbly cornbread. Don't even think about using an electric mixer to mix it! All you need is a mixing bowl and spatula and you're good to go. You want to mix it just until the dry ingredients are moistened and then STOP before you do any damage!
MAKE IT QUICKLY
Don't let your cornbread mixture sit for too long, work quickly and get it in the oven as soon as you're done mixing and pouring it into the pan. The moisture activates the baking powder and it will rise better if you work quickly.
MAKE SUBSTITUTIONS
If you like a sweeter cornbread, substitute the milk for sweetened condensed milk. It'll make it sweeter and it makes the batter stickier, so you don't have to worry about crumbly cornbread!
The white flour can easily be substituted with whole wheat flour if that's all that you have on hand! Since the cornmeal is dense, nobody will even be able to tell that you switched it up and it'll still taste just as delicious.
For a lower fat and cholesterol version, use egg whites and skim or 1% milk. Just make sure that you use the appropriate amount of egg whites!
If your cornbread is still ending up crumbly, try adding buttermilk in the place of milk the next time that you make it. It helps to break down the gluten, making the cornbread nice and fluffy. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, don't worry because you can make your own! Just take a cup of regular milk and add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to it. Let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. BOOM, homemade buttermilk that was cheaper than what you can find at the store!
POSSIBLE CORNBREAD ADD-INS
I'm all about making the basic cornbread, but sometimes it's fun to spice things up a notch! Try adding these to your cornbread to see which one is your favorite.
- Cheese – Seriously, can you ever go wrong with adding cheese to anything?!
- Jalapeños – If you like the heat, then dice up some jalapeños and toss them into the mixture!
- Green Chiles – If you want a Mexican flavor without the crazy heat from a jalapeño, then add a drained jar of these in.
- Creamed Corn – This is another great way to add moisture to the mixture and make your cornbread fluffier.
- Corn Kernels – I've added both drained canned corn and corn off the cob to our cornbread before and it's been so good!
- Seasonings – Add your favorite seasonings to the mix! They will give it some more flavor and have your tastebuds giving each other high fives.
- Bacon – Try adding some cooked bacon in with your cornbread, you can thank me later!
WHAT TO SERVE IT WITH
Cornbread basically goes with pretty much anything. I mean, seriously, what does it not go well with?! Here are our favorite ways to eat it.
- Butter and honey
- Taco soup
- Stew
- Chili
- Beans
HOW TO REPURPOSE CORNBREAD
While cornbread is delicious the day that you make it, let's all agree that it loses a little something the next day when you go to eat your leftovers. Instead of being disappointed, repurpose that cornbread into something new for your family!
- Croutons – Take your cornbread and turn it into tasty croutons! Cut it into cubes, toss them with a little cooking oil and seasonings and bake until they're crispy.
- Stuffing – Make a yummy stuffing out of your old cornbread!
- Casserole – Use those stale crumbles in a delicious casserole!
- Bread Crumbs – Turn your cornbread into breadcrumbs and store them in the freezer until you need them for a meal like meatballs.
- French Toast – Take your stale cornbread and turn it into French Toast. You can thank me later! 😉
- Homemade Chicken Nuggets – Make your own chicken nuggets using the leftover cornbread as the batter! They're not quite as crispy as regular chicken nuggets, but they taste delicious!
CORNBREAD RECIPE
Alright, now that you're a cornbread master, here's my basic recipe for you to give it a try! Use all of my tips and try out some add-ins and you'll want to make it with every meal when it's cold outside… and even when it's not 😉
20-Minute Cornbread
This quick and easy cornbread recipe is from scratch and one of the best recipes that you'll find!
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ cup cornmeal
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup oil or melted butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a medium bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Add the 1 Tbsp butter to a 9'' baking pan. Place in oven for a few minutes until it melts, then swirl the pan around so the melted butter coats the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile, combine eggs, milk and oil in a small bowl.
Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.
Pour batter into baking pan, bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cut into wedges, serve warm with honey.
Notes
You can also make these in a muffin tin! Grease it really well, or add liners. Fill ⅔ of the way and cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean.
Keyword easy, shelf cooking
This is a perfect shelf cooking recipe! So get out that old box of corn meal, and have yourself a grand ole' time.
Have you checked outShelfCooking.comyet? Our brand new site is dedicated to helping you cook delicious, homemade, down-home-cooked meals for your family without spending all your time in the kitchen!
Basically every parent's dream, right? Join ourShelf Cooking Communitytoday!
Want more easy recipes like this?
- See how I made a homemade ham dinner for a fun gathering of friends without spending a dime at the store!
- If you want a healthy and delicious freezer breakfast, try out this sweet potato breakfast bowl!
- My loaded baked potato soup is a delicious meal to have on a cold day.
- This list of 100 dinner ideas is sure to help you in a bind!
Happy eating 🙂
