Everyday Cornbread

Everyday cornbread
Diana Rattray
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 cornbread

This easy everyday cornbread is the perfect accompaniment to baked beans, chili, and greens. Most Southerners make a savory cornbread with no sweetener. This cornbread is a Southern-style version made with very little sugar, but feel free to omit it altogether or add more if you like a sweeter cornbread. 

Another way to enhance the flavor of cornbread is with bacon drippings, so don't throw them away. When you cook bacon, add the drippings to a container. Bacon grease—strained with no bacon pieces—will keep for up to one year in the refrigerator. Just smell it before you add it to food to make sure it hasn't gone rancid. When you make your cornbread, replace some of the butter with bacon drippings, if you like. For a more smoky flavor, add a few tablespoons of crumbled bacon to the batter. 

If you like Tex-Mex flavors, add a few tablespoons of jalapeño peppers or mild chiles along with about 1/2 cup of shredded or cubed cheese. Whole kernel corn is another option that will add both flavor and texture.

There are plenty of ways to use leftover cornbread (see below), and it freezes beautifully, so don't worry about making too much. You might even want to make a double batch! 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cornmeal, white or yellow

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon sugar, more or less as desired

  • 1 1/2 cups milk

  • 2 large eggs

  • 5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat the oven to 400 F.

  2. Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch-square baking pan. 

  3. In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

  4. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter.

  5. Combine the two mixtures and stir until blended. Spoon the cornbread batter into the prepared pan.

  6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cornbread is firm and browned around the edges, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Uses for Leftover Cornbread

  • Toast it under the broiler and enjoy it for breakfast with butter and jam or preserves.

  • Leftover cornbread makes tasty toasted crumbs for topping casseroles. Crumble the cornbread and spread it out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake the crumbs in a 300 F oven until they are lightly browned.

  • For croutons, cut the cornbread into cubes and bake it for about 10 to 12 minutes at 325 F.

  • Sprinkle toasted cornbread crumbs or croutons over a bowl of chili or soup.

  • Use cubed leftover cornbread in a layered breakfast casserole.

  • Make a stuffing with dried, crumbled cornbread.

  • Use your leftover cornbread to make this unique cornbread salad.

  • For a crunchy, crispy topping on a fruit crisp, replace some of the flour with leftover cornbread crumbs.

  • Thicken a pot of chili with fine cornbread crumbs.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
264 Calories
10g Fat
37g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 264
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 69mg 23%
Sodium 554mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 169mg 13%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 184mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)