This Cheesy Cornbread recipe is my go-to side dish when serving any kind of homemade chili, soups, or hearty winter stews. It’s moist thanks to the use of buttermilk, slightly sweet, and packed with cheesy goodness!
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Making cornbread in a cast iron skillet is a sure way to get that crispy golden outer edge with a soft cake-like center. These days, cornbread is a staple side dish to summer barbeque recipes, special holiday meals, and can even be enjoyed alone as a tasty snack with some homemade Garlic Chive Butter!
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This Skillet Cornbread has just the right amount of moisture to make it deliciously tender so that it holds its shape while still slightly crumbly.
- This recipe is easy enough for anyone to make. If you’ve never made cornbread before, now is your opportunity!
- Easily adapt this cheesy skillet cornbread by adding in chopped herbs, making it spicy, or giving it a breakfast twist.
- It’s a slightly sweet cornbread that’s packed with cheddar cheese, ideal as a side dish to summer barbeque meals or with hearty and warm dishes in winter.
🧂 Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Cornmeal
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk
- Vegetable oil
- Egg
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Granulated garlic
🔪Instructions
This is meant to be a brief overview of our favorite cornbread recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below or Jump to Recipe.
- Preheat your oven to 400-degrees and butter a cast-iron skillet.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, then add the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Mix in the dry ingredients and add ¾ cup of the cheese - reserve ¼ cup for the top.
- Pour the batter into the prepared skillet, and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven, until the cornbread is lightly browned on the edges, and the cheese is toasty.
- Remove from the oven, cut into triangles and serve warm with butter.
Equipment
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- Mixing Bowl
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Dry measuring spoons
- Dry Measuring Cups
- Fork
- Mixing Spoon
- cast iron skillet - you can also use a 9x9 pan if you prefer
⏲️ Storage
To Store: Store any leftover cornbread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 days. These are my favorite containers.
To Reheat: Wrap the cornbread in aluminum foil and place it in the oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes.
To Freeze: You can also wrap cornbread in aluminum foil, then slide it into a labeled freezer bag. It will keep in the freezer for about 2 months.
To Thaw: Transfer the cornbread to the fridge and let it thaw overnight.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions (and answers!) readers often ask about this delicious and moist cornbread recipe.
Traditional Southern cornbread in the strictest sense doesn’t include wheat flour or sugar in the batter. In fact, many would argue that the addition of sugar in cornbread then makes it a dessert!
The addition of sugar in cornbread is ultimately dictated by what’s been passed down in family recipes but when referring to Southern Cornbread, there certainly is a strong inference of a cornbread staying true to its origins.
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet for your cornbread, you could use a thick aluminum pan instead although you may need to increase your cooking time slightly since it’s lighter than a cast iron and therefore won’t heat up as quickly.
Whatever substitute pan you use, make sure that it isn’t thin otherwise you run the risk of burning the cornbread on the bottom.
If your cornbread is sticking to the skillet it’s most likely because the skillet wasn’t hot enough by the time you poured the cornbread batter in.
Place your skillet in the oven while preheating. When hot, remove the skillet and line it with a few tablespoons of butter, pouring the cornbread batter into the skillet soon after to allow the batter to immediately cook and crisp. This will ensure an easy non-stick cornbread when it’s time to remove it from the skillet for serving.
When it comes to baking cornbread, there could be a few reasons for why you may be experiencing overly crumbly cornbread. Adding too much cornmeal can prevent the gluten in the flour from holding the bread together or a lack of moisture in your cornbread can result in an overly crumbly cornbread.
It’s important that you measure your dry and wet ingredients accurately when following a cornbread recipe to ensure best results!
No buttermilk? While the recipe calls for buttermilk, it's simple to make an easy substitution.
To replace 1 cup of buttermilk, simply use ¾ cup of sour cream and thin it out with ¼ cup of milk or water. Whisk the mixture till completely smooth.
Alternatively, you can also combine 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice OR white vinegar.
📖 Variations
We recommend that you try our recipe for the first time just as it is written for the best results, because that is how the recipe has been tested.
However, the next time you make it, you might consider one of these different ways of making this great recipe.
- If you enjoy some heat in your food then consider making a jalapeno and white cheddar cheese skillet cornbread. You’ll need 1 large jalapeno, minced, which is roughly 2-3 tablespoons.
- For a sugar-free skillet cornbread, simply omit the sugar from the dry ingredients. There are generally two camps when it comes to cornbread - those that always add sugar and those that don’t. It really depends on which area of the country you grew up in and your taste preferences.
- For more of a breakfast-style cornbread, add some crispy bacon pieces and a little bit of chopped scallions into the cornbread batter!
🍴 Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways that you can enjoy this cheesy skillet cornbread but one of my favorite dishes to pair with cornbread is a bowl of chili like my Leftover Turkey Chili, Instant Pot Beef Chili or Slow Cooker Chicken Chili!
Of course skillet cornbread would also be a delicious addition to warm winter soups and hearty stews. Otherwise use this cheesy skillet bread to bulk up a leafy green salad.
If you’re just craving a slice of freshly made cornbread, then simply serve it with your favorite compound butter like my Garlic Chive Butter as a mouth-watering snack!
😋 Similar Recipes
Next time, try one of these great recipes:
- Rosemary Focaccia Bread - A surprisingly simple and tasty side addition to most Mediterranean main meals or to bulk up a charcuterie board!
- Tarragon Walnut Pesto Flatbread - This flatbread has everything going for it! Herbs, chopped nuts, and cheese! The perfect appetizer alongside your favorite white wine!
- Buttery Dinner Rolls - You can never go wrong with fresh homemade dinner rolls. They’re a comforting side dish that will go with almost any meal!
📋 Cheesy Cornbread
Not ready to make it yet? Don’t forget to pin this easy recipe for later! When you do make it, please be sure to tag me on Instagram @jugglingactmama or #jugglingactmama – I’d love to see your pictures! And finally, if you get a chance, please comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
Cheddar Cornbread
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Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Dry measuring spoons
- Fork
- Mixing Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 c. yellow cornmeal
- ½ c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 c. buttermilk
- ½ c. milk
- 1 whole egg
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided
- ¼ c. butter reserving 2 tbsp
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and stir until combined.
- Measure and add the buttermilk and milk and add the egg. Stir.
- Add the baking soda and stir until combined.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients.
- Add ¾ cup of shredded cheddar cheese to your mixture.
- Stir until combined - use a fork for best results.
- Melt ¼ butter and slowly add to your batter. Stir gently until just combined.
- In a cast iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
- Carefully pour your batter directly into the hot skillet being sure it spreads evenly over the hot surface.
- Top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
- Cook on the stovetop for 1 minute and then bake in your hot oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.
For best results, be sure to check our Tips and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help your delicious recipe come out perfectly.
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Joseph says
What size cast iron are you using exactly?
Ang Paris says
I just an 8" skillet