What Is Cornbread and How Can I Use It?

Here's everything worth knowing about cornbread and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 49 recipes to cook tonight.

What is cornbread?

Cornbread is a quick bread made from cornmeal, leavened with baking powder or soda instead of yeast. It bakes up golden with a slightly grainy, crumbly texture and a sweet, toasty corn flavor that goes with almost any savory meal.

It is fast by design. There is no kneading and no rising. You stir the batter and pour it into a pan to bake. From bowl to table is often under half an hour.

Two camps split over it. Southern cornbread is savory and crumbly, made with little or no sugar, while Northern-style cornbread is sweeter and cakier.

How to Use Cornbread

Cornbread is the classic partner to anything saucy or stewed. A wedge alongside chili sops up the bowl, as it does with Old Ebbitt Grill's White Bean Chili or a pot of beans and greens.

Bake it in a cast iron skillet for the best version. Preheat the greased skillet in the oven first, then pour in the batter so it hits hot metal and sets a deep, crackly brown crust on the bottom.

Day-old cornbread is the backbone of Southern dressing. Crumble it and dry it out, then work it into a Cornbread Sausage Stuffing, a Southern Cornbread Dressing, or a Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing.

Leftovers fry up well too. Split a square and butter the cut faces, then crisp it in a skillet. Or crumble it into a bowl of cold buttermilk the old country way.

Cooking and Pairing

Savory cornbread loves chili, barbecue, fried chicken, and collard greens with a pot of beans. The sweeter, cakier version leans toward honey and butter, and works almost like a breakfast bread.

Stir in cheddar and chopped jalapeno to push it from a side into something heartier. Crumbled bacon or a handful of corn kernels works too.

The most common mistake is overmixing the batter.

Stir cornmeal batter only until the dry streaks vanish. Beating it develops gluten and bakes up tough and dense instead of tender and crumbly.

The other slip is a cold pan. Pour batter into a cold skillet and you lose the signature crisp crust. The pan needs to be hot enough to sizzle when the batter lands.

Sweet vs Savory Cornbread

Southern cornbread runs savory: mostly cornmeal, little to no sugar, often made with buttermilk and baked in a hot skillet for a crisp crust and a sturdy, crumbly inside.

Northern and box-mix cornbread adds more sugar and more wheat flour, so it is sweeter and softer, closer to cake. It holds together better but lacks the toasty corn crunch.

Pick savory for dressing and to mop up chili. Pick sweet when cornbread is the treat, served warm with butter and honey.

Substitutes

Nothing fully replaces the corn flavor, but a few breads cover the job.

For mopping up chili or stew, a crusty roll or a biscuit does the sopping work, though neither brings the same corn taste. Corn muffins are just cornbread in a different shape, so they swap in directly.

In a dressing recipe, day-old white bread or a 50/50 mix of bread and crumbled corn muffins works, though you lose some corn taste. To get it back, toast a little extra cornmeal into the mix.

Buying and Storage

Cornbread is best the day it is baked, when the crust is still crisp. It stales fast, so plan to eat it warm.

Keep leftovers wrapped at room temperature for a day or two; the fridge dries it out faster. A quick warm-up in the oven or a toaster oven brings back some of the crust.

For dressing, slightly stale is what you want, so leave it out uncovered overnight to dry. To store longer, wrap squares tightly and freeze for up to three months, then thaw and reheat in the oven.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Food group: Cornbread is a member of the Baked Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

玉米面包

British (UK) term

Cornbread

en français

pain de maïs

en español

pan de maíz

How much does cornbread weigh?

Related

Baked Products

Recipes using cornbread

There are 49 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Cornbread Mason-Dixon Stuffing

Cornbread stuffing that straddles the Mason-Dixon line, blending crumbly cornbread with white bread, buttery onion and celery, sweet corn, and toasted pecans. Keep it dry for Western dressing or moist for Southern.

Cornbread Sausage Stuffing

Instead of using any old turkey stuffing, try this scrumptious variation that will become your family's new favorite for Thanksgiving!

Stuffed Vidalia Onions

Sweet Vidalia onions stuffed with a smooth cornbread, potato, and hard-boiled egg filling, baked until tender. A true Georgia-style Southern side dish.

Georgia's Onion Soup

Southern onion soup ladles a wine-laced caramelized onion broth over crumbled cornbread and cheese, swapping the French baguette croutons for proper Southern cornbread. A Georgia twist on a classic.

Cajun Beans Over Cornbread

Spicy Cajun beans simmered with stewed tomatoes and hot sauce, spooned over split cornbread and topped with shredded cheddar. A hearty 20-minute meal from pantry staples.

Roast Turkey with Corn Bread-Chorizo Stuffing

Roast turkey with cornbread chorizo stuffing: juicy turkey stuffed with spicy chorizo, sweet corn, and cornbread, roasted with a turn-and-baste method that delivers crisp skin and moist meat. A Southwestern Thanksgiving showstopper.

Roast Turkey with Grapes & Prunes

Roast turkey with port-soaked grapes and prunes in cornbread stuffing, then cooked inside a paper bag for a juicy bird with golden bronze skin. A holiday twist on the classic roast.

Sugared Muffins

Blueberry cornbread muffins dipped in melted butter and cinnamon sugar while still warm. Uses cornbread mix for a quick, semi-homemade breakfast treat.

Sylvia's Really Moist Stuffing

Sylvia's stuffing lives up to its name with cubed bread, cornbread, oats, and sunflower seeds soaked in butter, bacon drippings, and turkey giblet broth. Seasoned with an unexpected kick of chili powder alongside classic herbs.

Spinach with Oysters & Cheese

A Southern-style spinach casserole with chopped oysters, cornbread dressing, Worcestershire, and hot sauce, baked under a blanket of melted cheddar. This bayou-inspired dish brings Gulf Coast flavor to your supper table.

Ham with Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing

Smoked ham stuffed with cranberry cornbread stuffing and glazed with whole berry cranberry sauce and corn syrup. A stunning holiday centerpiece with built-in sweet-tart contrast.

Tribble's Banquet

This Star Trek-inspired stacked sandwich layers tender chicken, corned beef, and Swiss cheese on rye bread, topped with crunchy homemade coleslaw. A nerdy, hearty bite worthy of any Tribble.

Turkey with Southwest Stuffing

A whole roasted turkey stuffed with a bold Southwest cornbread dressing loaded with jalapeños, chayote, cilantro, pecans, and sage. Give your holiday bird a Tex-Mex twist that'll have the whole table talking.

Crown Roast of Lamb with Corn Bread Stuffing

Crown roast of lamb stuffed with sage and cornbread dressing, seasoned with onion, celery, and garlic. A showstopping centerpiece that feeds 12 and looks like a million bucks.

Nacho Grande Corn Bread Squares

Nacho-loaded cornbread squares with a mashed pinto bean and chili layer, jalapenos, mushrooms, tomatoes, and melted cheddar. Topped with sour cream, olives, and green onions.

Easy Corn Bread

Bread machine cornbread from a boxed mix, eggs, milk, and butter. Hands-off Southern staple that bakes into a tall, tender loaf with no mixing bowls to wash.

Chiii Corn Pie

Ground beef and corn chili baked in a cornbread stuffing crust with melted cheddar. A Tex-Mex spin on pot pie that feeds 8 and makes weeknight dinner an event.

Pork Chop & Corn Stuffing Bake

Pork Chop and Corn Stuffing Bake presses seasoned chops into cornbread stuffing mixed with corn soup, then tops them with a brown sugar-mustard glaze. One pan, 45 minutes.

Pork & Corn Stuffing Bake

Pork chops baked on a bed of cornbread stuffing with golden corn soup, topped with a brown sugar mustard glaze. A one-dish weeknight dinner.

Andouille-Tasso Dressing

Crumbled cornbread loaded with andouille, tasso, and sautéed vegetables, moistened with smoky meat broth for a spicy Creole stuffing that elevates any roast.

Uncle Ben's Grilled Stuffed Trout

Grilled whole trout stuffed with cornbread, mushrooms, olives, and sour cream dressing, seasoned with dill and lemon. Cooked in a fish basket over open flame.

Elegant Southern Seafood Cake

Southern seafood cakes with crab, shrimp, scallops, and flounder in a cornbread crumb coating, pan-fried in clarified butter. Four kinds of seafood in one golden, crispy cake.

Corn-Stuffed Peppers

Vegetarian corn-stuffed bell peppers with a double-corn filling, creamed corn and kernels bound with cornbread crumbs, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Basted in vegetable broth for tender, juicy shells.

Broccoli Corn Bread

Broccoli corn bread baked in a cast iron skillet with cheese and onion mixed right into the batter. A savory, veggie-loaded side that comes together fast.

Flat Iron Steak With BBQ Beans

Good way to cook steak with BBQ beans, tastes really very great.

Cranberry, Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing

Massive holiday stuffing with crumbled cornbread, hot and sweet Italian sausage, cranberries, maple syrup, rosemary, and orange marmalade. Makes 10 litres for a crowd-sized Thanksgiving feast.

Peppers & Green Chili Meatloaf

Three-meat meatloaf packed with green chiles, hot Italian sausage, cornbread stuffing, and chili powder, baked on a bed of slivered green peppers. Tex-Mex twist on the family classic.

Turkey with Oyster-Cornbread Stuffing

A whole roasted turkey basted in oyster liquor and butter, stuffed with a Southern cornbread dressing loaded with chopped oysters, pecans, mushrooms, and giblets. This is the holiday bird that earns a place at the head of the table.

Nathan's Cornbread Dressing

A holiday favorite! You MUST READ ALL of the instructions. There are simple but crucial instructions there.

Smoked Sausage & Corn Bread Pie

Sliced smoked sausage layered with corn, green beans, and stewed tomatoes, baked under a golden cornbread crust. A Southern-style one-dish supper ready in under an hour.

Cornbread-Apple-Sage Stuffing

Crumbled cornbread tossed with sautéed apples, fresh sage, and toasted pecans creates this Southern-style stuffing where sweet and savory dance together inside your holiday bird.

Cornbread-Sausage Stuffing with Apples

Cornbread sausage stuffing with three breads, tart apple chunks, pecans, and breakfast sausage seasoned with sage and thyme. Stuff the bird or bake as a casserole side.

Grandmother's Favorite Dressing

Southern cornbread dressing with a triple bread base of cornbread, biscuits, and bread crumbs seasoned with sage, onion, celery, and turkey broth. A classic Thanksgiving stuffing that makes 12 cups.

Aikens' Vegetarian Dressing

Aikens' vegetarian cornbread dressing with whole wheat toast, soda crackers, sage, onion, celery, buttermilk, and eggs baked in vegetable stock. A meatless Thanksgiving side that feeds a crowd.

Southern Corn Bread

Bread machine Southern cornbread with sharp cheddar, pimentos, hot sauce, buttermilk, and real corn kernels. A spicy, cheesy cornbread loaf you dump in the machine and walk away from.

Fireside Brisket

Fireside brisket braises beef low and slow in beer, chili sauce, onion soup mix, and Worcestershire, with rye cornbread thickening the pan into rich, self-saucing gravy.

Cornbread-Stuffed Meatloaf

Ground beef meatloaf rolled around a savory cornbread and zucchini stuffing, seasoned with basil and red pepper flakes, then glazed with ketchup. A stuffed meatloaf that's anything but ordinary.

Holiday Roast Turkey With Old-Fashioned Corn Bread Stuffing

Old-fashioned cooks sometimes added eggs and baking powder to their corn bread stuffing to give it a fluffier texture. The stuffing in this recipe is a delicious example.

Chicken & Dressing

A succulent chicken dish that is so easy to make, you can use your slow cooker!

Roast Goose with Stuffing

Roast goose stuffed with cornbread, Granny Smith apples, dried figs, and savory, then slow-roasted three hours with the fat poured off as it renders. The traditional centerpiece for an old-fashioned Christmas dinner.

Herman's Corn Bread Stuffing

Cornbread stuffing layers crumbled herbed cornbread with chicken livers, chestnuts, dried apricots, raisins, pine nuts, almonds, and apple. Rich and complex Thanksgiving showstopper.

Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing

This delicious turkey stuffing will enhance your Thanksgiving with a fruity taste that everyone will love.

Chili Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor's chili topped with golden cornbread, baked right in one casserole dish. Ground beef simmers in tomatoes, chili powder, and a splash of red wine vinegar for bright, bold flavor.

Roast Goose with Molasses Glaze & Apricot Stuffing

Roast Goose with Molasses Glaze & Apricot Stuffing recipe

Cornbread Dressing

Southern-style cornbread dressing loaded with crumbled cornbread, savory chicken broth, celery, and onions. Low-fat, diabetic-friendly, and baked until golden. A classic Thanksgiving side dish the whole family will love.

Southern Cornbread Dressing

Traditional Southern cornbread dressing with crumbled cornbread, sage, chopped boiled eggs, and chicken broth. Includes a from-scratch buttermilk cornbread recipe. A Thanksgiving must-have.

Old Ebbitt Grill's White Bean Chili

Old Ebbitt Grill's white bean chili: tender navy beans simmered with peppers, cumin and chili powder, topped with thinly sliced spice-rubbed roasted chicken, salsa, sour cream and cilantro. A copycat of the DC landmark's signature bowl.

All 49 recipes