Easy Cornbread with Corn, Rosemary, and Cheddar
Here’s an great recipe for buttery cornbread with corn (you can use fresh or frozen), rosemary (adds a nice flavor twist) and cheddar cheese for an extra flavorful, rich cornbread. Perfect with a bowl of chili or as a Thanksgiving side.
Isn’t cornbread just the best?! No matter how you like it; unsweetened, sweet, baked in a cast iron skillet or in a muffin tin, there’s just something undeniably homey and comforting about a fat piece of cornbread.
I’ve always L-O-V-E loved cornbread. As a kid when my dad would make a box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix I knew it was going to be a good night, no matter what else we were eating. I would slather those cornbread muffins with loads of butter and honey and be in heaven.
Now I make homemade cornbread—it takes about 5 minutes longer and tastes so much better—but the whole gobs of butter and honey have not changed. I love this version because the corn and rosemary and cheese really elevate it. The first time you make it, I encourage you to try it as written then feel free to play around and add your own special touch.
Cornbread is essential for dipping in chili and really meaty stews of all kinds and since we are entering soup season I wanted to post this recipe so you can start making it ASAP.
Why This Is The Best Cornbread Recipe
- Perfect balance of sweet cornbread plus salty cheese and fragrant rosemary.
- Easy cornbread recipe, just mix the wet with the dry and bake!
- Adding corn and cheese creates super moist cornbread.
- This is the perfect cornbread for a fancy occasion like Thanksgiving but also a great side dish to make on any given weeknight.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Yellow cornmeal
- Granulated sugar
- Fresh rosemary
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Buttermilk
- Salted butter
- Egg room temperature
- Cheddar cheese
- Corn kernels can be fresh or frozen. Adding corn kernels gives this cornbread great corn flavor.
- Honey for serving, optional
How To Make It
step one
Get ready to bake. Heat oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Grease an 8-inch baking dish.
step two
Combine dry ingredients. Mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, and rosemary in a large bowl. The best way to do this is with a whisk to break up any lumps.
step three
Combine wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, and egg.
step four
Add dry to wet. Pour dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and gently combine with a rubber spatula until mostly combined. Add 1 cup of the cheese and fold that in.
step five
Bake. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle rosemary sprigs and remaining cheese over the top. Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
step six
Serve. Let the cornbread cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes then slice and serve with more butter and honey.
Cornbread with Corn FAQ’s
Can I make this is a cast-iron skillet? Absolutely! Use a 8 or 9-inch skillet. To get a really crispy crust, pour a tablespoon of vegetable oil in the pan and then place it in the oven while it is heating. When you are ready to bake, carefully remove the pan from the oven, swirl the oil around so it is coating all the sides, scrape the batter into the cast iron pan and bake as directed.
How Do I Store Leftovers? If you plan on eating it the next day, cover with aluminum foil and keep on the counter at room temperature. For longer storage, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Are corn meal and corn flour the same thing? No, they have very different textures and cannot be interchanged. Corn flour is much finer and shouldn’t be used in this recipe.
Can I omit the rosemary from this recipe? Sure! You could make more of a Mexican cornbread by adding green chiles and sliced green onion instead of the rosemary.
Top 5 Most Popular Recipes To Serve with Cornbread
- Slow Cooker Borracho Beans
- Vinegar and Spice Baked Baby Back Ribs
- Mushroom Leek and Barley Soup
- Homemade Egg Noodle Soup
- Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
The Only Thing Bad About This Recipe
Is that you might eat the whole pan yourself. It’s just that good. When you try it, let me know how it went! Share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @katesbestrecipes so that I can see. Or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating)! Also, sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter so you never miss a thing.
Easy Cornbread with Corn, Rosemary, and Cheddar
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus 10-12 small sprigs for the top
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
For Serving
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F and grease a 8-inch square baking dish or 8-inch cast iron skillet.
- Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, rosemary, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk until evenly mixed
- Combine buttermilk, melted butter, and egg in a separate large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add 1 cup of the cheese and the corn and stir just until combined.
- Stir in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until evenly moistened.
- Scrape batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle rack for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle small rosemary sprigs and remaining cheese over the top. Continue baking until the cheese is melted and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 10 minutes more.
- Let the cornbread cool about 10 minutes then slice and serve with butter and honey.
Notes
- Salted butter: Using salted butter in this recipe adds extra richness but unsalted will work fine.
- Cheddar cheese: If you want to use a different kind of cheese, that’s fine. Try Gouda or Fontina. No matter what you use, remember, that shredding the cheese yourself always melts and tastes better. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents that make the cheese dry and a little funky.
- Flour: Substitute whole wheat flour for the all purpose flour for more of a heartier flavor.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, substitute the same amount of whole milk and add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
Video
In support of this small business, Kate’s Best Recipes earns revenue in a few different ways. Several sponsored posts are published each month. I also earn an affiliate commission on the sales of products I link to— there are a few of those links in this post. I only feature items I genuinely love and personally use on a regular basis. This commission is an arrangement between the retailer and Kate’s Best Recipes (readers never pay more for products). This income allows me to run the site. Thank you for reading!
